Hello home

Nicole Kavander

We are met by an happy and energetic Nicole at the door of her apartment where she lives with her partner. Relaxed and cool in a tracksuit, she offers us coffee and an intense dialogue goes on quickly. In many ways, Nicole has managed to live a full life in just a few years. She drove gave change and justice and an understanding. She exchanges tough training with digital meetings with some of our biggest corporate giants and dreams of a world free of racism. In five years, she will prepare a speech for the UN and run a Tesla.

Nicole!
It feels so fun to do this interview with you!
How are you?
But oh, the feeling is mutual! I actually feel pretty good, despite the tough year and the circumstances. This spring has been extremely intense so now it feels very nice that the sun is looking ahead!

I know you're a cool woman with an interesting story, but for those who do not know, you can not tell who you are?
Now you set the bar high haha! Yes you… I am a daughter, sister, boyfriend and aunt of two beautiful queens. Have lived in Tokyo, Paris and London and I love to run spinning, lift scrap, go to the spa and drink bubbly. When I'm not trying to change the world, which is basically every day, I'm a business director, strategist, teacher and podcaster. Think I got it all?

You are one of the founders of All of us, tell us about the idea!
When we started All of us three years ago, the idea was, quite frankly, to disprove the thesis that non-whites do not exist in the communications industry. We were so extremely few and when we asked why we do not hire more, we always got the answer that 'there are none!'. So we decided to be the change we wanted to see and create a network for people of colour and fight for more representation and more inclusive communication. Today, the network consists of over 1400 people who all work in the creative industries in Sweden. It is a safe space for all of them but also a bridge between networks and we do everything to ensure that more people get the career they deserve.

Do you encounter a lot of resistance, and if so how?
Less than expected actually! But we have definitely received the classic 'go home' emails from trolls. In addition, the response since the start has been positive - we quickly realized that most people want to work with diversity and inclusion, they just did not know where or how to start.


What drives you forward?
Wow, good question… partly an impatience but above all a strong conviction that this is what I am meant to do. Since childhood, I have known that my role in life is to contribute to something big. Something that goes down in history and changes things for real. So apart from my family who always pepper and cheer, it is my absolute biggest guiding star.

What does a Sunday look like for you?
Breakfast in bed with my partner Alex followed by hanging out with the family! Me, my big brother Serge and little sister Janice usually get in a workout around lunch and then join the rest of the family for an early dinner and hang out here at home. Supermys!

What do you dream about?
Except for a world free of racism? Right now I dream of a break in the form of summer vacation - to sit on a vineyard in a warm country, watch the sunset and just be in the now.

Tell me something no one knows about you!
Do not think there are so many who know that I can calligraphy haha? I was self-taught for a period when I was in a wheelchair after an accident and had an extremely large amount of time!


What are you doing in five years?
Preparing for a UN speech. And drive a Tesla!

If you had to travel far away tomorrow, where would you have landed?
Bali. Have already chosen which bungalow.


What did you want to be when you were little?
First it was actually an interior designer haha! But being a lawyer was the dream I had for a long time. We used to practice rhetoric and arguments at home at the dinner table, I remember now! My dad was both a trained lawyer and an incredible rhetorician, so maybe not so strange that I wanted to be like him.


Your best advice to young girls today!
Trust your gut feeling. Deep down, you know if a choice or decision is right or wrong, so follow your inner compass and dare to be yourself. Because you are wonderful!