The people

Siri Abrahamsen

Founder and leader of "Gleding™

The creator of the Gleding Universe. Named 'Enthusiast of the Year', and nominated for various awards for her tremendous dedication, perseverance, and initiative in creating a better society. A bestselling author and one of Norway's top public speakers. For the past 12 years, she has worked with the childhood sector, local communities, and businesses across the country – to build safe and positive environments for both young and old."

Emma Bjelland Ingebrigtsen

Head of Customer Service and Public Speaker

When Emma was a graduating student in 2022, she received a lot of attention for speaking out about the exclusion and social isolation she had personally experienced. She created an open group for graduates focused on inclusion. Emma was awarded the Dialogue Prize by the Nobel Peace Center and participated in a debate on NRK in April 2022 at the age of 19. She has also worked in both kindergarten and school settings. She is now studying psychology, while also working at Gleding and giving public talks. Emma is a member of the national committee working to reform the high school graduation celebration, and she co-hosts the podcast "Don't Talk About It" together with Jonas Sevalrud.

Tore Soltveit

Head of Finance

Tore manages budgets and accounting at Gleding. He was previously a director at PwC Norway.

Arild Bjørndal

Professor in Public Health, Academic Advisor, and Chair of the Board

From 2010 to 2021, he was the Chief Executive Officer at the Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (RBUP) in Oslo, serving the Southeast region of Norway. Arild was a Professor of Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oslo from 1996 to 2021, and was also a visiting scholar at Harvard University from 2015 to 2016. Arild’s research interests include health services research, social medicine, quality improvement in health and social care, meditation-based interventions, and child mental health. He is the author of several medical textbooks and has published over 200 scientific articles. Arild is increasingly committed to the importance of promoting good mental health among children and young people, and is a strong advocate for high-quality, evidence-based services. Arild has been part of Gleding since the fall of 2023.

Ingrid Alm

Play and Learning Specialist at Gleding with a Master’s degree in Special Education

She has worked since 2007 in schools, kindergartens, and psychiatric care. She holds a master’s degree in special education from Blindern and completed her training as a clinical educator in 2021, specializing in “development-oriented intersubjective psychotherapy.” Alongside her work as a storyteller and author, she has worked at the Nic Waals Institute and now runs her own freelance business together with her husband, Ole. Ingrid is inspired by theorists such as Arne Næss, Donald Winnicott, and John Gottman, all of whom focus on the playful, creative, and sensitive human being. Ingrid believes that it is through play, imagination, and nature that our innate healing powers reside, and that we have much to learn from children’s presence in the world.

Vibeke Høie-Holgersen

Illustrator and Graphic Designer

Vibeke has been with Gleding since the beginning. She illustrates and designs all our physical products. She also has many other wonderful projects! https://vibekehoie.no/

Afonso Maló Franco

Digital Product Advisor

Vice President at one of the world’s leading providers of EdTech solutions for healthcare, Lærdal Medical, and former Product Director at Easee – one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies. Host of the Nordics’ #1 Product Podcast. Speaker at some of the world’s largest conferences on product development, design, and growth. Advisor for several B2B SaaS startups and scaleups.

Aurora Incoronato (15)

Writer and Youth Ambassador

Karianne Amlie Wahlstrøm, Agder

Public Speaker and Middle School Teacher

Erlend Pettersen, Rogaland

Public Speaker, Early Childhood Educator, and Father of Three

Henriette Westgaard Flote, Østfold

Public Speaker, Educator, and Therapist

Mats Nordmo, Troms

Public Speaker and Educator