💫 From London to Iceland: A reflection of Geko's 4 year Journey 💫
On the 29th February, Geko celebrated 4 years since we launched, and we hosted a celebration at Kjarval to mark the occasion. Thank you to everyone who joined us! (photos in the post below) 🥂
In 2016, I moved from London to Iceland with nearly two decades of HR, recruitment and people strategy experience. Like many foreign experts moving to a new country, I was met with challenges in securing a position that matched my expertise. This journey led me to a small tech recruitment agency where on my first day I was shown my desk, no phone, no computer… it felt like I was starting my career all over again... but I dove into the deep end, using it was an opportunity to understand Icelandic working culture and build my personal brand in Iceland.
Despite the professional growth, there was a misalignment with my core values and I started to wonder where my career might take me if I found the courage to quit. Then in March 2019 a went through a traumatic experience, when I was assaulted by a stranger. 9 months after this happened, I decided to reevaluate my direction and found the courage to quit the job I was in. I needed to take back some control and ensure that I had time for my journey of navigating the Icelandic justice system, which took many years, and resulted in the perpetrator being sentenced and jailed in 2022.
This difficult period, navigating the complexities of the Icelandic justice system, ultimately inspired the creation of Geko, which we launched on the leap year day of 29th February 2020. Geko was not just a business venture; it became a sanctuary for healing, growth, and empowerment amidst the personal challenges I was facing.
Launching amidst personal trials and the global upheaval of COVID-19, Geko's story began. The first week after launch we went into the global pandemic, meaning that I had to change the business practices early on. But as I often say, with challenges comes opportunities, and this was one of them!
Since our inception, we've partnered with over 100 companies, helping nearly 500 individuals find inspiring careers and shared our knowledge through various workshops and education programmes. In the short (and emotional) speech I made at the party we hosted to mark our 4 year anniversary, I spoke about the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, none of this would be possible if I didn't have amazing people on this journey with me. Thank you! ❤️
Reflecting on the past years, from my initial move to the growth of Geko, fills me with immense pride and gratitude. The journey has been a blend of professional milestones and personal recovery, underscored by the incredible support of those around me.
Thank you to every person who has been a part of this journey. Your support and belief in our vision have been invaluable.
On the 29th February, Geko celebrated 4 years since we launched our services to the Icelandic market 🥂
We celebrated with a party at Vinnustofa Kjarval 🎂 Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us and for the wishes of congrats from people who couldn’t join 🙌🏼
We pressed go-live on the website on the 29th February, 2020… so this was our first official birthday! 🎈
Since launch, we have:
🌱 Worked with over 100 companies in Iceland to build their teams with great talent
🤩 Placed nearly 500 people in new careers
💡 Educated 100’s of people with our workshop series, focusing on DEIB
✨ Supported numerous companies by helping build out their HR & People Strategy
Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with us so far! We are so grateful. ✨❤️
From Team Geko
Hulda, Kathryn, Ania & Margret 🙌🏼
https://lnkd.in/eUT56tvd
Geko - Innovation Talent on Instagram: "On the 29th February Geko celebrated 4 years since we launched our services in Iceland ❤️ We celebrated with a party at @vinnustofakjarvals , with great food from our friends at the @duckandroservk 🫶🏼. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us 🥂 We pressed go-live on the 29th February 2020 at 12:00 🥳 so it was our 1st official anniversary this year! S
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