Eero Kilpi

Eero Kilpi is a Finnish native with over 26 years of experience living and working in New York, bringing a global perspective and extensive expertise in business and cultural promotion. Holding a PhD in Business Administration from Aalto University, his professional background spans private equity, financing, international trade, and marketing management, with a focus on innovation and creating meaningful impact.

As a founding member and former President of the North American Sauna Society, Eero has dedicated over two decades to championing the Finnish sauna tradition, significantly contributing to its growth and visibility across North America. His insights have been featured in prominent outlets such as The New York Times and Forbes, underscoring his commitment to promoting the wellness and cultural benefits of sauna.

Eero currently serves as President of the Finlandia Foundation New York Metropolitan Chapter, where he leads efforts to preserve and celebrate Finnish culture in the United States. He also co-hosts The Upper Bench podcast, exploring the art, science, and cultural significance of sauna alongside industry experts and enthusiasts.

With specialties in private equity, financing, international trade, marketing management, and non-profit leadership, Eero is passionate about fostering growth and creating connections. He remains committed to bridging Northern European traditions and industries with new opportunities globally.

Eero Kilpi’s lecture, “Sauna Lost in Translation: Restoring Finnishness to a Global Tradition,” traces the evolution of global sweat bathing cultures—from Lakota sweat lodges to early Nordic sauna—and examines how Finnish traditions can reclaim their central role in today’s rapidly expanding sauna movement.

Drawing on two decades of work with the North American Sauna Society, Eero unpacks what happened when the ancient Finnish practice arrived in North America and morphed into what he calls the “hotbox phenomenon.” He explains how a wellness trend focused on heat, hardware, and health fads often stripped sauna of its spirit, ritual, and deeper mental-emotional benefits.

With humor, clarity, and lived experience as a Finn who has spent more than half his life in North America, Eero offers “hot takes” on where sauna culture went astray—and how returning to traditional principles can restore its meaning. He argues that when we root the practice in its cultural and spiritual foundations, everyone can experience the most authentic and profoundly restorative sauna possible.

Learn more about Eero on LinkedIn