Björn Paulsson from Paulsson Inc. was one of our amazing speakers at Green Connections this year, where he spoke about the effective development of geothermal resources using fiber optic multi-sensor arrays. 

Based in Van Nuys, California, Paulsson Inc specializes in developing optical sensors and instruments for boreholes. If you live in California or enrolled in the physical geography course in college for general ed ( like I did) you are most likely familiar with the San Andreas Fault (SAF). As a matter of fact, Paulsson Inc. made a vital contribution to the research of the SAF by developing seismic instruments which changed the whole picture of how the fault is structured...
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Swedish born Björn Paulsson, CEO & President at Paulsson Inc,  has a tremendous career behind him, and he is not stopping anytime soon. Studying geology, geophysics, and geothermal energy at the Chalmer´s University of Technology in Sweden in the '70s, and later on, advancing his degree to a Ph.D. in seismology and rock-mechanics at UC Berkeley, he has been in the game for the past four decades across the world. Following his Ph.D. ,Björn worked at Chevron´s research laboratory in La Habra, California for 13 years where he published over 50 papers and seven patents based on his research where his contributions earned him Chevron´s highest award; "The Chairman´s Award". 

If you have spent some time in California, chances are you have experienced a few smaller earthquakes, and we all know  "the big one" will hit one day. We can just hope it won´t turn out as dramatic as was portrayed in the 2015 action/thriller "San Andreas" where the SAF triggered a magnitude 9 earthquake and California ended up in complete misery and chaos. Referring to an action movie with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson may seem irrelevant but this issue is exactly what Paulsson and his team have been researching.

With their developed seismic instruments, they discovered that the fault is made up of three fracture planes and not one fracture plane, which previously was reported. This was discovered in 2005 and changed the whole idea of how the fault is built up, which is crucial when researching earthquakes for mitigating the risk of devastating destruction. Paulsson´s latest contribution is instrumenting the Hayward Fault in the Bay Area which was completed in December 2020. The Hayward Fault has the potential to generate a magnitude 7 (M7) and is regarded as one of the largest geo-hazards in the United States. 

When discussing the potential of thermal energy production, Paulsson points out that; 
"...the U.S. is the largest geothermal energy producer in the world, there is enough potential geothermal energy to meet all electrical production in the U.S. In fact, the geothermal energy potential in the U.S. is two times the current overall production of electrical energy today, making it an immense environmentally friendly resource."  

The geothermal energy is currently producing 0.4% of the overall electrical production in the western U.S, however, it has a potential of 625 times larger than what is being produced today.
This makes it possible to meet the entire electrical needs in the U.S. now and into the far future since geothermal energy is sustainable and renewable. 

Paulsson Inc has since 2010 received about $30 million from the U.S. DOE to develop novel sensors, data acquisition, and imaging technologies in California. Additionally, Björn tells how Sweden might become a big producer of geothermal energy and how it can create a significant energy source. Researchers are currently looking into the area of Skåne, the most southern part of Sweden for geothermal production. Björn explains how Sweden is a great target market from a company point of view, being a high-tech country with great geophysical processing technologies.

When being asked why Paulsson Inc. decided to join the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, Paulsson said that;"...we need to recognize the value of networking, especially when we work with businesses with potential for international expansion". 
The technology that Paulsson developed at Berkeley has been used in Sweden and many other countries in Europe for the sequestration of Co2. He predicts opportunities for the use of optical technologies from Sweden, the UK, Denmark, and Germany. 

Paulsson Inc recently joined the Chamber as a corporate member, and we are very excited to start working with Björn and his team. 
Click here to learn more about our memberships at SACC-SD. 


Do you want to learn even more about geothermal resources? Click here to access the presentation slides from Paulsson´s Green Connections 2020 presentation.

We are excited to announce a new corporate member at the Chamber, ALTEN Group.

The French multinational technology and consulting engineering company has been around since 1988, today with 25 offices around the world. 

A leader in its industry, ALTEN supports its customers´ development strategies in the areas of innovation, R&D, and information systems. 

ALTEN works with key actors in the Aeronautics & Space, Defence & Naval, Security, Automotive, Rail, Energy, Life Sciences, Finance, Retail, Telecommunications, and Services sectors. With a financial turnover of more than 2.6 billion euros and 37,200 employees, ALTEN is an impressive addition to our Corporate Members.    

