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Diversity Forward Sweden

Hem
Sverige
Stockholm
Diversity Forward Sweden

Cataloging the heartbeat of skilled migrants shaping Sweden. One story, one beat at a time!

09/10/2026

Sometimes, moving to a new country isn’t really about starting over. It’s about finally giving yourself the chance to try something you’ve been thinking about.

For Gabriel Lehner, the connection to Sweden started much earlier.

Growing up in Austria, Sweden was never really an unfamiliar place. His grandfather was married to a Swedish woman, and they lived just across the street from where Gabriel grew up. His grandfather even bought a summer house in Norrtälje in 1999.

Over the years, Gabriel travelled to Sweden around a hundred times before finally making the move in October 2025.

After seven years as a police officer in Austria, he knew he wanted to change something. He wanted to try something new and special. He just wasn’t quite sure what that would look like yet.

Then came a familiar taste from home.

Leberkäse.

Something Gabriel had grown up eating two or three times a week. Something he found himself missing after moving to Sweden.

And slowly, the idea of bringing that taste of Austria to Stockholm started taking shape.

That idea became ALPIS.

Today, Gabriel works around 90–100 hours a week. It can be exhausting, but there’s something that keeps giving him energy, the people who walk through the door, try the food, and genuinely enjoy it.

Perhaps that’s what makes his story so interesting. It isn’t simply about leaving one career and starting a restaurant.

It’s about having an idea, taking the chance on it, and choosing not to look back one day wondering, “What if I had tried?”

Gabriel’s advice to his younger self is simple: enjoy your days off, because time changes things. And if there’s something you really want to do, do it ASAP. It might just be good.

And for now, Gabriel seems to be living by that advice, building something of his own, bringing a little piece of Austria to Stockholm, and seeing where this new chapter takes him.

Thanks to the Alpis team for sharing the pictures. The photo with the Alpis logo in the back is from David

21/09/2026

Featuring Megha

She had already learned what it meant to start over.

France had slowly become familiar: the streets, the language, the little routines, the feeling of finding her own rhythm in a new country.

And then, another move.

This time, Sweden. 🇸🇪

A quieter place. Different people. Different seasons. A different way of life.

What started as another unfamiliar chapter slowly brought new friendships, new experiences, motherhood, and a version of herself she hadn’t quite met before.

Sometimes, you move countries looking for something.

Sometimes, you simply grow into someone new along the way.

This is Megha’s story of moving from France to Sweden, and finding unexpected pieces of herself along the way.

But her journey doesn’t end here.

Because just when one place starts feeling like a part of you, life sometimes asks you to leave it behind.

08/09/2026

Featuring: Megha

What does it actually feel like when a new country slowly starts turning into home?

For Megha, moving from India to France was never just a change of address. It meant picking up a new language, getting used to social cues that didn’t quite make sense yet, and sitting with a lot of uncertainty along the way.

Little by little, she figured it out, not because it suddenly felt easy, but because she gave herself the time to learn, stumble, and try again. Turns out, that’s usually how belonging actually works.

And somewhere in the middle of all that adjusting, France quietly stopped being “the new country.”

It just became home.

But just as things started to feel familiar, another move was already on the horizon.

13/05/2026

This began as Diversity Forward Sweden. A small space built around stories of people finding their footing in a new country.

But somewhere along the way, I realised something.

The emotions behind these journeys, leaving, adapting, searching for belonging, and becoming someone new, are not limited to Sweden. They exist everywhere.

The more conversations I had, the more I understood that this was never just about geography. It was about people. About identity. About the quiet ways movement changes us.

So this is me opening that space a little wider.

What started with stories in Sweden will now grow into something more global, a place for human stories across borders, cultures, and lived experiences.

Same heart. Bigger horizon.

Welcome to the next chapter.

19/04/2026

Featuring: Natasha Gupta, Founder HeArtworks

HeArtworks is a Sweden-based creative platform where art meets purpose.

Sitting at the intersection of creativity, commerce, an
social impact, it’s built on a simple but powerful idea to give children and specially-abled individuals the tools to turn their creativity into something sustainable.

What started as an idea has now grown into something far more meaningful.

13/04/2026

(meaning “Job Leap”) is Sweden’s largest four-month internship program for foreign-born academics, designed to support their entry into the Swedish job market.

At its core, it helps bridge the gap between international professionals and Swedish employers—offering local experience, networks, and references that are often critical to getting started.

But beyond structure and opportunity, there’s also a deeply personal side to this journey.

For many, especially those who’ve built established careers in their home countries, stepping into an “intern” role can feel less like a step forward—and more like starting over.

In many ways, it becomes a process of reinvention.

Here’s featuring and her perspective.

22/01/2026

Featuring: Andrew Billing

“I moved to Sweden because my partner got a job here. It wasn’t an easy transition.

