International Women’s Day 2022
Jenny Holmström, CEO & Co-founder of Coupleness — Making a positive change in the world
March 8th, 2022 is the International Women’s Day and to mark the important day we’ll be publishing a series of interviews of inspirational female leaders, starting with Jenny Holmström, CEO and Co-founder of Coupleness.
Jenny Holmström is CEO and Co-founder of Coupleness, an app for couples with a mission to make it easy and mainstream to invest in your relationship. She has previously worked for the UN as well as other big corporations, and co-founded a child rights organization. Jenny is an award-winning communicator, always striving to make a positive social impact.
What has been the driving force to get you where you are today?
From a young age, I was motivated to make a positive change in the world, and that has been the driving force behind my career from the beginning. I have been fortunate to work in many different settings and organizations, like UNHCR and a children’s rights organization that I co-founded. My desire to make an impact comes from my parents, who introduced me to the world from a young age, with all its beauties and challenges. I was also fortunate to have teachers in history, religion and social science who really inspired me. They, along with reading tons of books like Anne of Green Gables and Anne Frank’s diary, really shaped me. I had an early wish to discover the world that has led me to where I am today.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced during your career?
Saying goodbye to the children’s rights organization that I co-founded. I had so much passion and determination for the challenge we worked to solve. I lived and breathed it. But as much as I was driven by my passion, it was also tons of work and very stressful, and I started to realize how fragile a relationship can be. With small kids and not much time to nurture my relationship, I learned the hard way that I could not take my relationship for granted anymore. And hey, in hindsight, if this didn’t happen, there would be no Coupleness, so it worked out well in the end.
What are you most proud of?
The throughline of making a positive social impact throughout my career. I’ve been fortunate to work with major important challenges for society, and I continue doing that with Coupleness. My vision for Coupleness is to be the driving force behind making relationship well-being as natural as going to the gym or eating well. Basically, we are redefining what it means to love.
Who is your biggest inspiration/role model and why?
I can’t just pick one. But the activist in me knows in what area I’m inspired. To me, it’s women who challenge current systems or narratives. Women who don’t have official power from the beginning but make sure to get it. I really admire people who are underdogs, who against all odds end up in a position where they make a huge positive impact. Brilliant examples of this are Greta Thunberg, Malala and McKalya Maroney.
What advice would you share to fellow entrepreneurs for this year’s International Women’s Day?
We all can do something to make a positive difference to the world and our community. I truly believe in the power of alliances and supporting each other throughout this process, so don’t be shy. I’d love to hear from anyone working on a solution that will benefit humans or the climate. I’m super happy to share my own learnings and am eager to learn more from other female entrepreneurs.
