Meet Dan Erling the President  and CEO of Accountants One! 

Meet our members Jeff Arnold and Richard Kline at Sought + Found, LLC.
Are you on the lookout for unique interior design, or maybe a special birthday gift? Make sure to check out Sought + Found and contribute to supporting small businesses around the world. Visit their online store here!

We are super excited to present our next board member! This is a way for you to get to know SACC GA's board members in a video format.

Meet  John Woodward! 

John has been involved as a SACC GA board member for several years. He is Vice President, Global Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber and Honorary Consul for Slovak Republic 
Enjoy!

We are excited to present our new Segment Member Spotlight. This is a chance for you to get to know the SACC GA members more through video format. 

First out is The Dressie Law Firm, we visited them last  year to learn more about their law firm and connection to Sweden! 

Enjoy!

We are super excited to present a new addition to our series, Board Member Spotlight. This is a way for you to get to know SACC GA's board members in a video format.

Jonas Jarvholm is a patent lawyer  and partner at Ballard Spahr, and has been involved as a SACC GA board member for several years. He is born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden but went collage and started his career in the US. 
Enjoy!

Meet Tindra and Sudhir from Green Boom. 

Green Boom is one of our member companies that took part of our internship program and hosted a Swedish intern. Read our interview to learn more about their experience.

Tindra

Tell us about yourself:

My name is Tindra, and I am 22 years old and I grew up in Borås, Sweden. In June, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Jönköping international Business School. After graduation, I moved to Atlanta to work as a trainee at Green Boom.

 

Tell us about your impression of Atlanta:

It definitely exceeded my expectations. I think it is a great, vibrant city with a variety of activities, restaurants and availability to meet new people. You definitely notice the southern hospitality. It is a big spread-out city, which can make it hard sometimes to get around without a car, so Uber and the MARTA have become my new best friends. 

Learning experiences:

Working for a start-up is remarkable to me, as I get a deep insight into the business and get to do a multitude of tasks. That has made me more hands on and more explorative in finding solutions, as there are no manuals to follow. But most apparent is to take advantage of networking at all times and be responsive. 

 

Sudhir:

About Green Boom

We manufacture 100% biodegradable and non-traceable oil absorbents used to clean up oil spills at sea, on land or industrial environments. It is a very niche industry. We work with clients everywhere in the world but primarily the US, the Middle East and in Europe. So we work all hours of the day, because we might just wake up and our clients in the Middle East get off work.

Best thing with a trainee?  

Everyone at Green Boom has something different that they bring to the table. For instance Dr Deng and I are both scientists, Parker manages the sales operations, whilst David handles the day-to-day operations. There have been a lot of positive things about having a trainee at Green Boom. Tindra being straight out of school, being from a different country has brought some insightful perspectives on our sales team and Green Boom as a whole. 

Who are you?
My name is Lina, I am 25 years old, and I was born and raised in Gothenburg,
Sweden. Recently, I finished my Master’s degree in International Business and Trade
at the School of Business, Economics, and Law at the University of Gothenburg.

Why did you apply for this internship?
I have always wanted to work abroad, especially in the US. The Swedish American
Chamber of Commerce is a great place to kick start your international career. Being
at SACC-Georgia is exciting since Atlanta is a hub for many different industries.

What are your first impressions of Atlanta?
Well... they do not call it Hotlanta for nothing! My first impression was that it was
very hot and humid, but also, you can not miss the Southern hospitality. People in
Atlanta are so friendly and people always smile and say Hello even if you do not
know them. I love the city, it is full of life and many things to do.

What did you do prior to your internship at SACC-GA?
I was a full-time student at the University of Gothenburg, acquiring a Master’s degree
in International Business and Trade. I also worked part-time at a company called
Cellmark as a Sales Service Coordinator. In addition, I volunteered for several youth
organizations in the town where I lived. This is a great passion of mine

What are your expectations for your internship?
My expectations for this internship are to gather valuable experiences that I can use
in my future career, as well as to evolve as a person. I pursue the experience of
working in a different culture and get a better understanding of how businesses
operate in the US, as well as how a chamber of commerce functions. I also look
forward to expanding my network and developing relationships here in Atlanta and across the US.

 

We had the honor to speak with Susanne Howard, President of SWEA in Atlanta.

What is your connection to Sweden?

I was born and raised in Sweden. After High School I went to Germany to work and I met my husband who was stationed there with the US army. I try to go to Sweden as much as I can to see my family and of course it is easier now to stay in touch via phone and social media. 

Tell us a little bit about your organization, what does SWEA Atlanta do?

SWEA Atlanta is a local branch of SWEA International, Swedish Women's Educational Association, which is a global non-profit association for Swedish-speaking women who are or have lived outside Sweden's borders. Our vision is to reach out to as many Swedish-speaking women in the world as we can. SWEA was founded in Los Angeles in 1979 by Agneta Nilsson when she met other Swedish women in the area who were all eager to keep in touch with each other. SWEA is also located in Sweden and is a support for many Swedish women who return home after years abroad.

Do you have anything planned for the coming months?

The main event that we are planning is an outdoor Christmas market on December 4^th 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM at Chamblee First United Methodist Church 4147 Chamblee Dunwoody RD, Atlanta, GA 30341. Our Annual Swedish Christmas Market showcases the culture and holiday traditions of Sweden and draws many international and American families from around the state. You can find unique Swedish crafts and gifts such as Swedish home-baked goods, Swedish chocolates and candy as well as traditional and modern handicrafts. We have been meeting regularly via zoom and outdoors during the pandemic, but are hoping to resume indoor gatherings for our members in January and February. 

Is it something else you want to bring up? 

SWEA Atlanta awards one scholarship a year to a male or female who plans on studying the Swedish language, literature, culture, tradition, music, design, or environment. The scholarship must be used in conjunction with university-level studies. The scholarship can also be awarded to a female non-student who works or is otherwise involved in any of these areas.

For more information about SWEA in Atlanta please visit the website.

We had the honor of  speaking with Ralph Howard, Chairman of Vasa in Atlanta.

What is your connection to Sweden?

My connection to Sweden is my wife. We have been married for 37 years. We met on a blind date in West Germany in November 1983. ​​After Ralph completed his military service and graduate school in Alabama, the couple moved to Atlanta and have lived here since. 

Tell us a little bit about your organization, what does Vasa do? 

The Vasa lodge in Atlanta is one out of 18 districts of the Vasa Order. Vasa is about sharing, enjoying and propagating Scandinavian culture and heritage. As a group of 30-55 members in Atlanta we celebrate all the classic Swedish holidays, have members' meetings and we try to celebrate other nationalities beside Sweden, with representatives from other countries, where they get to show us their culture. 

Vasa’s name reflects the organization’s roots as a Swedish-American fraternal organization and started more than a century ago.Vasa Order of America emerged from the many Swedish societies that existed as a safety net for early immigrants. The Vasa Order comprises the Grand Lodge, 18 District Lodges, and nearly 200 local lodges.

Who are your members? If you are not a member, how do you become a member?

Our members were born in Nordic countries, are of Nordic ancestry or the spouse of an active Vasa member, are a non-Nordic widow or widower of a Vasa member, or are committed to the promotion and advancement of Swedish and Nordic heritage and culture.

Do you have anything planned for the coming months?

Usually, we celebrate the classic Swedish holidays and other Nordic holidays. Unfortunately, we do not have anything planned right now because of the Covid situation. We are hoping to plan something soon for our members. 

For more information about Vasa in Atlanta, please visit the website.