Read more about ALTEN here

It is no secret that an internship at the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce can lead to great internships. Our strong network, established corporate member companies, and great reputation as an organization creates unique career opportunities. 

Alexandra Ahlstedt, SACC-SD alumni landed an internship with the Humble Co. in San Diego after her time and the Chamber.  The Humble Co. is one of our corporate member companies at the Chamber in San Diego. Established in 2013 in Sweden, the company develops reliable health&wellness products, that are eco-friendly and socially responsible, developed by dentists, designed in Sweden. 

Keep reading if you would like to learn more about Alexandra´s time at the Chamber, and how she transfered her learnings to her next work experience in San Diego. 
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Could you describe your time at SACC-SD with three words?  
Educative, fun, eventful. 

When were you an intern at SACC-SD and what position did you hold?   
I was an intern at SACC-SD in the spring of 2020. My position was Business Development and Member Relations, I was also in charge of the Life Science initiative. 

After being an intern at the Chamber, you started working for one of our corporate members The Humble Co, could you tell me a little bit about your experience working for them? 
Interning as a Sales & Marketing Coordinator at The Humble Co. has been a great experience. I have learned a lot about different aspects of doing business in the States; such as business culture, laws, regulations, and sales. Not only how to do business here, but how a big company like The Humble Co. operates. I have been lucky to see and be a part of how an idea has turned into a product and sold to some of the biggest retailers in the world.

My favorite thing about interning at The Humble Co. is that my tasks vary a lot, meaning I learn a lot of different things, everything from marketing and logistics to business development and sales. I could not have chosen a better company to do an internship with, every day is eventful and different and it feels great to be a part of the Humble team.  

Was there anything specific you could bring with you from your internship at the Chamber to your work at the Humble Co.?  
One of the many things I learned at SACC-SD is that the business culture here is very different from how it is back home. This prepared me for my work at The Humble Co. since I am in contact with a lot of people daily. Additionally, as I mentioned I was in charge of the member relations at SACC-SD, which meant I went to different events to promote the Chamber. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but a great experience, that eventually made me comfortable taking sales calls and pitching our Humble products to potential customers.

Why would you recommend applying for an internship at SACC-SD? 
I can't think of a reason not to. SACC-SD is a great organization to do an internship with. You learn a lot about the companies in the area, get to meet amazing people, and network with important people. Who knows, maybe one of the people you meet end up being your next employer? 
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Could you describe a perfect day in San Diego? 
My perfect day in San Diego, pre-COVID-19 would start with a big brunch by the beach, followed by a surf session and beach hang in Del Mar. I would definitely get a burrito for an early dinner, then head to Sunset Cliffs to watch the sunset and once the sun has set, head back to the beach for a bonfire with friends.


Thank you Alexandra for sharing your experiences in San Diego, we are sure it inspired someone to take that opportunity! 

If you are interested in an internship in the U.S., visit the SACC-USA website to see available positions in the U.S. 

We are happy to present our newest corporate member: Upwork Inc. 

Upwork is the leading online talent solution transforming professional staffing by empowering businesses with flexible access to quality talent, on demand. Matt Rossi, who we spoke to from Upwork, described Upwork as; "...a dating service for freelancers and designers".


Through Upwork´s matching technology and services, companies have access to a global pool of proven professionals so they can scale their team dynamically to meet business needs. The community of independent professionals working via Upwork spans many categories including software development, creative & design, finance & accounting, consulting, operations & customer support - 0ver 8000 skills are represented. 

Unlike other businesses that have struggled during the Pandemic, Upwork has seen increased traffic and higher demand for their services. As a result of many businesses having to let go of employees,  demand for freelancers has risen among employers. Since the near future still is unpredictable, some businesses find it safer to hire freelancers rather than full-time employees. 

There has also been an increase in so-called part-time freelancers using Upwork. Since many of us work from home this year, some have found new ways of maximizing their work time. Writing a few articles per week after traditional work hours is just one of many ways to make some more money as someone trying out the services. 

Both business and anyone who has marketable skills can benefit from using Upwork. 

Visit Upwork to get started and get In-demand talent on demand. 

