Om oss | Holistal

About us

Holistal is a SaaS company in health-tech and a part of Karolinska Institutet Innovation DRIVE. Our mission is to help people achieve self-leadership and a healthy life, and we are committed to supporting the UN's third goal: Good health and well-being.

The team

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CEO

Birgitta Thorn

Birgitta is the founder of Itrim, an award-winning global health chain.

She is driven by personal development of body, mind and soul, both for herself and others. She has over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, COO and CEO and is one of Sweden's leading experts and pioneers in health and wellness.

As a serial entrepreneur, she lives in line with her convictions. Her solid experience contributes to creating healthy and sustainable organizations.

Product & Quality Manager

Frida Rökaas

Frida believes that small steps lead to big changes and brings to Holistal extensive industry-wide experience in online coaching and concept creation.

She has worked in various markets in the US and Sweden, from HR and administration to the health industry.

Frida is a dedicated change maker, experienced facilitator of transformation and a fighter for quality.

Frida is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in clinical nutrition from the University of Gothenburg.

Customer success manager

Anne Brydolf

Anne is passionate about people, development and results. She believes in a world where all people should be healthy and allowed to develop.

Leaders who want sustainable business should take responsibility for creating the conditions for sustainable people.

She is a strategic leader who quickly sees opportunities and gets things moving in the right direction.

She is a facilitator and coach in leadership development and has studied economics and marketing at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Mindfulness expert & Creative Director

Gary Fabbri

Gary is a creative catalyst for business leaders and entrepreneurs who see personal growth as the path to professional success.

He uses creativity and his experience with international media groups to help fast-growing clients achieve greater success. He is dedicated to raising awareness, changing lives and celebrating the successes along the way.

Gary holds a BA in Psychology and Literature as well as an MA, English Literature and an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behaviour. He is a breathing teacher, yoga therapist and co-owner of Urban OM, Stockholm.

As advisers there are Modjtaba Zandisan; researcher in behavioral science at Karolinska Institutet and innovator behind several medical technology patents, Claude Marcus is professor of pediatrics at Karolinska Institutet. Niklas Nilsson has a background as the founder of Pija Media Management. Other advisors are Dariush Ghatan, Mattias Weinhandl, Shori Zand, Mikael Thor Pestel and Per Landquist

Who are we?

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Daniel Zand

Daniel Zand is the founder and former CEO of Holistal. He is now CEO of Avesina Group Holding, a family-owned investment company specializing in takeovers and sector consolidation.

The company's strategy is based on family values and a strong commitment to leadership and governance, which creates long-term success and sustainable growth.

In our podcast, Daniel shares more about his journey as an entrepreneur, how he built Holistal and the future of Avesina Group.

Aaron Gonzalez

Aaron is passionate about digitization and is a board member of Holistal. Between 2014 and 2020, he was the Product Owner for the platform and played a critical role in its development and growth.

His passion for technology and innovation has been central to shaping the company's digital strategy and success. Through his leadership, Aaron continues to drive Holistal's vision forward in an ever-digital world.

Coaches

Katalin Piros

Coach

Katalin has built a large knowledge bank by working with hundreds of clients since 2013. She has expertise in running and pregnancy training and her methodology starts with understanding the individual's goals and gaining insight into their daily habits, training history and any obstacles.

She creates programs that make you feel good and energized while supporting you along the way! Katalin studied psychology at Trent University in Canada and has a bachelor's degree in international relations from Malmö University.

Johanna Paulsson

Coach

Johanna is a personal trainer who continuously deepens her knowledge in personal training. She is a licensed medical coach who works with people who have received either a physical or mental diagnosis. Johanna likes challenges, which led her to win the Gladiators. Johanna is now studying to become an occupational therapist.

Before becoming a PT, she worked for over 12 years within the Armed Forces in various positions on active missions in Sweden and abroad. She works with highly trained athletes as well as beginners to find realistic solutions for everyday life. She is the founder and owner of Onseason 365.

Anna Reuterberg

Coach

Anna is a happy-go-lucky dietitian specializing in sports nutrition. She coaches elite athletes within the national ski team but also exercisers to find the right diet for competitive training, for example before a Swedish Classic or Ironman. Anna has a background as a competitive swimmer, triathlete and cross-country skier and now runs in the mountains for fun. Her holistic weight loss program includes diet but also influences self-image and behavioral patterns. She focuses on well-being and balance for more energy and strength in everyday life.

Patrick Rapp

Coach

Patrick has worked in the fitness and health care industry for the past 15 years, helping Olympic athletes, individuals recovering from cancer, and companies looking to provide their employees with the best opportunities for wellness. Patrick has a bachelor's degree in sports science from Umeå University, an international personal trainer license and a physical trainer certification from the Swedish Sports Confederation. He has been ranked as one of the world's ten best personal trainers and has been nominated for Personal Trainer of the Year in Sweden for six years in a row.

Sofia Johansson

Coach

Exercise and physical activity have always been a natural part of Sofia's everyday life. She is passionate about making other people understand how good it is to use their body in the way it was created for. She helps her clients see opportunities instead of limitations. "Living healthy is not a temporary project, but a lifestyle that should be permanent".

