“What continues to motivate me today is simple: creating opportunities, building organizations that make a difference, and helping people live better, fuller lives.”

– Janne Kouri

Janne Kouri is an entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and advocate whose work spans business, community engagement, and support for individuals living with paralysis. Following a life-changing spinal cord injury, he founded NextStep, a nonprofit organization focused on rehabilitation, fitness, and recovery resources for people living with paralysis. He has also been involved in launching business ventures while maintaining a focus on community impact and long-term social outcomes. In this interview, Janne discusses the experiences that shaped his path, the lessons he has learned through leadership, and his perspective on creating meaningful change through both nonprofit and business initiatives.

Editor’s Note: This interview includes the interviewee’s personal reflections on leadership, purpose, resilience, and healthy aging, as well as interpretations of professional experience. These perspectives are shared for general discussion and should not be interpreted as medical, healthcare, or business advice.

Janne, thank you for joining us. To begin, could you introduce yourself, share your background, explain what you do today, and tell us what continues to motivate your work?

I sustained a spinal cord injury in 2006, and after experiencing firsthand the challenges that people with paralysis face within our healthcare system, I founded NextStep.

Today, NextStep is an internationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to making life-changing rehabilitation and fitness accessible and affordable for individuals living with paralysis.

Prior to NextStep, I served as the North American Director for Sulake Corporation, a global leader in digital entertainment and media. I was responsible for the company’s business strategy and the growth of Habbo, one of the world’s fastest-growing online communities and virtual worlds for teenagers at the time.

Before Sulake, I worked in venture capital and co-founded Orchimedia, an early pioneer in mobile gaming.

I graduated from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business in 1997, where I also played football. I was honored to be named team MVP, an All-American, and the 1996 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. In 2018, I was inducted into the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame.

What continues to motivate me today is simple: creating opportunities, building organizations that make a difference, and helping people live better, fuller lives.

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Looking back, what experiences have had the greatest influence on your personal and professional journey?

Playing sports was, without question, the greatest learning experience of my life.

Learning how to work with different personalities, compete, overcome adversity, and succeed as a team translates directly into business and leadership.

The confidence, discipline, and work ethic that sports instilled in me have also been critical in helping me navigate life after my spinal cord injury.

Those lessons taught me perseverance and resilience—the Finnish concept of sisu—which continues to guide me every day.

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How did your life experiences shape your perspective on leadership, service, and creating opportunities for others?

I have been fortunate to have incredible mentors throughout my life.

The most important lesson they taught me was to lead by example. Great leaders empower people, create opportunities for growth, and recognize hard work. If you expect excellence from others, you have to model it yourself.

When people feel supported and trusted, they accomplish extraordinary things.

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Throughout your career, you have worked across both nonprofit and business environments. What lessons have you learned from operating in these different worlds?

I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart.

Whether you’re running a nonprofit or a for-profit company, many of the same principles apply. You have to be disciplined, strategic, and focused on building a sustainable organization.

Having spent much of my career in startups, I’ve learned to be creative with limited resources, wear multiple hats, and trust great people with important responsibilities.

Success ultimately comes down to building strong teams and empowering them to do their best work.

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Many people face unexpected turning points in life. How have major transitions influenced the way you approach challenges and long-term goals?

Breaking my neck and becoming paralyzed was obviously a major turning point in my life.

Looking back, however, it was also a blessing in disguise. The experience gave me a deeper purpose and a true passion for helping others.

Life can change in an instant, and none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.

I was fortunate to survive my accident, and it taught me what truly matters: family, friendships, and using whatever talents and opportunities we have to help others.

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Over the years, what milestones or accomplishments stand out most to you, and what have they taught you about impact and responsibility?

That’s a difficult question because I’ve been fortunate to be part of several incredible journeys.

Founding a gaming company, building a nonprofit organization, and launching a beverage company—despite having no prior experience in any of those industries—are accomplishments I deeply cherish.

Those experiences have reinforced my sense of responsibility to the people who believe in me, whether they’re investors, donors, employees, or customers.

My philosophy is simple: focus relentlessly on building the best possible product and organization, and the impact will follow.

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Community-building appears to be an important part of your work. What principles do you believe are essential for bringing people together around a shared purpose?

Honesty, authenticity, and transparency are absolutely essential.

People also need to understand and believe in the “why” behind what you’re building.

Most importantly, leaders must lead by example. If your team believes they are working harder than you are, it’s very difficult to inspire trust and commitment.

Shared purpose begins with shared effort.

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How do you approach balancing mission-driven goals with the practical realities of building and sustaining organizations?

For me, those things go hand in hand.

The more successful my company becomes, the greater our ability to give back and create meaningful impact.

I don’t see a conflict between mission and business. Building sustainable organizations is what allows us to fulfill our mission over the long term.

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What have you learned about perseverance, adaptability, and growth that may be valuable for people navigating their own personal or professional challenges?

Every day brings unexpected challenges—that’s simply the reality of building any organization, large or small.

In today’s environment, adaptability is one of the most important skills a leader can have. You have to remain nimble and be willing to adjust quickly when circumstances change.

I would also encourage people not to expand too quickly. Build something strong and sustainable in a market you understand and can support. Growing too fast can drain resources and create unnecessary risks.

Sometimes patience and discipline are the greatest competitive advantages.

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Looking ahead, what opportunities or areas of focus are you most interested in exploring as your work continues to evolve?

To be honest, I’m extremely focused right now.

I have very specific goals for both NextStep and Loncaro, and my priority is executing those plans well.

Of course, we stay open to new opportunities and adapt when necessary, but I believe in keeping things simple and doing a few things exceptionally well rather than trying to do everything at once.

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If you were to write your own bio, what would you say? And as your work evolves, what kind of impact do you hope it has?

I would describe myself as an entrepreneur, athlete, and advocate who has always believed in building things that bring people together and improve lives.

Whether it’s creating a gaming company, launching a beverage brand, or founding a nonprofit organization, my goal has always been the same: to build communities, create opportunities, and leave things better than I found them.

As my work evolves, I hope the impact extends far beyond business success. I want NextStep to continue transforming the lives of people living with paralysis, and I hope Loncaro proves that companies can build great products while remaining authentic, purpose-driven, and committed to giving back.

Ultimately, I hope people remember me as someone who led with integrity, worked hard, stayed true to his values, and helped others along the way.

“Ultimately, I hope people remember me as someone who led with integrity, worked hard, stayed true to his values, and helped others along the way.”

– Janne Kouri

Janne’s Links

• Loncaro
• LinkedIn
• NextStep

Share Your Insights

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and engage with our community by answering these questions in the comments below:

• What gives you purpose during life’s biggest challenges?
• Which leadership quality do you value the most?
• What lesson from this interview resonated with you most?

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