Our alum Sultan Akif: Studying in Tampere was life-changing for Microsoft’s Startups Executive and global philanthropist

Deep purpose and billion-dollar businesses

Sultan Akif’s aim as Startups Executive at Microsoft is to identify and empower North America’s fastest growing startups through acceleration programmes and strategic partnership. The startups he works with represent a wide range of industries from software publishers to education and health services.

Before his current position, he worked as Unicorn Account Executive for the same employer, working closely with some of the largest Microsoft customers and helping them achieve outstanding business results. In other words, he helped billion-dollar businesses grow even bigger.

What Sultan highlights as one of the key elements to success is purpose. There is no reason why the biggest problems in the world could not be solved. Often the only reason is not thinking big enough.

In my view, we now need to embrace the AI revolution and build world-changing businesses. That’s why I’m here, that’s the gift I want to give back."

Sultan Akif

“In my view, we now need to embrace the AI revolution and build world-changing businesses. That’s why I’m here, that’s the gift I want to give back,” Sultan says.

Sultan now works and lives in Canada – he has received some of the highest awards in Canada for his philanthropic work and was appointed an Honorary Colonel for the Royal Canadian Air Force. He is a proud Canadian and across the last 25 years he has travelled nearly a hundred countries. But for him, Tampere will always be really special.

Tampere was there for me when I had nothing. I will forever be grateful to the university and to the kind and loving people I met. They gave me memories to last a lifetime.”

Sultan Akif

“Tampere was there for me when I had nothing. I will forever be grateful to the university and to the kind and loving people I met. They gave me memories to last a lifetime.”

A big smiling Finn made all the difference

Sultan arrived in Tampere for a master’s programme in Industrial Management in 2000. Coming from a family that faced financial hardship, he wanted to make a better life for himself and for people around the world.

He had sought study options online and came across Finland and Tampere – places he knew nothing about at the time. There was a welcoming energy though that he felt through the pictures and messages on the university website. He felt an instant connection.

“When I first arrived in Tampere, I had a hundred dollars in my pocket. A big smiling Finn came to pick me up and took me to my apartment at Opiskelijankatu. He did that out of the kindness in his heart. I mean – who does that? There was nothing he gained out of it – just did it from his heart,” Sultan says.

That person was Mikko Rintala, a tutor for international students and Sultan’s soon-to-be friend. Sultan visited Finland after a long while in 2024 and got the chance to reunite with Mikko and tell him what an impact he had made. Sultan also made other amazing Finnish friends who still stay by his side.

“In addition to earning an incredible degree in Tampere, I also learned a lot about life – about kindness, treating others with deep respect and doing good without expecting anything in return. Finns keep the bar high, but when you have a Finn as a friend, you have a friend for life.”

Giving back by empowering the youth and building a hundred libraries

Alongside his day job, Sultan works on another ambitious project: building a hundred libraries around the world. So far, he has built 49 libraries in 14 countries with his own funds and resources in countries such as Nepal, Morocco, Colombia, Mexico and First Nation Reserves in Canada. Sultan shows up with his big smile and deep respect to make a difference in life – similar to how people of Tampere made a difference in his.

Every child has potential to change the world. People who have limited resources are not ‘less than us’."

Sultan Akif

“Every child has potential to change the world. People who have limited resources are not ‘less than us’. I was one of those kids once. All people need is someone to believe in them, to have resources that inspire them and books that fuel dreams. That is why I am building these libraries around the world – they are spaceships where dreams can fly.”

In a world that puts many kinds of pressure on people, Sultan wants to encourage and empower the youth. Having two daughters of his own, he knows that it is tough to be a young person in this age. Sultan’s message for the youth is: don’t look for your weaknesses – instead focus on your strengths and your purpose, truly experience your life and have lots of fun.

“Having fun is actually a really good business strategy. It helps you develop social skills. If you only focus on book knowledge, you are replaceable. But if you make relationships and bring people together, in addition to using your hard knowledge, you are futureproofing yourself.”

Text: Tiina Leivo

Read more stories of our alumni