the gutsy team

Aram Aflatuni

Executive Director

aram@gutsygo.fi
+358405871583

Aram is an internationally awarded producer, trainer, and expert in social development projects. He has over 30 years of experience in educational initiatives promoting peace and inclusion among children and youth in more than 10 countries, in collaboration with government bodies, NGOs, the police, and media organizations.

Aflatuni has had a long career in media as a TV journalist and CEO, producing socially impactful content for audiences in the millions – from conflict zones to major entertainment productions. Formats created by his team have been localized in several countries and have received major recognitions, including the C21’s Best Multiplatform Format Award, the European Crime Prevention Award, and the Finnish State Award for Public Information.

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Johanna Mäkitalo

Executive Producer
johanna@gutsygo.fi

Johanna has over 20 years of experience in national TV and media productions, with a special focus on creating socially impactful content, developing concepts, and managing production processes. As part of a team, she has won the Golden Venla award.

She holds degrees in cultural production and media production. Johanna is also in the process of graduating as a specialist in nature-based impacts and resource efficiency.

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Mikko Vehmas

Finance and Strategy, Trainer

Mikko is an experienced teacher, as well as a serial entrepreneur and Doctor of Forest Sciences. He has worked for over a decade in the corporate world as a systems designer, while also coordinating and training the international TFP youth education program across 15 countries.

Vehmas has conducted biodiversity research as the first in the world to utilize laser scanning technology. He also has a background as a professional athlete, having been part of the Nokia Adventure Team in adventure sports.

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Pedram Aflatuni

Media Production, Education

pedram@gutsygo.fi
+358406726226

Pedram is a community educator and an award-winning media creator. He has been involved in developing the method since 2016 and has trained hundreds of teachers in Finland, as well as in Estonia and Latvia as part of an Erasmus+ project.

Pedram has directed numerous Gutsy Go media productions, with the best ones recognized with Shortland Media Awards. He is also a recipient of the Finnish State Award for Public Information. In addition, Pedram has worked as a professional musician for nearly two decades.

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Hanna-Mari Aflatuni

Head of Training

Hanna-Mari is a drama pedagogue and expert in speech communication, with over 25 years of experience working in schools. She has also produced educational materials and training programs for international educational organizations in Europe and the Caucasus.

In addition, Hanna-Mari is a certified midwife and has worked not only in clinical practice but also as a trainer for HUS (Helsinki University Hospital) and as a crisis work partner for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Armenia.

 

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Mikko Toivianien

Media Pedagogue, Trainer

Mikko has 20 years of experience in TV and video production, media literacy education, and audiovisual media training. He graduated from the Master’s program in Visual and Media Anthropology at Freie Universität Berlin in 2013 and holds a teaching qualification. Mikko has trained hundreds of young people in media literacy and audiovisual journalism at various educational institutions and serves as a regular lecturer at Berlin Media University and the University of Tartu.

Throughout his career, Mikko has worked extensively as a cameraman, editor, and producer, particularly in journalistic and educational content. He has produced content for television and online platforms and has worked for several years as a digital learning materials producer at Sanoma Pro.

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Leevi Pere

Media assistent

Leevi has completed a vocational qualification in audiovisual media and works supporting the Gutsy Go media team in filming, editing, and publishing.

As a professional dancer, he has over ten years of experience in street dance as a group instructor, in TV productions, and on large stages such as SuomiLove, the Elämä Lapselle concert, and Ruisrock.

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Network of experts

Pihla Korhonen

Pihla, a promising young talent in the media field, is a long-time Gutsy Golainen who has been actively involved as a media creator. She has participated in numerous projects and has lent her voice as a youth Gutsy Go expert at various events and training sessions.
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Oskari Santalahti

Security Officer

Oskari has served as an expert in numerous Gutsy Go projects and brainstorming sessions. Back in the day, during Activity Week in eighth grade, he decided to undertake a bold project by reaching out to a neighbor who had been out of the loop.
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Emilia Laurila

Media student

Emilia has represented Gutsy Go as a youth expert at numerous events. She has spoken, for example, at a session of the Committee for the Future about the impact Gutsy Go has on young people and how youth participation and influence should be strengthened in the future.
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Onni Aflatuni

