About

UPWARD with Laura Smith

Laura Smith is a Helsinki-based organizational advisor, speaker, and founder of VALIDEI, a research agency specializing in assessing organizational inclusion, equity, and social responsibility across EMEA. With a deep-rooted commitment to fostering positive workplace change, Laura brings both strategic insight and practical expertise to her work.

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Winner of the 2023 Blaze Inclusion Awards for Finland and a former in-house DEI leader at Wolt and Bolt, Laura has firsthand experience navigating the complexities of global tech companies, and her work spans applications in leadership development, team building, inclusive communication, recruitment strategies, employee experience, and employer branding.

Laura’s insights have been shared in industry-leading publications, including Sifted, VentureBeat, and Authority Magazine. Through UPWARD Insights, her latest initiative, Laura continues to empower individuals and organizations with knowledge and actionable strategies for meaningful workplace transformation.

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You can follow Laura on LinkedIn or on YouTube, where she shares her perspectives and learnings - or reach out to connect with her directly, below.