Meet the mentors from Stavanger!
Bibiana Cala
I'm a very social person who always finds motivation when sharing with people. I describe myself as someone with multiple interests and passions, and that's why I have started multiple small businesses over the years, but I have come to realize that what I really enjoy about being an entrepreneur is the creative process of taking an idea, making a plan and creating a business out of it; and that's why I became a teacher in a business administration program.
I'm a social science professional with a master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism Management. I have been a consultant and business owner for the past 15 years, and I have also been involved in the academic world as a college and university professor in subjects related with tourism, sustainable development and entrepreneurship. I have been a speaker and facilitator in seminars and events and a passionate volunteer in different local and international organizations where I have shared my skills and experience.
I enjoy making connections and networking, I'm creative and passionate about taking on new challenges.
Eli Gjesdal
A firm believer in people! Take a great deal of pride and joy in guiding others to improve themselves and influence on a positive working culture.
I have collected more than 30 years of professional experience in shipping, both commercial and maritime. Extensive and broad experience within international shipping. Leadership and teamwork, business development, strategic planning, business planning, marketing strategy and negotiations, organizational development and coaching, improvement and change processes, contract and performance management and building customer relations. Result and solution-oriented, structured and analytical, inspiring and enthusiastic, people person; connector and relator. Extensive network. High integrity and loyalty.
International shipping experience both from USA, Stamford and Sweden, Stockholm.
Eva Kanic-Pieterse
Eva Kanic-Pieterse, from Stavanger, 41 years old, married and have two boys. I work 100% in the Energy Industry as an HR Advisor and I have 8 years of HR experience. Experience in recruitment processes, advisory to the leadership team, advisory for the offshore personnel, sick leave follow-up and more. My BSc of Management will be finished in summer 2020.
I took the initiative to start PWN in Stavanger and have now had the role of Leader of PWN Norway Stavanger City Network for 2 years.I have a team of wonderful volunteers helping me build the network in Stavanger. In my free time I like to go for a hike and surf on my SUP board.
Flavie Gohin
Entrepreneur with engineering background. I am passionate about innovation, ocean space and green technology. I have a strong technical background in the marine industry with experience in naval engineering and subsea structure design and fabrication (10 years).
I am working with innovation since summer 2016 and in 2017, I have co-founded Fishency Innovation that develop a technology to support a more sustainable aquaculture. While growing my company, I have developed competences in business development, product development, communication, management.
Growing and securing the right team, in line with the company culture, is my biggest challenge and what I focus the most on. For me, the success of a company is not about the technology, but the people behind the technology.
Marta Stensen
My name is Marta and I'm the founder of Marta Tweaks. I believe that everyone needs help with something. There exists no one who can do ALL. That is why we as people need each other. With that believe I'm building Marta Tweaks to help you with small struggles that you may have.
Why do I think I can help you? I got my skills by owning my own salon for some years, as well as working in different ones. From those experiences, I learn what best customer service is, how important is the first impression and detailing. I could learn all of this on my own skin and on my own mistakes as well as others. It is not a shame to make a mistake, the important thing is what you are learning from it.
I have a bachelor's degree in health since with a specialization in cosmetology and wellness. My education focused mainly on customer service and salon management. In addition to that, I went through Visual merchandising courses, as well as social media, web tools, coaching, and leadership training (Handelshøyskolen BI, Stavanger) and others related to managing and opening a company. I went through all of that so you don't have to.
Michelle Romero Østbø
Michelle Romero Østbø is a Norwegian social entrepreneur with Filipino roots living in Norway. She is the founder of ADLE and a full-time counselor at NAV Sandnes. Michelle is passionate about life-long Learning, innovation and arts. Her background entails education, volunteer and professional experience in public, private and NGO-sector. Her mantra in life is to help people explore their potential. She uses ADLE as a platform to further develop her skills as a social entrepreneur and to guide foreigners living in Sandnes to adapt and navigate to the Norwegian society and local community.
Olga Patricia Mendez Garcia (Patricia)
Olga Patricia Mendez Garcia (Patricia) is a founder at Salsitas AS. Where Patricia produces authentic Mexican salsa from a healthy and sustainable practice in Stavanger. In 2019 started the project Seeds of Norway to support the representation of women from different backgrounds as entrepreneurs in the region.
Patricia holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from UNIVA, Mexico. And a M.A. in Communication and Development Studies from Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA with focus on gender studies and migration she published an article in 2011. Before moving to Stavanger in 2012, Patricia lived in the US for 7 years. While studied a master program, she volunteered with a local NGO to lead the immigrant program. She worked with a female farmworker community and established programs to meet their needs: from fundraising to implementing courses. Later, Patricia moved to North Caroline where she continued working with immigrant women.
After moving to Stavanger, Patricia followed one of her passions for Mexican food and founded her company Salsitas AS in 2018. During this period, Patricia received funding from VRI-Rogaland and Innovation Norway to develop her products. During this period, she faced challenges that turned out to be a system that prevented her from continuing with the project. This is where I followed my other passion: Feminism, and the project of Seeds of Norway started. While looking at the statistics, Patricia found out a picture she could related to, and that was the starting point. Patricia received support from Storhaug Unlimited and Valide as a partner to start the project. Currently she is developing the project to fully start in February 2020.
Patricia wishes to become a mentor and support women, especially with minority background, who want to start her company through the three different programs she is developing. Patricia can be reached by phone 90 280 150, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Rita Hausken
Rita Hausken is a leadership strategist & coach who partners with women in male dominated industries, helping them communicate confidently so they can share their ideas and create more influence. Rita believes that taking risks, speaking up, sharing ideas, regardless how crazy they might sound and how hard the resistance against it might be, saves lives, and she has her own story to prove it-- personally finding and connecting doctors who were willing to take a chance and try an “impossible” therapy that saved her son’s life. She has 20 years of experience in international sales as a Director of Sales in Upstream, and as an entrepreneur, building up a financially successful and globally recognized coaching and speaking practice in less than 2 years. Rita holds CPC from IPEC (Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching) and is an Energy Leadership Master Practitioner. She is the community lead and mentor for Lean in Energy Europe.
