Mallory’s Thoughts
When we arrived in Copenhagen, it seemed like everyone had the same thought: it’s not Stockholm. It’s not that the hotel or city were terrible, it’s just hard not compare to the nicer hotels and the lovely city of Stockholm. Maybe it was a mix of being a bit burnt out and not fully giving Copenhagen a chance that our time in Denmark seemed a bit…lackluster. It wasn’t until our visit to Skandinavisk that I felt more excited and happy to explore Copenhagen.
I think most of the ladies in the group (if not all) were looking forward to the business visit to Skandinavisk and it ended up being one of my favorite visits. I really appreciated how Shaun gave us so much information about Scandinavia from his point of view as a Brit and he did so in an entertaining way. His way of explaining Denmark, Sweden, and Norway as brothers was such a great way of explaining the relationships the countries have with one another. I also liked hearing about his background and about Skandinavisk, especially since I would like to be an entrepreneur one day soon. The courtyard was the most beautiful spot in Copenhagen that I saw and one of the most beautiful during the whole trip. It was so interesting learning about how clean and sustainable Skandinavisk products are, compared to fragrance products in the States that are FULL of toxins. I can’t wait to see the company grow!
We also went to Lund University for Cognibotics and ImmuneBiotech which was interesting. Honestly, Cognibotics went over my head but the ImmuneBiotech was super interesting! I have been interested in supplements to help support my health so as soon as Karin said it was a probiotic, my ears perked up. It was a super short visit but I luckily received her card so I will email her when I get the chance! If a probiotic (of course paired with a healthy diet and exercise) can help me have energy and feel good, I am definitely willing to give it a try.
Malmö was nice to visit and like all the other cities we had already visited, it was incredibly walkable. It was nice to just walk around and interesting to see the high school graduates celebrating on trucks that passed by on the streets. Perhaps most of our group decided to sit down and take a break, I chose to explore. I’d rather explore than sit down and eat because when else will I be able to?
I would visit Copenhagen again to give it another shot, though I am worried my allergies will bother me again. I’m not sure what it was (pollen I assume) but Copenhagen and southern Sweden had me sneezing a lot!
Jamie’s Thoughts
Copenhagen was interesting, but I wasn’t quite as prepared as I should have been for this portion of the trip. Of course, the first thing I did once we had our hotel established and I got something tasty in my belly was… find a museum. I have to say the National Museum in Copenhagen was so… intense! The first floor explored Danish prehistory, and for some reason seeing bodies of human sacrifices recovered from Bogs really sent my body into flight or fight mode. I suppose that’s more of a topic for a personal blog or TikTok, but I did want to mention it here. I don’t regret going and I highly recommend it.
The next day, once I’d calmed down a bit, the trip to Lund and Malmö was pretty educating. I’m no expert in theoretical research behind robotics, but I’m glad the folks over at Cognibiotics are. The trip to ImmuneBiotech was interesting for me as I read a lot about probiotics. After the initial visit, we had lunch with Karin Larsson, PhD, and CBO and COO of the company. We had an interesting chat about probiotics. I’m not fully convinced their product differentiate’s itself enough from what’s currently on the market, but we’ll see.
The rest of the day was spent experiencing Lund and Malmö, a quaint town with a beautiful heart. A couple of highlights were visiting the Lund Cathedral which featured a gorgeous astronomical clock, and watching recent high school graduates sporting sailor caps celebrating through the city.
The next day we visited fragrance company Skandinavisk. They have lovely products which focus on presenting the story of Scandinavia through scents reminiscent of the areas. I found some scents I liked, and will definitely consider shopping with them in the future. I especially loved their hand cream. It has a velvety feel and is super moisturizing.