Sofia has been a full-time licensed personal trainer and nutritional therapist since 2015. She often works with pregnant and new mothers. She enjoys running, strength training and believes that exercise should make you feel good, not JUST look good.

Ann Sjölander

Coach

Anne Sjölander is a licensed personal trainer since 2012 and has been a trained health coach since 2010. With extensive experience in fitness and health, strength training is her main focus and passion. Anne has been working as a fitness coach at Ving for many years.

Anne takes great pleasure in coaching people towards a healthier life and appreciates the joy that occurs when her clients achieve their goals. With a broad knowledge base and experience, Anne makes sure to provide the right tools to guide her clients towards a healthier lifestyle.

As a coach, Anne helps her clients integrate training with other life areas such as family, work or studies, and relationships to achieve a long-term and sustainable balance.

Danny Vingehag

Coach

Danny has a burning interest in public health and getting people moving. Works on a daily basis both with clients who have pain problems to elite athletes who want to optimize their body, movements and energy.

Danny works actively to find the root of your problems and everything starts with a conversation about the overall perspective.

Patience and long-term thinking create good and healthy habits that become sustainable over time

Sleep/recovery, diet, physical activity & stress management are obvious parts of a health-promoting lifestyle according to Danny. We need to look at all the parts we ourselves can influence, the body as a bud, individually and how they work together.

Danny's motto is that you deserve to feel well so it is worth investing time for health, and that it does not have to mean a good quality of life in the absence of illness only.

Matilda Persson

Coach

Matilda Persson is a registered dietitian who graduated from the University of Gothenburg in 2013. She coaches women in all stages of life towards a better and sustainable relationship with diet. Matilda finds great joy in food and wants to spread that joy with others.

She is particularly passionate about eating behavior and is curious about why people eat in a certain way and what factors influence eating behavior. In a sustainable diet there is room for both nutritious food and small extra treats. She loves to bake, hike, cook in the woods at a storm kitchen and find balance in life!

Pernilla Wallgren

Coach

Pernilla's main driving force is the results her clients achieve by working with her. She focuses on the individual and how he can succeed in his goals based on his lifestyle. She uses positivity and the mantra "keep it simple" with the aim of creating something sustainable and adaptable.

Pernilla has worked as a personal trainer since 2016 and has further trained as a nutrition consultant, Trainer Maternity health, PT Online and medical trainer.

Azita Ariadad

Coach

Azita has extensive experience in coaching and is both a Personal Trainer and an ICF certified coach. She is primarily a holistic coach who combines the physical with the mental and emotional. The goal is that we, like a well-oiled cogwheel, find flow in our everyday life, endure fun adventures and be able to enjoy life more than just surviving everyday life.

She strongly believes that we all have an inherent power that we need to get to know and that helps us make changes. With the right guidance and support, anyone can create a life filled with purpose, joy and energy.

Daniel Makropoulos

Coach

With a passion for both cooking and nutrition, Daniel has a unique ability to create a tasty and healthy fusion in the kitchen. His background as a chef combined with a bachelor's degree in nutrition science from the University of Gothenburg equips him with the knowledge and expertise needed to guide you towards a lifestyle filled with well-being and energy.

Since 2015, Daniel has been fully committed to being a mentor and coach to over 100 individuals, guiding them on their journey towards sustainable health development. Whether it's supporting you in your quest for weight loss, reducing the weight of stress in your everyday life, or improving your sleep quality, Daniel is ready to share his insights and strategies to help you thrive.

Chantelle Josefsohn

Coach

Chantelle has a master's degree in nutrition science.

What has driven her since the start is to show that eating healthy does not have to be complicated or boring and that there is room for everything in a healthy and balanced diet.

As a parent of small children, she understands the challenges in everyday life with prioritizing herself, getting healthy meals for the whole family, time for recovery and everything else. By meeting you where you are right now, she supports you to make adjustments in your diet and lifestyle towards better health and well-being!

Chantelle loves to travel, try new recipes, walks by the sea, spending time with family and friends and reading.

Zebastian Gudmundsson

Coach

Zebastian is a passionate trainer and coach with over eight years of experience in nutrition and exercise. He started boxing in his teens and has since participated in international Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) competitions as well as challenging himself through the Vasaloppet and ultramarathons.

Through customized training programs, Zebastian has helped many achieve their health goals. He also offers inspirational lectures and workshops for companies, with the aim of improving employee well-being and creating resilient organisations.

With a unique combination of personal experience and deep professional knowledge, Zebastian is committed to supporting and guiding his clients towards a healthier future. His training philosophy is based on individualization and sustainability, which ensures long-term results.

Emelie Persson

Coach

Emelie is a personal trainer who is passionate about exercise and health. She has worked full-time as a personal trainer for 9 years and has done additional training in mother training, pilates, crossfit and nutritional advice.

When she works with her clients, the focus is on working with the body from the inside out, as a whole where she focuses on all parts such as exercise, diet, stress management and everyday habits.

She always starts from where you are in the training and adjusts according to your needs and wishes.

Her experience from coaching is that when you notice progress in training, you also get other positive effects both psychologically and physically, which in turn gives success in other parts of life.