The document outlines the development and expansion of Team Academy, which originated in 1993 in Jyväskylä, Finland, as a network to foster team entrepreneurship and support various demographics through innovative, experiential learning methods. The Academy emphasizes collaboration, real-life business experiences, and building entrepreneurial communities across Europe, addressing cultural and social divides while adapting to local needs. It highlights successful initiatives in several European countries that emulate the Team Academy model, ultimately contributing to a more entrepreneurial culture and improved educational integration.

1. A learning exploration TEAM ACADEMY NETWORK:
Creating team entrepreneurs for bringing social and
cultural divide
Johannes Partanen, Head Coach; Hanna Heikkinen, Coach; Ulla Luukas, Coach; Ville
Keränen, entrepreneur; Tatu Tuohimetsä, entrepreneur
Team Academy Jyväskylä (Finland):
johannes.partanen@partus.fi, hanna.heikkinen@taitovire.fi, ulla.luukas@jamk.fi,
ville.keranen.hat@jamk.fi, tatu.tuohimetsa.hat@jamk.fi
Etienne Collignon, Head Coach
Team Factory, Paris:
Etienne.Collignon@solvay.com
Laurent Marbacher, Head Coach
Team Entrepreneur, Angers (France):
marbacher@mac.com
Charles van der Haegen, Robert Collart, Consultants
Comind, Belgium
charles@comind.be, robert@comind.be
Claudia Neusuess, Berlin
neusuess@aol.com
Javier Ruiz, Head Coach
Team Academy in Euskadi, Bilbao (Spain):
jruiz@labein.es
Abstract. In 1993, a group of 24 students leaded and coached by Johannes Partanen created Team
Academy in Jyväskylä, Finland. At the moment, a network over 1000 people live and work in that
country inspired by the same values. Nowadays the Team Academy community is expanding in Europe
through networking and additional local nodes starting up new initiatives inspired by the same leading
thoughts and approach to learning and creating team entrepreneurs. From November 2006 eighteen
people from six different countries (France, Germany, Belgium, UK, Netherlands and Spain) have been
working and learning together to develop their own “Team Academy style” coaching skills. Every local
initiative has its own flavour, addressing different target groups (A level scholars, postgraduate
environments, research based entrepreneurship, new or established companies…), and has reached
different degrees of development, also facing a wide range of challenges. During the 15th Anniversary
celebration, in Jyväskylä, January 2008, the European network of Team Academy participated actively in
formulating the new vision “In 19th of January 2013 Team Academy is the leading, boundaries crossing
Top Unit of Team Entrepreneurship in Europe.“ During the learning exploration session, we will start
celebrating the shared values of Team Academy: true human relations as a basis for team
entrepreneurship, continuous experimenting and creating new innovations in networks. After that, leaders
of the local initiatives will tell their own stories in smaller groups, sharing also the difficulties they face in
their projects. The unfinished experiences will flow through some questions proposed for co-creation
among the participants. As a result of the conversations new and deeper questions and key issues are
expected to emerge. A final conversation within the whole group will re-start the celebrating atmosphere
and renewed commitment within an expanded network.
are very low. The decision for an
1. BACKGROUND entrepreneurial career is not easy.
Entrepreneurship is the engine of economic and An entrepreneur meets many questions, some of
social development throughout the world, in them related to public support, finance, social
terms of economic growth and job creation. But security, social acceptance, family support, etc.
recent data showed that Europe does not fully All these factors could be addressed to
exploit its entrepreneurial potential, specially entrepreneurship support. In this respect,
not the one of women. Comparing with other European governments have to face
developed economies, the rate s of considerable difficulties in developing local
entrepreneurial activity in most EU countries cultures, in offering adequate role models, i.e.

2. for people with different cultural background Team Academy is a special unit for
and for men and women to foster people in entrepreneurship and leadership of the
entrepreneurship. For example, promotion: how Jyväskylä Polytechnic, in Central Finland. Since
to promote attitudes towards enterprise already 1993, this “school for entrepreneurs” has
in school, in the universities and university applied a new learning method based on teams,
colleges? How to promote a gender just and customer projects, networking and
diversity oriented local entrepreneurship entrepreneurship. The result is exceptional
culture? How to diminish the culture of failure? compared to other business schools: more than
Other questions are: How to ease the entrance 30 % of students create their own company; and
on the market and to remove barriers? What are all others get immediately a job as
good criteria for successful mentoring? How to entrepreneurial leaders at the end of the
provide mentoring? How do we learn from programme.
experiences of others?