We spent months apart, longer than we ever had before. Long distance was emotionally challenging, especially as it stretched to six months. Staying connected, reminding ourselves why we were doing this, and trusting the process helped us get through it.

Before moving, I expected Sweden to be modern, equal, and balanced in terms of work and life. What really stood out was the connection to nature. People are outside no matter the weather, walking, hiking, skiing. Coming from Tasmania, that felt familiar and grounding.

People here have been kind and helpful, and I’m grateful that English is widely spoken. Settling in takes time, and waiting for registrations and processes can feel slow, but that’s part of the journey. Exploring has been a highlight, museums, train trips, and especially visiting Visby in Gotland.

Professionally, I come from a pharmacy and health sciences background. While I want to stay within the field, I’m open to shifting towards research. I know further education and learning Swedish will be important, and I’m taking it step by step.

I miss my family and friends the most. Distance feels heavier now, but calls, group chats, and staying connected help. And yes, I miss my mum’s cooking. Especially her lasagna.

I’m naturally introverted, and Sweden suits that side of me. Through communities like Stockholm Dual Career Network (SDCN), I’ve met people who understand what it’s like to start over somewhere new.

I don’t have one big dream. For me, success is becoming the best version of myself, slowly, consistently, and with intention.

If you’re thinking about moving countries: just do it. Come with an open mind. Even if it doesn’t work out, you’ll know you tried.

Happiness, for me, is being with the people I love, being comfortable with who I am, and having a sense of purpose.”

06/11/2025

Featuring: .psy .khnz

“When I first came across the Diversity Forward Sweden page, I felt deeply inspired by the stories of other expats. Seeing how their experiences resonated with mine, I wanted to share my own, hoping it might help someone else too.

My move to Sweden began as a love story. While planning our wedding, my husband found a job here and moved a year before I did. That year of long distance was tough, endless video calls, planning our wedding, but it helped me prepare for life in a new country. When I finally arrived a week after our wedding, Sweden didn’t feel completely unfamiliar.

Moving here came with its own set of challenges. It was my first time living abroad, far from home, family, and the familiar rhythm of Iran. In Iran, life begins after 7 p.m., but in Sweden, most things close by then. Still, as an introvert, I’ve found peace in the quiet evenings and calm pace of life here.

I miss my family the most, the gatherings, the laughter, and of course, the food. I try to recreate it here, but it’s never quite the same. Yet, I don’t miss the chaos. I love Sweden’s tranquility, its nature, and yes, even the cold weather.

Being open-minded has been my biggest strength. As a Muslim woman, I face added layers of adjustment, from finding halal food to navigating cultural differences but I choose to stay open and adapt.

When I moved here, I was still finishing my master’s thesis in psychology. I now work remotely with clients in Iran while learning Swedish and building my path, step by step. It’s not easy, but it’s meaningful.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: be hopeful. At the end of every dark night, there is always light.”

29/10/2025

I recently moved to Stockholm to support my wife’s career at Karolinska University. Originally from Mumbai, India, I’ve spent the past several years working in media sales, content solutions, and brand solutions for some of India’s leading brands.

I love watching, creating and thinking about good content. (ChatGPT rephrased it to I am passionate about content. but I chose to keep my original line.) I believe the best work happens when you truly enjoy what you’re doing.

I also perform stand-up comedy in my native language as well as in English. Three words that best describe me are simple, responsible, and sincere. In my free time, you’ll usually find me playing chess, reading novels, or trekking somewhere scenic.

P.S. – If we have ever talked casually for more than an hour, it’s likely I have tried my stand-up material on you. Cheers! 😜

05/10/2025

Featuring: Nadiia Buriachok

“Four years ago, I came to Sweden for art. One month later, war broke out in Ukraine and suddenly, at 18, I was stuck far from home.

At first, it was overwhelming. No bank ID, no personal number, carrying documents everywhere just to prove I existed. A lot of people probably expected Ukrainian refugees to look broken and hopeless. But when they met us, they realised we are educated, creative, ambitious, and it should have confused them. ‘How can there be a war if you look so normal?’ they asked.

I turned to art to process it all. My first performance here was about the war. An attempt to make sense of pain and displacement. Later, I became one of the first women ever exhibited at Konstnärshuset in Stockholm. My work explores a question close to my heart: what if women were worshipped as Gods?

Sweden hasn’t been as easy as people tend to think of it. I’ve faced a system that is complex and bureaucratic to the point that it often feels like closing doors, but I’ve also met incredible people who opened others. Networking, asking for help, and never giving up gave me opportunities. From studios to scholarships, and chances to keep creating, step by step. I’m finding my place here. Through art, through studies, and through a community that keeps me moving forward.

My advice to anyone starting over: embrace the culture, build your network, be patient and never stop believing that your story matters.”

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