I’m Lumi, a 23-year old CEO and co-founder of HAVU Cosmetics. The brand was established with the purpose of making quality cosmetics that would, throughout the whole manufacturing process until the end of the consumption, be one with nature without harming it. In a nutshell, we are a zero-waste cosmetics company.
For me, entrepreneurship didn’t come naturally, not at all. HAVU started based on my idea of zero-waste cosmetics. Tatu, our other founder, suggested starting a company based on it. He had seen product prototypes and believed they could be a base for a new refreshing, impactful brand in the world of cosmetics. So I myself became an entrepreneur by accident when I went with Tatu’s madness. To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect from it.
It has been difficult to go straight to the deep end – meaning almost everything I do I learn on the fly.
It has been difficult to go straight to the deep end – meaning almost everything I do I learn on the fly. It’s heavy and uncertain, and it would certainly be easier if you had gradually progressed your career to this point and had professional confidence. I could list probably countless small things I would have wanted to learn before entrepreneurship, like that course in corporate law, but in the end, there are no schools for this. The whole job is about becoming an expert on a new topic every day.
I have a pike tattoo on my left hand that says “simma lugnt!”, translated as “swim in a chill manner”. I think I have a similar attitude towards my entrepreneurship. Quite a lot of entrepreneurs have a tendency to overperform and burn out. I believe that you can be an entrepreneur and even sustain your life outside of work. I will take some wiggling, but it’s worth it.
In the future, I would hope to see more female entrepreneurs and women in leading positions.
The role that entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship play in building a more sustainable future is huge. There are, of course, those companies that do a lot of things wrong from an environmental point of view, but it’s not all. There are also a lot of companies that try to do everything as exemplary as possible in terms of the circular economy and responsibility. In this, we at HAVU try our very best.
In the future, I would hope to see more female entrepreneurs and women in leading positions. I’ve gotten a ton of support from other women and women leaders, which is something I’m eternally grateful for. Most of my inspiration comes from other women. Having women as role models is so important.
Learn more about HAVU Cosmetics at havucosmetics.fi.