Team Academy has been described as a “living
The OECD, in the report “Promoting model of organizational learning.” In this
entrepreneurship and innovative SMEs in a business school the entrepreneur teams develop
global economy”[4], states that culture is themselves and their businesses. Entrepreneurs
increasingly acknowledged as a factor which define their learning and performance goals,
can contribute to building an entrepreneurial acquire shared learning experiences, are
society. “Developing an entrepreneurial culture responsible for their own and each others’
and fostering entrepreneurial attitudes leads to learning, and help each other to find individual
innovation and entrepreneurship. Education and core competencies”[2]. Team Academy is
training (including lifelong training) in “learning by doing.” In Team Academy there is
entrepreneurship and creativity are the preferred no classical academic teaching: all the learning
instruments for encouraging entrepreneurial is driven by the student. But this learning takes
behaviour in societies.”This includes giving place in action. The projects the students run are
entrepreneurship a more prominent place in not simulations. They negotiate with real
educational programs and enhancing cultural business partners, earn real money, and have to
support instilling a positive attitude to make their “company” live a real life. Through
entrepreneurship among young people, via the intents, failures, and successes, students
promotion of positive role models. discover how well they master significant
competencies and how they can enhance them.
However, entrepreneurship is not sufficiently
integrated into educational systems or integrated Dialogue is at the heart of Team Academy. In
into national long-term economic strategy and this dialogue [1], everyone is a coach for each
planning. There is a lack of public resources, other. Students grow to entrepreneurship
there is a need to improve co-ordination among through continuous training and working in
government agencies when designing and teams. They coach themselves to create their
implementing initiatives, there is a need for a own career, learning with peers and building
broader acceptance of the concept of education networks and communities.
and training for entrepreneurship; and both
more data and more evaluation and assessment 3. PILLARS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
of initiatives taken are needed. OF TEAM ACADEMY COMMUNITIES
Entrepreneurship is more likely to be taught as a There is some evidence that the habit of
separate subject or seen as an extra-curricular orientation towards the academic world results
activity. As a result of this situation, most in difficulties in transforming theories into
students do not have yet the possibility of taking practice. Lack of work experience presents a
part in entrepreneurship courses and problem. This is especially the case when the
programmes. There is a strong need for further participants have to translate the business ideas
improvement and consolidation. into the realities such as customer identification
or product differentiation.
2. TEAM ACADEMY IN FINLAND: A Coaching and mentoring of starting
NEW APPROACH TO CREATE TEAM entrepreneurs is seen as one important tool of
ENTREPRENEURS support, where the best adviser for an
The schemes based on “learning by doing” are entrepreneur is another entrepreneur, with own
particularly relevant nowadays and there are real life experience. This is especially true for
several successful experiences of application of entrepreneurs at the very start.
this concept in Europe, like the Team Academy
initiative in Finland [3]. Networking is also a very important aspect and
the way from mentoring to networking is a

3. small step. A valuable mentor must be prepared degrees of development, also facing a wide
to open up his personal network for the starting range of challenges.
entrepreneur, introducing him to his clients, and
not just being a soundboard. Both formal and During the 15th Anniversary celebration, in
informal networks are considered useful for Jyväskylä, January 2008, the European network
small firms to learn from each other, of Team Academy participated actively in
particularly in the start-up phase. formulating the new vision “In 19th of January
2013 Team Academy is the leading, boundaries
Bringing social and cultural divide is a key crossing Top Unit of Team Entrepreneurship in
issue addressed by the Team Academy Europe.“
Network: Europe as a mosaic of old cultures is a
challenge for building a bigger society. There is At the moment, the network is composed by a
a need of sharing common values. It is not only growing number of partners from different
the cultural diversity, but the social and countries in Europe. While Team Academy is a
organizational diversity. The Team Academy consolidated school for entrepreneurs, the other
approach to learning and working together in projects are in their first stage of development,
networks involves people from corporations and but all constitute a promising emerging network
companies, organizational learning consultancy, to remove unemployment and doing the
education, research and NGO. The Team revolution of entrepreneurship while changing
Mastery Process consist of building a common the world. Some of the initiatives are described
network of shared values for meaningful action shortly in the following pages.
