About us:

The Zebr Institute exists to build entrepreneurial capacity and culture in order to build flourishing societies for all. We work with both individuals and organizations, focusing on emerging leaders of the future.

Entrepreneurship to us is not limited to the ability to start for-profit businesses. If the world is to overcome the challenges we face, we need to foster an entrepreneurial mindset across sectors of societies; in politics, academia, in the health sector - across the fields of professions. Zebr exists to foster that skill.

Our team:

  • Linn Tjernsbekk Haaland - founder / human resource

    Linn is passionate about coaching, mentoring and empowering people to find their motivation, skills and vocation. She holds a BA degree in entrepreneurial studies from the Norwegian Business School and has a dream of running a small beautiful hotel some day. Working both with young students and previously with Skaperkraft`s leadership program lead her to co-found Zebr. She loves hosting parties and being a mum of three beautiful kids and aims to lead a healthy and balanced life, facing the many roles and duties she must manage. Photo by: Frida Carlsen

  • Hermund Haaland - founder / director

    A serial-entrepreneur, Hermund is passionate about seeing the world and our societies moving in the best possible direction. Currently, he works as a university lecturer with the Hauge School of Management in Oslo, Norway. With a broad experience from politics, business startups and church, he co-founded the Oslo-based think tank Skaperkraft in 2011. He served as part of its leadership untill early 2021. He is the author of several books and an inspiring speaker who loves to empower young leaders. He holds a Master of Economics from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration as well as a BA degree in History from the University of Bergen. When he needs to feed his introvert self, nothing is like a few hours of cross-country skiing or hiding away with a good Hemingway-book. Based in Tønsberg, Norway, Linn and Hermund parent Ingrid Hermine (8), Jakob August (6) and Caspian (2). Photo by: Julie Schelde Holm

  • Joseph Avakian - creative director

    Male, twin, son, brother, armenian, lebanese, cyrpiot, german, husband, father, friend, artist, creator, thinker, educator, mentor, traveler, tester, missionary, ywamer, life, seeker, questions, answers, design, photography, art, illustrations, culture, techie, running, biking, hiking, camping, basketball, music, food, all continents, warm weather, beach, travel, films, theater, dance, out of the box, identity, the image of god or universe, dreamer, destined, purposed, saved, embraced, generous, passionate, cosmopolite, strategy, includer, woo, arranger, maximizer, communication, belief, inspire, impact, change, love, faith, hope … still growing & learning

  • Marie Weydahl

    Marie loves meeting new people, and has a strong passion for friendship, entrepreneurship and leadership. She is currently pursuing a degree in Administration and Economics in Oslo, and enjoys spending her evenings playing volleyball or hosting board game nights. Having participated in the Zebr Leadership Program, Marie is eager to apply the knowledge she has gained in order to help grow the Zebr Institute.

  • Benjamin Lange

    Benjamin is passionate about his studies, likes learning new things and developing his skillset. He is currently pursuing a degree in Entrepreneurship in Oslo. In his free time Benjamin likes playing sports, reading, play his guitar or enjoy deep and meaningful conversations with friends in the sauna. He is driven, hopeful and has a positive outlook on life.

  • Anders Kjøllesdal Hansen - Editor Zebr Magazine

    Anders loves thinking deeply about the way things are and how to make them better. He is currently pursuing a degree in business administration at the Norwegian Business School in Stavanger, while working part-time as the editor of Zebr Magazine. His desire for learning has also lead him to study at Harvard last summer. As a prominent leader in different Christian environments during the years he now dreams of bridging the gap between faith and work in young peoples lives. When he is not juggling his many different responsibilities he enjoys a good game no matter the form, a quiet day out in nature or improvising at his favorite piano.

  • Kåre Melhus - member of the editorial team

    Kåre is a retired Norwegian journalist and journalism educator. During his 13 years of journalistic experience with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), he served as a reporter and later newsroom manager at the regional broadcast center in Kristiansand. Later he worked in the national newsroom of the NRK in Oslo. Here he covered national and later international news. As an associate professor at the NLA University College, he taught journalism both at the BA and MA level for 18 years. During that time Kåre was also part of a team which established MA degree programs in journalism in Ethiopia, Kosovo and Uganda. He holds a MA degree in journalism from University of Missouri, and a BA in sociology from Trinity College, Illinois.

How it all began:

“We should start a family company”. Dad (Hermund) brought the idea to the dinner table one cloudy day in October during that pandemic year of 2020. Linn agreed, as it would be a great way to do something together as a family - that everyone felt ownership to. “We should call it Zèbre”, was the immediate response of Jakob August (5). A lover of animals, and especially the Zebra, he thought the french pronunciation he had found in a children`s book was the coolest. Thus, Zebr.xyz was born. (Sorry France, we chipped away the e…) When we found an african painter-friend selling a painting of a mother zebra and foal two days later, the plan was fixed.

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“Zebra companies are characterized by doing real business, not aiming to disrupt current markets, achieving profitability and demonstrating it for a while, and helping to solve a societal problem. As explained by Mara Zepeda, CEO and co-founder of Switchboard, zebra companies "are both black and white": They are for-profit and for a cause.” The quote is from an article on social entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur.com from November 2018.

We thought that was splendid. Perfect match. That´s what we´d like to contribute to see more of - entrepreneurs, not only in business but across all sectors of society - who not only think about profits or success but on the common good.

Based on our core family - but extending to include many more as we grow - we want to continue to ignite change and through that, shape the future.

Zebr consist of the non-profit association Zebr, from where we organize our purely non-profit activities as well as the for-profit social entrepreneurial consulting company Zebr. Both are registered in Norway.

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