Sheryl Doke
I am a mother of two almost teenage boys, married to a Norwegian and have lived in Norway for 15 years. Most of my experience has been in economy in both the oil and gas industry in Canada and Norway and in public service in Norway. At 48 years old, I recently completed a Master of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health from University College Dublin (web studies). I am an extrovert who likes to ask lots of questions and learn something new everyday.
Siv Priscilla
Siv Priscilla has been an entrepreneur since 2010 and has nearly 30 years of experience from communications, sales, recruitment, public appearances, and leadership. She is now in the business of building teams and individuals through mentoring and developmental programs and workshops. She enjoys good conversations and loves to see others grow and achieve their goals.
Her strength is to identify the core challenge and convey this in a way that inspires and challenges others to rise higher. Her desire is to see people strengthened and succeeding in reaching their potential for the good of themselves, their employer, and the greater good of society.
Her personal values are Genuine, Energetic, Curious, Bold & Empathetic. She believes that daring to dream and daring to do is a sure way of reaching your desired reality!
Tania Adams
I am an experienced coach who specializes in the area of mindset and performance. My passion is helping individuals and groups to grow and utilize more of their untapped potential. I have an in-depth understanding of human behavior; how the mind is conditioned for either success or failure and I use my skills to help and empower people to achieve outstanding results. The approach I use is unique when working with individuals, improving their ability to powerfully focus their mind and balance their energy, whilst managing their state in often high-pressured environments. Throughout my professional experience as a coach over 17-years, I have worked with a vast number of individuals and teams internationally in some of the biggest companies in the world, including BBC, Calvin Klein, Vodafone, and Walmart. I also enjoy delivering insightful, creative and fun workshops that provide an all-round understanding and experience of the areas I specialize in, which always have a major impact and positive influence on the people who attend. I have found that from using our mind in the correct way, by harnessing the mental mechanics and channeling our energy, correctly, these vital ingredients enhance our potential and create harmony and holistic balance within our true nature.
Teti Aure
Teti Aure was born in the smallest country in Latin America, El Salvador. During her childhood, she attended a traditional school for girls. Her observations of society made her question the roles of man and women. Her supportive parents always made her feel confident and constantly encouraged her to trust herself and her dreams, regardless of the limited economical background of her family origins. Her parents would say things like: ‘you are the best flower in the garden’ and ‘you can achieve all of your dreams’, and they would always encourage her and her siblings to aim for the stars and always consider possibilities instead of limits.
At 12 years old, Teti started learning English and this would be a key for her future.
Teti decided to become a pilot after high school. She did. By age 20, she had become the first commercial pilot and flight instructor of her country. By Age 21, she won the country’s scholarship for the Academic Excellence and she moved to the United States. She majored in Aerospace engineering. During her university time, she won prizes such as grants from NASA for Micro Air vehicle design research and a recognition from the Government of El Salvador, inspirational youth for personal achievements in life and for her graduation, the dean of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, from The University of Arizona, asked her to give the word of honors during graduation.
Teti moved to Norway after university. Her first role was as Structural Design engineer for Helicopters. After that she worked as a Performance and Flight test engineer for various customized programs. She continued her professional career as a technical sales manager. During this role, she led various tender programs in which she presented for the Dutch ambassador and delegations from the Netherlands, as well as for the German Ministry and the German Air police, among others.
She currently works as a Business Development Manager for global company Sulzer where she focusses in supporting programs for energy savings and reduction of CO2 emissions.
Vorian Maryssael
From having worked many years doing international sales, business development and various management roles in the oil & gas industry I have now moved on to the exciting Aquaculture Industry.
My professional (and personal) life has skilled me in international business development, business strategies for market development and new products, and not the least sales. Clear communication and in-depth understanding in the field of negotiation is key to what I do.
In between Oil&Gas and Aquaculture I spent some years at the CTBTO, a UN organization in Vienna, where I was exposed to multilateral negotiations and international politics. Going back to Norway I mainly worked as an independent with various companies to develop their business, as well as consulting for the UN. Clients describe me as trustworthy, knowledgeable and key to their successful outputs and outcomes.
Through Scotwork Scandinavia I have been teaching powerful negotiation techniques and coach on communication strategies to ensure improved results when negotiating. I am described by participants as calm, structured, easy to learn from, and very knowledgeable in the field. Many appreciate the coaching and personal feedback and insights I give them.
I am fluent in Latin American Spanish and Scandinavian; languages and cultures; and am an asset as a liaison for business development between these two regions.
I have lived in Mexico, Buenos Aires, London, Vienna, Oslo and Stockholm. I am currently based out of Stavanger. I speak Swedish, English and Spanish fluently, and work fluently in Norwegian.
Yulia Nikolskaya
Experienced teacher skilled in Elementary and Secondary Education, Technology Integration, Information Management, and Research. A strong education professional graduated from Robert Gordon University.
After moving to Norway in 2009 from the UK I joined the British International School as a teacher. After completing the MSc Information Management degree, I embraced career opportunities in IT, including online education, data management, online services. My current position includes mentoring students in research, consulting colleagues in Information & Technology sector, management of school and college information services and teaching Design & Technology. I am fully committed to investing my time to assist in the mentee’s growth and present opportunities that may not have been recognized by providing suggestions to the best of my knowledge that help the mentee reach her goals and succeed in personal development, building a career and career change.
