3 questions: Corinne Trang

Corinne Trang, Head of Operations and Business Development at LEVEL Malm?.

How would you summarize the goal of?LEVEL?

LEVEL?helps?people establish themselves in Malm?. We welcome all?with a focus on?the city’s?ethnic?communities?and women-owned businesses.?We?want to make sure that everyone?has an equal opportunity to thrive in a competitive world. Malm? is an international city. More than half of its population?is foreign-born. As citizens of the third largest and increasingly growing city of Sweden, we have an opportunity to embrace and integrate historically rich cultures?into society. Malm? is a city filled with international talent.?In response to this simple fact,?LEVEL?works to identify communities where people are far from the job market.?Then, to?the best?of our ability, we help?them?develop dreams into viable business concepts.

While we specialize in custom one-on-one coaching, we also have?business development?workshops, helping?clients?gain insight into Swedish business practices?and regulations.?These practical and creative?hands-on?lessons?are valuable at any stage of the entrepreneur’s journey,?especially in the beginning when building a?solid foundation?upon which they can grow?is essential.

Our co-working space is where?one?can sit at a desk?to work on a?business idea. The open floor-plan encourages people to?easily?engage in conversation with?other entrepreneurs or?with our business coaches.?Included are?wi-fi,?sound-proof?conference rooms, a lounge, and more.?Through events,?we create a support system where people can meet other entrepreneurs going through the same process. As a result, they can?exchange?ideas and learn to communicate?casually.

What results have you accomplished in your first ? year?

"A key factor is that we have an open-door policy.?No need to fill out an application!?Instead,?anyone can?come and?present a business idea, develop their start-up, or?scale-up.?In our work,?we are helping?to create?a better life for future?generations by?addressing sustainability and integration issues today."

We?saw an opportunity to deliver business coaching?from the start?while breaking down cultural and language barriers. We have followed our plan?and?hired?a staff that mirrors our community, offering services in multiple languages.?As a result, we?have?quadrupled?our client base?in these last few months?and helped register about two dozen businesses.?I am happy to report that our strategy is working beautifully.?

A key factor is that we have an open-door policy.?No need to fill out an application!?Instead,?anyone can?come and?present a business idea, develop their start-up, or?scale-up.?In our work,?we are helping?to create?a better life for future?generations by?addressing sustainability and integration issues today.

What has the experience of starting?LEVEL?been like?

LEVEL is a?massive?project?with?challenges.?So?many people need guidance.?Our goal is to create an environment that welcomes all, regardless of race, religion, socio-economic background, or age. Not everyone is an entrepreneur or has a good business idea at first.?Our?job is to listen, first and foremost. From there, we?guide people to see things from different perspectives, giving them insight into?the?Swedish system and cultural landscape. It’s a?tremendous?job,?and we are happy to provide this?guidance?to as many people as possible and in as many languages?as we need to. We are not just business developers. We are change agents with a local issue and global perspective. Combined, our staff has over 60 years of international business experience. We are here to make a difference in people’s lives?so that they may enjoy Malm? to the fullest.