Signmark (Marko Vuoriheimo), winner of Finland’s Speaker of the Year 2024, is a speaker who never leaves the room the same. His keynote takes the audience on a powerful journey, from a young boy with a dream to an internationally recognized artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker. His path, walked in complete silence, is nothing short of extraordinary.

As a young deaf boy, people told him to be realistic, to accept his “limitations.” Instead, he turned those so-called weaknesses into his greatest strengths, into a brand, a mission, and a voice for many. Signmark’s story will make you laugh, cry, and rethink what’s possible. It hasn’t been easy, but as he says: “The road was rocky, but the sun came out in the end.”

He speaks about identity, how hard it can be to find it when you grow up in a deaf family where words like ”self-imagef” or ”identity” were never heard, literally. Behind his personal story lies a harsh piece of Finnish history: a culture where deaf people were often overlooked or silenced. Signmark not only found his identity, he polished it, owned it, and now calls others to do the same.

More Than Just a Story

While his journey is inspirational, his keynotes are also deeply educational and relevant to today’s world. Signmark covers topics such as: accessibility and inclusion, minority rights and equality, the role of sign language and Deaf culture in society, the importance of communication, interaction, and accessible information.

As an entrepreneur for over 15 years, Signmark collaborates with public authorities, organizations, and businesses. He runs a company that provides sign language translations, interpreting services, and training. In his talk, he opens up about the challenges and breakthroughs of building a career as a Deaf artist and entrepreneur, what it requires, how others respond, and what kind of persistence it demands.