The pharmaceutical industry is today facing tougher competition and regulations than ever before. One company that has countered these challenges in drug development since 2012 is Captario.
The Swedish company is specialized in using AI, advanced modeling and simulation to improve strategic decision making in the pharmaceutical industry.
​Captario started in a Swedish hub - Sahlgrenska Science Park and is now globally active. As one of SACC-SD´s Life Science Members, we met with Erik Post, President at Captario to learn more about their U.S. expansion.

What made you want to expand your business to the U.S. market? We target the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world - helping them make more informed investment decisions in their drug development. These companies are all represented in the U.S., therefore, we naturally wanted to establish our business close to where they are located.  

What have you learned from starting a business in a new region? We have realized that all locations have their own business ecosystem. For this reason, we cannot overestimate the value of building relationships locally.   

What has been the biggest challenge VS. the greatest reward with expanding your business? Staffing and legal costs in the U.S. are quite high, which can be a challenge when creating a budget for a Swedish startup. That being said, these investments have proven to yield great benefits.

How has SACC-SD helped you to facilitate your business in this new market?  SACC-SD has helped us tremendously in gaining traction on the U.S. market.  We have received help in setting up customer meetings, as well as, having webinars marketed through the Chamber. We have also been helped to gain more exposure on social media and through SACC´s website.   

What would your advice be for someone who has thoughts of expanding their business to the U.S. market? Having at least one vested person on the ground, someone from, or with a background from Sweden can be of great help. Get in touch with SACC and take other professional help as needed. This might seem counterintuitive to a “Can do it all myself” Swede, but it will make your journey smoother. Specifically, get U.S. legal and accounting assistance early on, as well as consider using a SaaS solution for payroll and HR.  


Want to learn more about Captario and their work in addressing the major points in the drug development process? Check out our webinar with Captario from earlier this spring, click here.

SACC-SD had the pleasure to sit down with Fredrika Syrén from The ZeroWasteFamily for a Q&A to learn about her sustainable lifestyle. The main takeout from our conversation is that we all can start building a conscious shift towards sustainability. One can contribute in at least one way or another, whether it is by eating more plant-based or consuming less. Because just like Fredika believes: "Take it one step at a time, the change cannot happen overnight". 
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 Q: When and why did you start your lifestyle? 
 A: We were living in Sweden back in 2015 when we committed to go zero-waste. The reason is to fight for our children’s future. Me and my husband James believe that we’re raising the next generation and we want to not only save the planet for them but also be good role models for our children to inspire them to continue the fight and to live a sustainable life.

Q: What does it mean for you to live a zero-waste lifestyle? 
A: Essentially, we refuse what we do not need and reduce what we do need and make choices and try to live with as little impact on the planet as possible. If we can compost or recycle it—we don’t buy it. So we prefer things that are package-free, and anything reusable.

Q: What has been most rewarding about your lifestyle? 
A: Our zero waste lifestyle saves us $18,000 a year which is a lot of money. As a result, we can both work part-time, mostly from home, and be home with our children when they are on break. When they are on summer break, we’re spending all our time with them. This has given us more family time and made us a stronger family. Also, during this pandemic, it helped us to be self-reliant and budget-friendly so we’re not as impacted by the lockdown as many others. Most of our food grows in our 400 square foot backyard garden, which plenishes many of our meals. I have to say, feeding my kids homegrown food is a huge reward

Q: How can an everyday person live more sustainably? 
A: Take one step at the time and set up your personal goals. Look at what is in your trash bag and see how you can reduce it by either replacing it with a reusable alternative or maybe even skip it altogether. Find low-waste and zero-waste social media accounts and get inspired by them. Join a zero-waste social media group and meet other people also wanting to live more sustainable.

Q: What is something that easily grows in San Diego that one can grow on their balcony or backyard? 
A: We’re so lucky to live in a warm climate like San Diego where we can grow all year round. Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and kale are easy to grow here and can grow even in a small yard or balcony.

Q: Out of these four ways of living (zero-waste, plant-based, gardening, and minimalism), which one do you believe is easiest to adapt when shifting to a sustainable lifestyle? 
A: It all depends on your personality but for us, plant-based was the first thing we began with. Reducing waste might seem like an impossible task but truth to be told, it is a lot easier than it seems. 


Thank you so much, Fredrika, for taking your time and inspiring others to live more sustainably.


If you want some more inspiration on how you can start living a zero-waste life, check out the e-book “Zero Waste for Families”- a practical guide with lots of tips and recipes for steps to begin reducing waste and save money with little effort.

