5 takeaways from The Soulfuls Summit in Copenhagen

The Soulfuls has come a long way in the six years since it was founded, starting out in the living room of the founder Aram Ostadian-Binai. After finding a distinct lack of representation in the creative industries she had professionally inhabited for over 10 years, Aram set out with the aim to shine a light on diverse role models and mutual mentoring through organised events.

While the start was not easy, the power of passion, purpose and perseverance has resulted in the blossoming of the organisation into a reputable scheme and cultural force, receiving Tuborg funding in 2023 of 3.45 million Danish kroner. This much needed financial resource acted as a catalyst towards the full potential The Soulfuls has always held, and allowed for the fruition of the mutual mentoring program 'Dreamers & Doers',

For the first Soulfuls Summit, held in Copenhagen, the platform's chair Dr. Poornima Luthra welcomed guests with opening notes: “The Soulfuls Summit brings together young women and leading female professionals to share insights, build meaningful networks and strengthen their presence in the workplace and in their industries. With the theme 'Made by Women, Powered by Women', you are guaranteed inspiration and ideas for actions that can transform the creative industry into an inclusive industry where everyone can thrive.”

With a sold-out event, the cultural centre accommodating this first Summit fizzled with activation, introductions, connections and the sense of commencing collaborations. Now representing a community of over 7,000 women, The Soulfuls Summit felt like a critical moment in time for the creative industry of the Nordics; the sense that a wave was building up speed, velocity and momentum.

“After more than 10 years as a manager in the media and fashion industry, I had to address the lack of focus on social sustainability and the lack of diversity in role models. The creative industries create our culture - but they do not reflect the diversity of society. Our vision is therefore to ensure fair and equal opportunities for all women on the labor market – regardless of ethnic and cultural background. And create a free, fair and inclusive future where all voices are heard. A better representation of female role models and talents from all backgrounds is needed to break the glass ceilings,” says Aram Ostadian-Binai. “What if we could reclaim our space simply by building, living and committing to our dreams?” she said on the stage.

Looking back on the summit, here were the five key takeaways of learnings from a gathering of inspiration, energy and community.

Unlike the long-affected format of most summits globally, the stage was shared equally with those who were on paths of growth, as much as those at the apexes of their careers. With numerous mentees taking part in the program through performances, interviews, and panel discussions, a new narrative was presented as to the purpose and the most valuable impact of what a summit can encompass. As Busra Basoda, mentee of Imane Asra noted: “I felt deeply inspired and connected being in a room filled with diverse and successful women who shared similar experiences and backgrounds to mine. Seeing their success made me feel seen, understood, and motivated to dream bigger than ever before. Representation matters – when you witness what’s possible, it becomes easier to believe in your own potential and realise that you can achieve it too.”

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A key tenet of the summit was the embrace of failure and the importance of letting go of fear. As the actress Dionne Brown noted in her Q&A: “Dr. Poornima Luthra delivered a presentation entitled ‘Can I Say That?’ to express the fear that many often experience in relation to diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI). We have to overcome these barriers to create an inclusive environment in the workplace. You should not be afraid of change, afraid of saying the wrong thing or afraid of taking brave steps on the path towards diversity, equality and inclusion.”

The impact of what a no can signal was flagged by Brown furthermore, that perseverance must be matched with a balanced view that what is truly meant for you will rise up to meet you. “There are so many no’s that you get, it rattled my soul… I thought because I worked hard, that meant I would get things. Sometimes you get a no because it’s not for you, sometimes you get a no because it doesn’t belong to you.”

The importance of transforming fear into opportunities was further highlighted by Dr. Poornima Luthra, beautifully surmising as advice to "lift others while you climb." "Women have learned not to fail. But we should reinterpret how we look at mistakes: It's an opportunity to grow. Maybe things didn't turn out the way we wanted. But then we have learned something from it. We have gained experience, skills, and learned something new about ourselves. It's about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Mutual Mentoring has been at the core of The Soulfuls since it was established, and this was only reiterated throughout the program of the Soulfuls Summit, with speed dating mentoring sessions of 20 minutes running as a parallel track to the program of talks on the main stage. Giving face-time to not only attendees but also to the list of figures who volunteered their time allowed for new ways of thinking to emerge. Taking the time to effectively dissect advice from nostalgia to equip young women with sound knowledge to support them on their own roads of discovery is no easy feat, and the quickfire format was as much a moment of reflection for mentors as much as mentees to think about their own path and how they can support those commencing their journeys and giving shape to their dreams.

With a wealth of figures gathered from the likes of Snapchat, Munthe, and Kinraden, these one-on-one meetings with leaders of various industries offered insights, network expansion, and vital guidance on how to break into creative industries to level up and navigate through them.

The closing panel of the evening focussed on themes of power: how to gain it, how to share it. As Alero Akuya, Vice President of Global Brand at the Lego Group noted: “I love the word power… it comes from a place of privilege. We know what the world looks like when men have power: what does it look like when women have power? A place where we build power to give power. The Soulfuls is an example of that – bringing successful women who are mentors to young women in this room in hopes to create a better future and provide better opportunities”

While there were countless standout moments, the underlying highlight was the impact felt by sitting together as a community to champion inclusivity, uplift one another, and celebrate the power of women shaping their own paths.

As mentee Mayfield Ngondonga noted: “One of my favorite moments from The Soulfuls Summit was moderating the Fearless Creativity Panel with three incredible women. Living out exactly what I had put on my 2024 vision board was a surreal and empowering experience. I dreamt it, and I did it. That's the power of the dreamers and doers program. Looking out into the crowd, I was moved by the diversity, the joy, and the undeniable sense of empowerment filling the room. The energy we created together was truly electric.”