Join us on January 20 for a talk with Finlandia Foundation’s Lecturer of the Year Eero Kilpi on advancing sauna culture and Finnish tradition in North America and beyond!
Kilpi’s lecture, “Sauna Lost in Translation: Restoring Finnishness to a Global Tradition,” traces the evolution of global sweat bathing cultures—from Lakota sweat lodges to early Nordic sauna—and examines how Finnish traditions can reclaim their central role in today’s rapidly expanding sauna movement.
Drawing on two decades of work with the North American Sauna Society, Eero unpacks what happened when the ancient Finnish practice arrived in North America and morphed into what he calls the “hotbox phenomenon.” He explains how a wellness trend focused on heat, hardware, and health fads often stripped sauna of its spirit, ritual, and deeper mental-emotional benefits.
With humor, clarity, and lived experience as a Finn who has spent more than half his life in North America, Eero offers “hot takes” on where sauna culture went astray—and how returning to traditional principles can restore its meaning. He argues that when we root the practice in its cultural and spiritual foundations, everyone can experience the most authentic and profoundly restorative sauna possible.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
EERO KILPI is a Finnish native with over 26 years of experience in New York, combining expertise in business, cultural promotion, and innovation. Holding a PhD in Business Administration from Aalto University, his career includes leadership in private equity, international trade, and marketing management, with a strong focus on fostering meaningful connections between Finland and the world. A founding member and former President of the North American Sauna Society, Eero has championed the Finnish sauna tradition for over two decades, bringing its wellness and cultural significance to prominence across North America. His work has been featured in The New York Times and Forbes, and he currently co-hosts The Upper Bench podcast, exploring sauna culture in-depth.
Image credits:
Title Image: The Arctic Highway. Visit Norway.