There is a new organization in town with a mission to foster relationships among Scandinavian professionals in San Diego.
Digital Vikings, a networking association, meets monthly to bring people who are of Scandinavian descent together through social, cultural and business events.
Events are $20 to attend and include networking, a dinner of traditional Scandinavian foods, and a business presentation or social activity.
The nonprofit organization is the brainchild of Tony Krvaric, a financial consultant for A.G. Edwards, a national investment firm with offices in San Diego.
Krvaric started the organization in January.
The idea came to him when he and other Scandinavian friends were thinking of ways to meet other people of their same origin.
“There are so many of us here, (I thought) we should be able to get together in a casual environment and meet other people with the same traditions,” he said.
Scandinavia is made up of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland.
Krvaric, who is also the president of Digital Vikings, is from Sweden and has lived in the United States for the last 10 years.
– Members Have A Lot In Common
Members of the group are either Scandinavian by birth or heritage and have an interest in Scandinavian technology and sciences, particularly in the industries of biotech and high-technology.
Krvaric said Digital Vikings concentrates on these fields because they are two traditionally strong areas in Scandinavia, and a majority of the members hold jobs in these industries.
According to Krvaric, Scandinavia is the leader in wireless technology, particularly in the areas of Internet and cell phone penetration, even surpassing the United States.
Earlier this year, the IDC/World Times Information Society index, a global market research firm, named Sweden “the world’s dominant information economy” and ranked Norway and Finland in second and third place, with the United States fourth.
The Scandinavian influence on wireless technology has led Krvaric to include discussions and presentations at events, on topics such as “What kind of business models are working in Scandinavia and how can they be translated to work here?” and “Setting up shop in San Diego.”
“There was a demand for this and now there’s a solution,” Krvaric said in reference to Digital Vikings’ popularity. “I’m surprised at how quickly it spread.”
– A Thousand More Welcome To Join
Digital Vikings has 325 members on its mailing list and is working to sign 1,000 members over the next two years.
“(It) has been well-received and the word is spreading,” he said.
Krvaric said one to two new people sign up per day at the association’s Web site.
It has been so well-received, in fact, that one of the major challenges it has faced has been turning away people who want to join, but who are not of Scandinavian origin.
Those turned away have been mostly college students who have come across the Web site and are looking to party with Scandinavians, Krvaric said.
While the organization does cater to members who are of Scandinavian descent, there are exceptions for those who express a genuine interest in Scandinavian technology or business, Krvaric said.
Members come from many of the major companies around San Diego such as Qualcomm Inc., Nokia and Gateway.
Digital Vikings is expanding its membership to include chapters in Orange County and Los Angeles.
“We’ve gotten so many requests from members who have been commuting, that we’re trying to start chapters out of convenience, so members are not having to drive down (for events),” he said.
– Socializing Is Encouraged
Digital Vikings is unique from other networking associations, because while it is very much business-related, its purpose is to meet other people socially and get connected to help and look out for each other, Krvaric said.
Krvaric said many networking events don’t provide enough of a social atmosphere for people to interact.
They serve finger-foods, show Power Point presentations in a stuffy room and then everyone wakes up and goes home, he said. “It’s not conducive to networking.”
At Digital Viking events, members are given nearly an hour to mingle with fellow members, before dinner is served, where people are placed at tables with unfamiliar faces.
It encourages meeting at least three new people, Krvaric said.
“(This association) is for people looking for a social connection, that have the same upbringing in food and cultural traditions and to be able to leverage each other’s connections for one’s own benefit.”
Krvaric is working on the agenda for the rest of the year and on long-term objectives for the association to meet.
Digital Vikings has recently signed with a Web design company in San Diego that is sponsoring the updating of its Web site, (www.digitalvikings.com).
Expected to be completed and running in the fall, “the Web site is going to be a real hub for Scandinavian activity in San Diego,” Krvaric said.
The organization’s future plans also include election of officers and developing an advisory board within the next couple of months.
Digital Vikings’ next big event is a midsummer party, in celebration of summer solstice , the arrival of summer , scheduled for June 23.
The networking group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at Ericsson, a telecommunications supplier in San Diego.
Interested parties should log onto (www.digitalvikings.com) for information.
