Candidate for the position as President: Cornelia Gibrand I have lived in Los Angeles for ten years, one studying at UCLA and nine since I moved here in 2006. I was born and raised in Skåne, took my Master degree in Business and Economics at the University of Edinburgh and worked as a currency trader in London. I founded and now run usa2sweden.com a company shipping goods and online shopping purchases to customers in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. I love traveling, having dinner with friends, designing clothes and jewellery, dancing and experiencing and learning new things. Like many others, the years abroad have given me a greater appreciation for Swedish traditions and our heritage and in 2013 I became a member of SWEA LA. I fell for the strong, innovative, independent, funny and sweet SWEA ladies and I am looking forward to getting more involved in the organization and to meet more great women. Candidate for the position as Vice President: Mathilda Tennysdotter I grew up on the countryside outside a very small village in the south of Sweden. I started working with my own projects at a subsidiary to IKEA while I was in upper secondary school studying media. When I finished school I got my first employment
as a photographer for two big shoe companies in Sweden. After a few years I was longing for new challenges and felt the need to develop as a photographer. The summer of 2012 I decided to take a year off from my job in Sweden move to Santa Monica to study more photography. When I finished the studies in December 2014, I decided to stay and explore my opportunities in Los Angeles. Now I work as a photographer and my work can be found on my website www.tennysdotter.com. I became a member of SWEA in 2015. I really appreciate the Swedish traditions and for me it s very valuable to keep them. When I moved away from my family it became very important to have some kind of safety and community where people help each other. As a board member I want to help other women in Los Angeles area, with focus on the younger generation, to get more integrated in our community and also make them feel at home in the city. I think it s very important that we keep helping and support each other so. Candidate for the position as Treasurer: Sofie Westerlund My name is Sofie Westerlund and I m originally from Karlstad, Sweden. I first moved to Los Angeles with my now husband in 2005 to go to college, and when I finished my degree we decided to move back to Karlstad where most of our families live. After 3 years of missing the California weather too much, we decided to move back in the fall of 2014 and now live in Downtown Los Angeles. I work as an accountant in the entertainment industry, and in my spare time I love to try new restaurants or cook at home, go to the ocean as much as I can, and I love to spend time with my friends and family and of course my pets a cat and a dog. I became a member of SWEA in the fall of 2016, and because I never really met any Swedish people in my years in Los Angeles I m really looking forward to get to know the SWEA women and be a part of a community that appreciates and celebrates Swedish culture.
Candidate for the position as Vice Treasurer: Christina Sterling Christina Sterling is born and raised in Malmö and first came to Los Angeles in 1974, planning to stay only for 6 months. Now, 40 years later, she is still here. She is married to a German man from Hamburg, that she met here in L.A. They have one daughter who studies and teaches at University of Iowa. Christina is recently retired from her long time work as chief economist of a large restaurant chain. She is now enjoying her time off and to be able to catch up on all her interests and books that she hasn t had the time to read previosuly. Christina has been SWEA Los Angeles treasurer for several years and has also served as SWEA Los Angeles President. Candidate for the position as Secretary: Angelica Ferneborg My name is Angelica Ferneborg and I am 24 years old in January 2017. I grew up in a small town in Sweden called Säffle. We are mostly known for "Säffle, en kopp kaffe", or "Säfflebussen". Moving has become a part of me, I've lived so many places in such a short time, I sometimes do not believe it myself. I am a traveler and I love exploring and go on adventures. You could say that I am a really restless person. I'm currently living in Los Angeles where I am studying to achieve my Bachelor of Arts degree. When I am not attending classes or studying, I am working at the
Community Education Office at Santa Monica College, it is a very satisfying job, and I enjoy going to work every single day. I am also a member of SWEA Los Angeles where I've been an intern for the past year together with Frida Sahlin. We have together worked on making the weekly newsletter SWEA-brevet as interesting and fun as possible. I've really enjoyed working with Frida this past year, and I've learned a lot from all the amazing women we've been in contact with. On my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend, exploring this beautiful city, bake, and go to all the amazing theme parks we have all around the county. As of now, it seems like I am staying in Los Angeles for quite a while, but I would not promise that it'll be forever. I love this city, but as I mentioned earlier, I am a really restless person, and I have to admit that I do miss Sweden sometimes. Candidate for the position as Membership administrator: Kaisa Åkerlund My name is Kaisa Åkerlund. I grew up in Stockholm, Sweden but my family moved to New York when I was a teenager. After college I moved to Los Angeles and worked like so many in a production company, Eventually, I wanted to explore my Swedish roots and that made me to move back to Stockholm. I continued on the same path, starting an independent product placement agency for Swedish feature films and joining forces for cultural sponsorships. Eight years later, I returned to the City of Angels, possibly for good this time, working with contract administration at a studio. I have come to accept that my heart will remain split, one part in Stockholm and one part firmly planted in Los Angeles, my adoptive home town. I initially joined SWEA, curious to meet new people, to connect with other women that share a common bond of growing up in Sweden and to experience familiar traditions and culture. Although a big transatlantic move can be exciting, it can also be daunting and lonely if you don t know anyone at your destination. An organisation like SWEA can instill a comfort and familiarity, and I would like to give back and be able to share some of the experiences I have accumulated over the years relocating back forth.
Candidate for the position as Director of Board: Minna Madzunkova My name is Minna Madzunkova and I was raised in Bålsta, close to Stockholm. I and my then boyfriend relocated to Pasadena from Stockholm with the intention to stay for one year. We are now married and reside in Santa Clarita with our two children! I have a degree in Statistics from Stockholm University, worked within many fields, and recently founded a business consulting firm. Becoming a member of SWEA Los Angeles in 2013 gave not only me, but my children, a sense of a Swedish community, the closest you can get outside Sweden. I have met many inspiring women of all ages and I'm looking forward serving on the Board for a third year. Candidate for the position as Event organizer: Boel Kolber My name is Boel Kolber and I m from Lidingö, Stockholm. I have lived for 20 years between New York City and Greenwich, CT.
I have had several professions. I was a Physical Education Teacher, an airline stewardess for Pan American Airlines, and an Interior Designer. Some of my interests are Art History, Antique furniture design, Clothing design, Homeopathic medicine and Nutrition. I have worked as a Volunteer for Min Stora Dag in Stockholm and American Cancer Society in NYC, When I moved to Los Angeles in 2011, I joined SWEA Los Angeles to introduce myself to the Swedish cultural community in Los Angeles. It has proven to be invaluable and I have met many new wonderful ladies and been exposed to many exciting events. My goal is for SWEA LA to continue to develop into a more exciting cultural and modern entity. I am looking forward to many more years working with SWEA and continuing to meet many more wonderful ladies.