Click here to join the journey! 

This week, we would like to introduce our bright and shining Board Member, Patty Carran!
Patty has been on the Board with SACC San Diego since Januari 2018."I have found the Swedish-American Chamber to attract the most amazing people to work with. What draws me to SACC is the community of like minded business owners focused on environmental sustainability from both Sweden and the U.S." 

Patty is an experienced art director, marketer, and business owner with a career spanning over thirty years. Throughout her career, she has gained professional experience in branding, UI & UX design, advertising, and digital marketing while founding and serving as the art director at her full service marketing agency, Green Biz Marketing. 

- What is your favorite thing about living and working in San Diego?
"Living north of San Diego county, I find San Diego a wonderful city that´s full of beauty, plenty of things to do, and an overarching drive to preserve the environment."

- Best Swedish meal?
"I absolutely love Swedish Meatballs with noodles.That is one of my favorites. The second Swedish specialty I crave is Rebecca Janzon´s Janssons frestelse (Swedish potatoes with anchovies)."

Thank you, Patty! We love having you on the SACC-Board. 

​Coala has accelerated through Covid-19 by expanding the team, doubled the footprint in the US with a new sales partner, and signed on a few large new healthcare customers in the midst of the storm.

Coala Life is a digital health company founded in Sweden on a mission to develop patient-centric medical solutions. The company is digitally transforming the field of cardiac diagnostics with a portfolio of CE- and FDA-cleared solutions based on the COALA Heart Monitor, a cloud-based and device driven solution powered by smart algorithms and AI to predict and prevent cardiac disease. The COALA is used by thousands of patients and over 200 connected providers in Europe and the company just recently launched in US with local headquarters in Irvine, CA. 

The Swedish Native Philip Siberg is the President and Co-Founder of Coala, and he moved to Southern Califronia to head up the US expansion for the company. 

"Southern California is the world's epicenter of medical device and life science development. Equally, the local market is among the largest and most early adoptive in the world, so it's a good breeding ground to leverage on"

Thank you for being part of the SACC-community!
Did you miss our Webinar with Coala Life we did in April? Watch the full recording with Coala below!

​Last week, Sweden celebrated its dearly beloved tradition 'Midsommar'. Wheather you are a Swede in the region Dalicarlia and wearing your traditional national gown, or if you are a Swede abroad somewhere: the tradiditon and celebration of Midsommar is a must.

In agrarian times, Midsummer celebrations in Sweden were held to welcome summertime and the season of fertility. It was not until the 1900s, however, that this became the most Swedish of all traditional festivities. Midsummer Eve is usually celebrated in the countryside with friends and your whole family gathering to eat, drink and dance together. A typical Midsummer menu features different kinds of pickled herring, boiled new potatoes with fresh dill, soured cream and chives, and for dessert the first strawberries of summer, with whipped cream.

PS. Some of you may have seen the movie "Midsommar" where a group of Americans travel to their Swedish friend Pelle to celebrate Midsommar. The film shows "how Swedes celebrate midsommar" with rituals, sacrifices and other events, we can assure you that the movie is very far from the real tradition. Read about it here ;-)

The Spring team of 2020 want to thank the entire SACC- San Diego organization, our brilliant Board, our devoted members and last but NOT least our President Ted and Chairman Hans. We have had an amazing time and even with cancelled events and everything going virtual, we had so much fun and learned an incredible amount through our work with the Chamber.

Covid-19 has effected us all in some way or another. Not only are people getting ill, but families and individuals with small businesses are facing extreme difficulties as the US economy is seriously damaged by the aftermaths of the pandemic. San Diego Regional EDC, in partnerships with San Diego and Imperial SBDC, have commissioned a broad team to develop detailed guides to help small businesses reopen. There are different guides depending on what line of business you are in. 

"Small businesses are the backbone of our region’s economy, and employ the majority of San Diegans. In order to meet our regional goal of creating 50,000 quality jobs in small businesses by 2030, we all need to invest in ensuring small businesses have the tools they need to recover, adapt, and thrive over the coming months. Funding, technical assistance, and childcare for working parents are also important to the long term recovery and resiliency of San Diego’s small businesses."

Linked in the button below is the specific web page for small business guides by San Diego Regional EDC.
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