in creating local communities based on the
Team Academy approach to learn. 4.1 Finland
The successful experience of Team Academy Jyväskylä Polytechnic (www.jypoly.fi) is one of
has produced positive effects in several the largest and most popular polytechnics in
European countries, where similar initiatives are Finland. There are over 7.500 students in 8
emerging under these principles. different educational units. Jyväskylä
Polytechnic is known for its nearly 30 high-
Taking all these innovative aspects into account, quality degree programmes provided by eight
this new concept of team entrepreneurship educational units, modern learning
results in promoting the emergence of “Team environments, a wide international cooperation
Academy” style communities in Europe that network, a skilled staff, and good opportunities
learn together as a global network, very close to for employment right on graduation. According
the Society for Organizational Learning SoL, to the number of applicants, Jyväskylä also
sharing common principles and values. belongs to the most popular student cities in
Finland. Team Academy
That implies sharing experiences for the (www.tiimiakatemia.net) is in Jyväskylä
development, experimentation and
implementation of good practices in creating Polytechnic’s special unit of Entrepreneurship
entrepreneurial communities that learn by founded in 1993. Over 500 students have
doing, setting the basis of a “United Team graduated from Team Academy earning
Entrepreneurs Network” to promote the Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Economics.
emergence of local communities of During its history 50 business teams have been
Entrepreneurship and related ecosystems, coached each for over 3 years. Today Team
reaching agreements and commitment for future Academy operates in open-space office that was
joint actions. previously Finland’s first plywood factory in
Jyväskylä (Central Finland). At the moment
4. THE EMERGENCE OF TEAM Team Academy’s core community consists of
ACADEMY NETWORK four full-time coaches and 250 students.
From November 2006 eighteen people from In addition to the core community Team
seven different countries (Finland, France, Academy’s learning network includes over 350
Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, small and mid-sized companies who are active
Netherlands and Spain) have been working and participants in Team Academy’s adult learning
learning together to develop their own “Team programs (Firesouls, Firetorch or Entrepreneur
Academy style” coaching skills. Every local MBA). Team Academy is a learning laboratory
initiative has its own flavour, addressing where business and learning practices (such as
different target groups (A level scholars, learning tools and team building) are tested –
postgraduate environments, research based companies in the network can themselves take
entrepreneurship, new or established those practices that they feel are suitable to their
companies…), and has reached different business and development processes [5].

4. Coaching Model, enphasizing team coaching
skills and processes.
4.2 France
Team Factory, Paris. Is a non-profit
organisation. With the mission of taking
initiatives for the employment of young people
in Europe. Team Factory works as a replication
of Team Academy in Finland. Team Factory
perform 18 months programs from 2007 with 2
x15 young people creating a real company
together. "Team-entrepreneurs" - as they are
called - have missions with real clients in
companies that are partners in the programme.
They learn entrepreneurship by doing: creating
a company, managing it together, working with
clients with real missions, and preparing their
own project for the future. The learning
methods are far from traditional. There are no
lessons, no teachers. Team entrepreneurs are
supported by professional coaches. Each
individual has a development plan; reflecting
collectively on action, reading, sharing and
creating knowledge are the ways of learning.
L’Usines à projects, Alsace. This project was
launched in 2007 to revitalise an industrial
declining area, starting with 2 “Projects cafés”
to promote entrepreneurial initiatives based in
learning teams, with the support of other
members of the Team Academy Network.
Team Entrepreneur, Angers. One year after the
beginning of the Team Mastery programme, I
have launched a special training, including TA
process, destined to unemployed persons
whishing to create their own activity. The next
Figure 1 The rocket model of Team Academy
steps, through Team Entrepreneur Angers, are a
special development course for recent
The network also includes organizations and entrepreneurs and an entrepreneurship
institutions such as Society for Organizational programme for young students.
