Theory in Practice Conference

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Theory in Practice Conference 2026:

FUTURE-PROOF BUSINESS
26th March 2026
Xamk, Kouvola and Online 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

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Thursday, 26.03.2026

  • 9.00 - Opening of TiP 2026 by Petteri Ikonen and Ari Lindeman
  • 9.15 - Keynote I: Building Resilient and Sustainable Service Business in Asia Pacific by Aksh Rohatgi
  • 10:00 - Keynote II: From Problems to Opportunities by Petteri Kolinen
  • 10: 30 - Keynote III: Human-centric AI by Lauri Järvilehto
  • 11:15 - Keynote IV: Frugal AI for a Future-proof Business: Cost Discipline, Competitive Returns & the SDGs by Serish Gandikota
  • 12:00 - Welcome to TiP 2027 by Jamk by Shabnamjit Hundal and Anne Eskola
  • 12:10 - Lunch break
  • 13:00 - Presentation of conference papers (simultaneous sessions including coffee break)
  • 17:00 - Thank you and Goodbye

Speakers

Aksh Rohatgi

Managing Director, Asia Pacific, ISS

Aksh Rohatgi is the Managing Director, Asia Pacific, at ISS. Under his leadership, ISS APAC has become a key player in the facility management industry, serving a wide range of sectors with integrated facility services solutions across the Region. Aksh’s expertise and leadership have been crucial in driving the company’s growth and success in the APAC region.

Aksh is an alumnus of Harvard Business School Executive Education and holds deep expertise in strategy, finance, and risk management. Prior to joining ISS, he has held key positions in EXL Services and Deloitte.

Petteri Kolinen

Leading consultant in strategic Design

Industrial Designer and Master of Arts in Design Leadership, Petteri Kolinen has a long experience in various leadership positions in design from diverse industries. In 1993–2007, Kolinen worked at Nokia as a lead designer of over 20 phone models. Then further as a Design Manager, responsible for various teams, as well as e.g. managing the Design Studio at the Keilaniemi headquarters. After this, he was a member of the Group Management Team and Design Director at the Martela Group Oyj.

Petteri joined Design Forum Finland CEO position from Nanso Group Oy, where he held the post of Creative Director. From DFF he was recruited for the CEO Punda Brands.

Nowadays, Petteri works as a Leading Consultant in Strategic Design at LINK Design, is a teacher, active top management coach and a passionate speaker for the human centric thinking.

Lauri JärviLehto

Founder, Academy of Philosophy

Lauri Järvilehto, PhD, is a philosopher, writer, and musician. He is the founder of Academy of Philosophy, worked as a Professor of Practice at Aalto University and served on the board of UNICEF Finland. He has written many best-selling works on thinking and learning and lectures regularly around the world.

Serish Gandikota

Co-Founder & Co-Director, Frugal AI Hub, Judge Business School, Cambridge University

Serish Gandikota is a strategist at the intersection of Frugal AI, impact investing, and climate finance, with more than 20 years of global experience across Europe, Asia, and Africa. He is an Honorary Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).

As Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Frugal AI Hub at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, Serish is advancing a global agenda for resource-efficient, scalable, and socially responsible AI. He has helped launch Frugal AI Adoption Labs, co-authored the white paper Frugal AI: Driving Sustainable, Inclusive, and Scalable Innovation, and is currently working with the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) to develop new Total Cost of Ownership and SDG metrics frameworks to guide responsible AI adoption worldwide.

He is also the co-founder of InnoFrugal, a platform championing affordable, sustainable innovation, and a core contributor to EU-funded citizen-led innovation projects under Horizon 2020. His work includes building investment ecosystems and raising capital for impact and climate funds – supporting startups, reviewing more than 500 ventures, mentoring over 15, and helping secure a €17.5 million EIF commitment.

A published author and international speaker, including speaking at SXSW London 2025 and the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026, Serish brings together technology, policy and capital to deliver solutions that are profitable, inclusive and climate-smart. His current focus is on partnerships that scale Frugal AI adoption, strengthen impact investment ecosystems, and unlock climate finance for meaningful global change.
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Organizational development and leadership are undergoing rapid transformation as businesses navigate digital disruption, sustainability demands, and evolving expectations for inclusive and resilient workplaces.

TiP2026 Conference will explore how future-proof businesses can thrive through resilience, sustainability, digital transformation, AI-driven management and inclusive leadership. Bringing together experts in these domains, the conference will highlight emerging trends, new research and practical solutions that bridge theory and real-world application

The conference is organised by the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences Xamk.

The event has received funding from the Foundation for Economic Education
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