New Years Parade

A New Years parade takes place on New Year’s eve in our neighborhood every year. In the afternoon the children dress up and go from house to house singing songs for sweets, when the sun sets all the neighbor gather for the parade and at midnight we all gather to send up fireworks.

This year my kids and their friends dressed up as small santas, a sheep and an angel, and sang a beautiful song they had made themselves. All the kids in Nordåsgrenda take great pride in making the best song and the best show as prizes are given out rewarding the kids. Since a couple of us parents were in the jury this year we couldn’t let our own kids win, but they surely did put on a great show.

The neighborhood we live in is quite unique. Nordåsgrenda was built founded on idealism, and a community house is located in the centre with terrace houses around it. The houses are by no means fancy, but its a perfect and safe place for the children to grow up. The community house hosts a 5-days-a-week kindergarden, a junior club one afternoon a week, a choir, as well as spaces for the teenagers to meet and play games, or to rent for parties and other celebrations.

We love our life in Nordåsgrenda, and we look forward to a great 2010! Happy New Years!

August, Oda and Alvin dressed up as a sheep, 

an angel and a santa teddybear. Aren’t they cute?

Merry Christmas

I love Christmas! It’s such a wonderful time of year when you get to spend time with your family, eat amazing food and offer and receive gifts that you hopefully have put a lot of thought into buying.

Nothing feels better than wakening up in the morning of the 24th (in Norway that’s the day we celebrate Christmas) from joyful and excited children jumping all over you. I remember when I was a child and felt the excitement for Christmas building up in my whole body from early November until it climaxed on the 24th of December, but sadly that’s not the case anymore. I wonder if there are grown-ups that get that amazing Christmas feeling? I wish I would get more of that, and the thing that gives me a taste of that joyful feeling that just bubbles from within now is watching my kids.

Christmas in our house starts in the early morning with the ‘gifts on a thread’. This is a family tradition started by my mom when I was three years old, she had bought too many gifts and ended up tying them to a piece of yarn - one by one. The thread started at my bed, and ended under the Christmas tree. I loved this tradition when I was a child, and passed it on to my kids. Instead of having three threads (one for each child) I have chosen to have one instead, but with presents wrapped in paper with three different colors. The challenge is to buy gifts that will keep the kids occupied until 6 pm when all the presents waiting under the tree are to be opened. 

This year we celebrated Christmas in our house having my dad and my sister visiting. We had a great and peaceful time spending time together. The kids were - as usual- showered in gifts, and they in turn showered us in home made gifts. I love opening all their presents with  all the items they have made themselves in kindergarden or at school. 

I hope all of you will have a great Christmas too and enjoy the time you get to spend with your family and friends.

A merry Christmas to all of you from me :-)

The Christmas tree is decorated, 

and all the presents are waiting to be opened

“Gifts-on-a-thread” is a family tradition. 

When the kids wake up in the morn ing of the 24th, 

lots of gifts are waiting for them starting from our 

bed and ending up under the tree.

Before Christmas we always spend some afternoons making 

Christmas presents for the grandparents and great grandparents. 

This year the kids decorated IKEA mirrors and wooden boxes. 

Our au-pair Richelle did a great job helping the kids out decorating

Bergen houses the world’s largest Ginger Bread City. 

Kids and business all over Bergen make and decorate houses

 and a team puts together a beautiful exhibition. This year

 though a drunk teenager knocked down the whole exhibition 

just a couple of days before the opening, and the 

whole of Bergen volunteered to rebuild the Gingerbread City.  

The teenager was identified and had to apologize publicly to 

the population of Bergen, and the 

story made the international news. Just Google it!

My sister Sunniva and August are enjoying Christmas dinner. 

August loves the red Christmas cups that are

 only to be used during the holiday season.

My dad bought an ice hockey game for the kids. 

I remember having the same when I was a child, 

and we had great fun playing tournaments

Look at him! He is so excited about me opening his 

home made gift wrapped in hand made paper. 

My kids’ presents are without doubt my favorite ones!

Red noses on the mobile galla

Gulltasten is the industry’s annual celebration of itself. It’s an occasion to meet and honor achievements. Bipper and Save the Children were there and handed out red noses to everybody. We are encouraging the rest of the industry to open up their wallets and donate.

In one day we managed to get the organizers onboard with the idea (thanks!), Save the Children involved, an exhibit booth rigged, and enough noses for everybody.

The Red Nose Day was an interesting segment at “Gulltasten”, and since Save the Children is very committed to safeguard children's digital world was this a great fit.