Learning (SoL), Finland’s network of Young
Entrepreneurs, Finland’s Chamber of
Commerce and Finland’s Association of 4.3 Germany
Entrepreneurs.Team Academy has won The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE)
numerous national awards for its innovative (30.000 students enrolled) is located in the heart
entrepreneurship creating methods and tools. of the German Ruhr-Area and has 12 faculty
Team Academy’s methods are used in many departments. The consortium partner
schools and organizations in Finland to promote “Organizational Development Laboratory
entrepreneurial growth and team-learning. (OrgLab) is part of the Dept. of Educational
Sciences and is contributing to BA- and MA-
The rocket model (Figure 1) operating in Team programs in Social Work, Educational Science,
Academy was created and tested during 15 Economics and Management, and
years is a starting point to expand it in six new Communication Sciences. The first Team
local communities and countries. In addition, Academy inspired program was launched in
every experience has its own theory to be tested 2006 to promote entrepreneurship based in a
and validated. That’s a process of fast learning learning by doing approach in the campus.
based on the co-creation among the local
communities experiments within the Team The German team in Essen passed the half way
Academy Network. Such network provide a of it's "Learning Journey"! In July 2007 the 4
framework and contribution to the SoL German coaches started their seminar with a

5. group of 20 participants --- with 5 modules of 3 The Islington Social Enterprise Incubator sits at
days over one year. After the first module of the crossroads of many local networks, all of
finding out each others potential and identity them working towards the promotion of
everybody was enthusiastic. The core of the entrepreneurship and professional development
second module with the name "Seeing and in the London Borough of Islington. Through its
sensing" was the analysis of a social field. The shared facilities and incubation programmes, the
group went out in couples for making interviews incubator encourages the collaboration and
with the question: "What would you do or cross-fertilization of ideas and projects between
propose, if you could change the world?" these organisations. The impact of the
Between the second and third module some programmes is ambitious: all participants are
temporary teams went deeper into the field empowered to create their desired future: go to
analysis. They explored, for example the employment or self-employment, start their own
thoughts, needs, dreams and sorrows of some company or continue their studies.
female entrepreneurs or some inhabitants of a
retirement home. Now after the third module of 4.5 Netherlands
October the teams and projects are fixed. One
team is working on day-care facility for children Visiting Team Academy and having dialogues
in enterprises. The aim is to enhance the work- with Finnish Team Entrepreneurs in November
life-balance of working mothers and fathers and 2006 gave us the final inspiration to start up
create family-friendly work environments. Team Academy in the Netherlands. One answer
Another team is working on a TeamAcademy to one of our questions touched us deeply: “It is
Game. It will include the methodology of Team me who is responsible for my own life and
Academy in a playful way. career.” This is the difference between regular
education and the Team Academy concept. The
knowledge of the Team Entrepreneurs that they
4.4 United Kingdom are responsible for their own happiness and
LearningHouse, London. Inspired in the success. Find your own talents, use it, make a
learning model of Team Academy Jyväskylä, difference in the world and create value! This
LearningHouse encourages the incubation and principle of taking responsibility for your own
growth of social enterprises in Islington, thereby life is of course also one of the leading
contributing actively to neighborhood revival principles of Team Academie Nederland.
and creating sustainable communities in which
local residents act as leaders. LearningHouse is In September 2007, we started the ‘joyful
structured around three components: a challenge’ with 2 Teams. Team Academie
collaborative workspace, incubation Heemstede consists of 4 Team Entrepreneurs.
programmes and events and workshops. They are very young (17- 18 years of age),
Through its partnership with Islington Council willing to learn, all male. After a month of
and London Metropolitan University, introduction they are presently developing their
LearningHouse will have a high visibility of own company called: ‘Team Retail Services’.
existing approaches and strategies in enterprise They have their focus on shops and services.
support. LearningHouse consistently build Team Academie Amsterdam is located in an old
relationships and share best practice with other Chewing Gum Factory. An industrial location
local organisations to make sure that it is adding with young entrepreneurs/startups in the
to the existing enterprise support activity. creative industry.
