Keynote "The Return of Cooperation" by Ville Kiiski

€1,200.00

Tax excluded

A lecture on why cooperation is returning now — and which futures are already in motion. Built on the pamphlet The Return of Cooperation and its idea of a "weave economy" as an alternative to unrestrained capitalism. One to two hours, on-site or remote. Every booking directly funds the building of European social media.

If you represent a larger company, please consider adding a support top-up to your order. It helps a lot. Please find the top-ups as separate products at the bottom of this product description.

Security policy

ayments processed securely by Revolut. We never see or store your card details.

Delivery policy

Talks are a service: we confirm by email and agree a date. Nothing is shipped.

Cancellations & returns

Fair, clear terms. Dated bookings have no 14-day withdrawal; if something's wrong, we fix it.

We do not live inside economic laws of nature, but inside choices that were made. This lecture sets out why capitalism and the market economy are not the same thing, who is currently writing our future and on what assumptions — and what concrete tools we have to build differently. Provocative but constructive; emphasis can be adjusted and requests are welcome.

Topics covered (roughly):

The market economy is not capitalism: Polanyi, Braudel and the long history of markets
What Adam Smith actually said — and what is claimed in his name
The Yarvin–Thiel–Andreessen axis: who is writing our future, and on what assumptions
The weave economy: seven tools to replace unrestrained capitalism — wellbeing metrics, doughnut economics, the mission economy, cooperatives, the commons, co-governance, and universal basic services
The state as a coral reef: not an obstacle to markets but a condition for life
Probable futures: what is already in motion, and what we can still choose
Why cooperation is returning alongside competition, right now
The European alternative in practice — including in digital infrastructure

Format & travel One to two hours depending on discussion. The talk can be held in Finnish or English. On-site or remote. Travel and accommodation outside the Tallinn–Helsinki area are added to the fee. Please note, that Ville does not fly except in rare exceptions.

Price (ex VAT): €1,200.00 · VAT: 24% · voluntary top-ups are separate products (see Support top-ups).

Ville Kiiski

Kiiski is the primus motor behind the coming European social media. Since 2026 he has been fully committed to building a social media platform that reflects European values and defends our digital sovereignty. If you are not on board yet, come and support the project! You can find out more on our website, semant.ai.

In 1995 Kiiski co-founded the legendary agency Medusa, where he personally coded the first commercial websites for Tunturi and Hesburger, among others. From those early days on, he has led hundreds of projects for clients such as Live Nation, Erätukku, Finnish Design Shop, Terveystalo, ICSID, Broadcasters, Tilt.tv and Moomin World.

Kiiski has developed numerous pioneering internet projects and produced films and interactive solutions for clients such as Greenled, Jungheinrich and Finnpilot, as well as for many museums and galleries, Kiasma among them. In recent years he has immersed himself in the possibilities of artificial intelligence, delivering practical projects for real client needs.

Kiiski always has an art project or two on the go. Beyond contemporary art, he enjoys literature, train travel and relaxed cooking, with wine and yé-yé music never far away. He is a devoted flâneur, and alongside wandering the city, swimming is among his favourite pursuits. These days he lives increasingly in Tallinn, though you may still catch sight of him in Helsinki.