What a full-packed year of learnings, new connections and the exploration of new technologies and methodologies. Being a part of Modda Sörmland, starting Freelance Mornings, looking into new models for regional development with Almost There and also getting to be part of a team at Innocean Worldwide deep-diving into the market for electrical vehicles. Not to forget a continued focus on the future of work through Svenska Nomader, facilitating innovation event with Innovation Pioneers, and being part of moderating, speaking and organizing many other meetups, conferences and event together with different partners and friends.
What do I bring with me?
- Generative AI will not take my job, but someone that knows how to use these tools will. Therefore, I set into the biggest learning curve of many years these past few months, exploring, testing and playing around with different generative AI tools this year. ChatGPT, Midjourney, Runway. The graphic profile for Freelance Mornings was put together with Midjourney. Many of my presentations for various talks have been visualized with Midjourney, instead of general stockphotos. ChatGPT has been a friend in helping me navigate complex issues, coming up with questions for different panel discussions, and in helping me analyze big pieces of data and come up with cool headlines to posts and blogs. I started making my first AI videos with Runway, and will continue exploring that path next year.
- The metaverse, XR, VR, and AR technologies. What a blessing it has been to indulge myself in the world of experience based learning through Modda Sörmland and Region Sörmland this year! The possibilities that present themselves when you can enter an immersive world to experience something totally different. Letting school children explore the depths of the universe, ride though the human body, experience the melting ices in the Arctic to better understand the impacts of climate change, or travel back in time to visit Anne Franks’ house as a complement to reading her diary. Getting children and young adults more interested in science, mathematics and technology through the use of experiences and XR is an ambitious, brave and impactful project. I’m so happy to have been a part of this project throughout the year, and look forward to continue on that journey next year.
- Speaking about XR technology – I also had the chance to hold a presentation about The Metaverse and The Immersive Internet at Internetdagarna, become part of the small but growing group ‘Women in Metaverse’, spoke at Ericsson, Almedalen, and RISE about XR through learning through Modda Sörmland, and got to meet up with the team from Meta’s reality lab to discuss learning of the future. AI is the talk of town at the moment, but I’m confident that XR / Metaverse / VR will make a big impact going forward.
- Freelancing is amazing – but meeting other likeminded people can be key to feel engaged, get new ideas, new gigs and also to feel less alone. Starting Freelance Mornings with Rasmus Solholm before the summer – a monthly meetup for freelancers in Stockholm, with The Park Södra as a proud partner – has been a fun and great experience. I look forward to see what next year will bring in this space!
- Innovation, innovation, innovation. Being the crazy, future-thinking people that think ahead, engage others to understand the need of the journey, and also bring ideas to life so that they make a real difference, for organizations or for society. Always insightful to be part of Innovation Pioneers and take part of the learnings from that network. To partner up with Swedish JobTech to explore the power of new innovations and data driven technologies to improve the labour market. To rethink regional development and innovate green transformation together with Almost There. To be the moderator of Sörmlands Innovationsvecka in November and meet all the players from the regional innovation ecosystem that bring sustainable change to life. Innovation continues to be a red, exciting, thread.
That’s just a glimpse of the learnings and experiences from the past year. Now getting ready to log off for a few weeks and just focus on the family. One of the perks with freelancing – unlimited vacation (depending on how you plan it, of course 
).
Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this year! Looking forward to new fun adventures, collaborations and conversations in 2024!
Oh and by the way, in 2024 I’m planing to write and give out a book together with my father, Leif Fågelstedt. More to come on that exciting piece of news soon!
(Image created with MidJourney, as an interpretation of a photo of myself in the style of Miyazaki.)