There are two core learning programmes, “Just The BBA-team consists of 7 male Team
an Idea” for the pre-incubation phase and Entrepreneurs. These Team entrepreneurs are
“Ignition!” for the early stage incubation. older and more experienced than the Heemsted-
Participants acquire the skills necessary to group. They all started their own personal
succeed in their enterprises through a process of company which is participating in the mutual
learning by doing. Two full time business Team Company. Besides learning by doing at
coaches support the growth of the companies. Team Academie Nederland we work with
Through piloting and experimenting, ‘knowledge weeks’. Every month a one week
LearningHouse has developed a sustainable program on finance, marketing, planning etc.
financial model whereby revenue is created given by experienced managers and
through a combination of grant funding, space entrepreneurs. The BBA Team Entrepreneurs
rental, and open events. Partner organisations select their own ‘teachers’ if they want one.
combine financial stability, resources and This leads to a high commitment and
entrepreneurial grass root action. The annual involvement with the program. In April 2008
turnover of LearningHouse is forecasted at 120k Team Academie Nederland will start with a
from 2006 onwards. Master of Entrepreneurship.

6. 4.6 Spain 5. A LEARNING EXPLORATION WITH
Team Academy in Euskadi (TAE), Bilbao is TEAM ACADEMY NETWORK
supported by Labein Tecnalia, a non-profit Pure Team Academy style will combine a world
technological research & innovation centre [6], café group dynamics with celebration and
[7], with 50 years of experience in supporting playing atmosphere. The storytelling and
enterprises and administration bodies in their unfinished experiences will flow through some
technological and innovation needs. Labein questions proposed for co-creation among the
support to their customers is carried out by participants. As a result of the conversations
means of RTD and Demonstration projects, new and deeper questions and key issues are
Technology Transfer & Innovation projects, expected to emerge. A final conversation within
Technical Assistance, Knowledge Management the whole group will re-start the celebrating
Systems as well as Training and Dissemination atmosphere and renewed commitment within an
activities. Team Academy in Euskadi, was expanded network. Management by surprise
launched in September 2007 as a school of team will be present as the workshop evolves using
entrepreneurs in a science and technology system intelligence embedded in the group
environment, with 10 entrepreneurs. dynamics.
They had the best ingredients. They mixed
illusion, hard work, knowledge, experience and
energy in the cocktail shaker and here it is! The
best flavour you’ve ever tasted. Sophisticated,
spicy, sweet… complex but perfectly unified,
strong but softedged: Team Academy in
Euskadi. What can we do in Basque Country to
combine education, technology and
entrepreneurship in a common cause? That was
the question that people from Labein Tecnalia
had to answer by themselves. And they have Figure 2. Members of the Team Academy
actually done it: Team Academy in Euskadi was Network in Bilbao. They adopt a symbolic
launched in 2007, the 13th of September the position of humbleness for learning from
presentation of TA in Euskadi took place in customers
Derio, a small village near the city of Bilbao.
The main objectives of the meeting where: REFERENCES
• Creating network with different partners [1] Echeverria R. (1994), "La ontología del
such as universities, research centres, lenguaje"; Ed. Dolmen.
Basque government and other agents; [2] Ikujiro Nonaka & Hirotaka Takeuchi, (1995),
“The knowledge-Creating Company”, Oxford
• Recruiting future participants of the TAE University Press.
• To create public awareness on TAE and [3] Niina L., Partanen J. & Palvianen P. (2004),
present Leadership Experience Programme “Team Academy- True Story of Community
that Learns by Doing”. (ISBN 9524511037)
Furthermore, we had the opportunity to listen to
Johannes Partanen and members of Team [4] OECD, (2004), "Promoting entrepreneurship
Academy Jyväskylä and from the European and innovative SMEs in a global economy.
Team Academy network, which were telling Towards a more responsible and inclusive
their own experiences locally and the globalisation”, Executive Summary of the
Background Reports
philosophy behind Team Academy. More than
100 people participated in the event, enjoyed [5] Pine J. & Gilmore J. (1999) “The Experience
theatre scenes [5] and contributed to meaningful Economy. Work is Theatre & Every Business
conversations with ideas to link initiatives and a Stage”, HBS Press.
to support Team Academy in Euskadi. A
[6] Ruiz J. et al (1996);"Twelve Fresh Views on
Motorola exercise was generated and used to TQM";European Foundation for Quality
provide feedback to the network. So if you want Management (EFQM), Doctoral Thesis
more information or you are interested in the Award
history of this cocktail, you might want to click
on the link below: www. leadership- [7] Ruiz J. (2003), “Management Of Internal And
experience.es External Knowledge In Research And
Technology Organizations”; EARTO
International Conference, The Hague.