Student

Onni is a youth expert who has been involved with Gutsy Go from the very beginning. He has experience coaching teams during Gutsy Go Activity Weeks and supporting other young participants. Onni also works as a substitute teacher, giving him strong insight into the school environment.
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Soheila Mikkonen

Executive Producer and Developer
soheila@gutsygo.fi

Soheila Mikkonen is an innovative and creative producer, journalist-screenwriter, communications professional, and solution-focused coach. She specializes in multiplatform content creation and hybrid events, with a passion for ideating media products that accelerate learning.
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Amir Hajizadeh

Physical Education Teacher, School Coach

Amir has been a long-time trainer and coach with Gutsy Go. He is also an international-level football referee and works as a physical education teacher at a school
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Heini Salopelto

Pedagogue and educator

With twenty years of experience as a secondary school English language and special needs teacher under her belt, Heini is a highly versatile educator and training developer, who has assisted a wide variety of learners. Heini’s passion for amateur dramatics has given her an opportunity to engage in acting, and in directing and producing plays.
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Hoda Saastamoinen

Pedagogical Expert

Hoda is a versatile professional in teaching and educational development, with over ten years of teaching experience spanning comprehensive school, secondary education, and higher education. She is dedicated to advancing the education of students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and has worked in five different countries. At Gutsy Go, Hoda has served as a school coach and contributed to the development of Gutsy Go’s educational materials.
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Gutsy go koordinators

Suvi Kankaanpää

Special Education Teacher, Helsinki

Suvi is an age-positive special education teacher and Gutsy Go coach who works closely with young people. Her specialty lies in gentle, encouraging interactions with youth and an inspiring approach to her work. The best part of working with young people, Suvi says, is the energy she gets from them!
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Marianne Westerlund

Community coordinator, Espoo

Marianne works at a comprehensive school to promote the well-being of young people. She has been praised for being approachable and treating everyone equally. Marianne always has room for both tears and laughter. She is a safe and trusted adult who genuinely wants to help members of the school community.
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Heini Kaistinen

Guidance Counselor, Espoo

Elli Vähätalo

Guidance Counselor, Espoo

Elli is a deep thinker who values holistic well-being—both in her work with young people and in her own life. What gives her life meaning is helping others, meaningful encounters, and personal growth. Elli works as a guidance counselor at a comprehensive school.
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Jenni Hipsi

Language Teacher, Porvoo

Jenni is a cheerful education professional who, as a language teacher, finds inspiration particularly in connecting with her students and fostering the joy of learning. She actively works in educational development groups to promote inclusion and build a sense of community.
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About Us

Gutsy Go ry is a non-profit association responsible for implementing the method in cooperation with local education and youth services. The intellectual property rights of the operating model are owned by the social enterprise Gutsy Media Oy.

During our activities, we have coached nearly 5,000 young people face-to-face to build peace in their own communities. Together, young people have implemented 500 peace-strengthening solutions in 15 different urban locations, from individual neighborhoods and districts to whole city operations. 500 professionals in pedagogy and youth work from Finland and Estonia have participated in Gutsy Go coach trainings.

Youth-produced video solutions have reached 1.5 million Finns through the media.

Our goal in the coming years is to offer the method to all 14-year-old age groups.

Background

Gutsy Go was first implemented in autumn 2016 in Forssa as part of a community mediation model that addressed a wave of mass fights in the city. In 2017, Gutsy Go won Finland’s largest innovation competition organized by Finnish foundations, Builders of the Century, which sought a significant scalable solution to strengthen youth social participation and well-being.

Gutsy Go’s activities are funded by Finnish foundation partners and municipal education and youth services. Additionally, funding has been received from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education. Expert and cooperation partners have included, among others, the Ministry of Justice, the Parliament, the Youth Research Society, Duodecim, the Finnish Red Cross, Yle, and companies.

Gutsy Go has been awarded the State Award for Public Information, the European Crime Prevention Award as part of the community mediation model, several Shortland video awards, and the Taitaja award for preventive substance abuse work.

"Not alone, but together. Not for myself, but for others."

People at Gutsy Go are united by a burning desire to work for the benefit of the world and others. Our team includes professional educators, experienced media makers, producers and communications specialists.

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