However, the donations that were made this evening were less than I had expected so all the executives can expect a letter from me encouraging more contributions!

If tiny Bipper is able to donate money for Save the Children the larger corporations definitely need to participate!

The account number is 8380 08 08033.

And mobile users are encouraged to call 820 44 144 and donate 200 kroner.

As a Bipper-friend Idar Vollvik (founder of Chess) 

was the first one to be offered a red nose from Bipper

Posing on the red carpet. 

Notice that my Bipper handbag is always there!

Maria from Save the Children charmed everyone with her red nose

Business and pleasure! Two pairs of twins 

showed off the new business phone from Toshiba

Nadir was the first Bipper, and a bit of updating was 

needed. Nadir is a successful Telecom entrepreneur, 

and the man who inspired me to “go for it”

And Olav got the winning ticket - and a brand new Toshiba mobile phone!

Red noses are great fun!

Mobile beer!

How did they get this car up the stairs to the 

second floor of the hotel???

Wearing red noses at our board meeting

Support Save the Children and wear a red nose!

Save the Children does tremendous work to better the situation of the world’s children and young people. Since Save the Children is an important partner to Bipper, it only feels right to do whatever we can to support their initiatives. This year Save the Children has a campaign called The Red Nose day, and all the income from selling the noses ($7 each) will go directly to the organization. A lot of activities involving red noses are planned to lead up to the final Red Nose Day!

At today’s board meeting we all wore red noses, each of us paying $100-200 for a nose. All the money is donated directly to Save the Children, and all of us got a good laugh!

To watch top lawyer Morten F. Krohnstad (Schjødt), Olav Balandin (CTO i Bipper), Birgitte Bull (investor) and Svein Johnsen (co-founder of Chess, and Bipper investor) in red noses made the day just a bit brighter. 

I recommend all to support the initiative! Wear a red nose, come up with a good project or event and collect money for Save the Children. Their account number is: 8380 08 08033.

And please do watch the Red Nose show on TV3 on November 29th!

A day in the office...

Going to work with mommy isn’t so bad! Having your company located at the ViVite Centre is perfect for a mother with small kids, and with a playroom in the office it works even better. Every company should have a playroom for children and grown-ups!

Today was the faculty planning day both in kindergarten and at school so the kids had the day off. Since I was leaving for the US Sunday morning, I had wanted to be home with the kids today, but there were also a few things at work that had to be taken care off before departure ...

In that regard it is great that Bipper has offices in Vil Vite Senteret in Bergen. There is a great exploratory center on the first floor, and offices for us and the rest of the entrepreneurial companies in Nyskapningsparken Incubator on the 2 floor. 

The kids love to run around and try all the fantastic installations, and after completing the tour of the center is the playroom at Nyskapningsparken waiting for them. All businesses should have  playroom for both young and old! I believe sick leave would have been reduced greatly by this. Kids who are too sick to go to kindergarten but to healthy to stay home, enjoy these kinds of playroom. 

Cows on the wall, both the Wii and Playstation. Large pillows to build with. Workstations inside the shelves. 

Perfect for all of us :-)

Me a female entrepreneurship ambassador

I have just been selected as ambassador of female entrepreneurship in Europe. I am so proud, and so happy to take part in promoting female entrepreneurship.

Eva from Innovation Norway called me a few weeks ago and told me that I was nominated as an ambassador for female European entrepreneurs. Incredibly interesting! The EU has created a program to promote female entrepreneurship, and a few female entrepreneurs from each participant country are selected as ambassadors. These ambassadors will promote both the entrepreneurial creation and inspire other women to become entrepreneurs. Very exciting! For me who loves to speak about both Bipper and entrepreneurial life (I’m a straight shooter - and usually receive a good mix of laughter, excitement and encouraging pats on the back) this would be perfect.

When I was informed that I was chosen as ambassador along with seven other Norwegian women, I cheered! Today I'm in Stockholm to meet all the other female entrepreneurs and receive an award from Crown Princess Victoria. That is to say - a woman from each country is presented with the diploma from the Crown Princess, and I was unfortunately not so lucky that I won that draw. But - I had a fantastic day and got to sit at the table next to Princess Victoria during the Black tie-dinner. It took place in City Hall (same place as the Nobel Prize is awarded), and this is a venue is spectacular. It glitters in gold everywhere, and the entertainment was first class.

I look forward to take on the assignment, to meet all the amazing female entrepreneurs again, and not least to do my best to inspire other women to invest in their own companies.