The Figure Skater Who Became a Game Entrepreneur – Meet Wilma Gedda

Ever since childhood, stories and tales have been a huge part of Wilma’s life. Initially, she planned to become a veterinarian, but during her final year in the natural science program at high school, her thoughts started drifting back toward storytelling.

“I was chatting with my uncle on Christmas Eve about the future and mentioned that working with narrative design for games would be a dream,” says Wilma.

So that’s exactly what she did. Instead of pursuing veterinary studies, Wilma enrolled in the Game Writing program at the University of Skövde. Three years later, she completed a bachelor’s degree in Media, Aesthetics, and Narrative, followed by a 2D graphics program, which she finished in January 2024.

At the University of Skövde, students participate in a variety of game projects. This is where the idea of running her own company first took shape, ultimately becoming reality when Wilma joined a series of workshops through All In— a project that has focused on developing methods and tools to facilitate women and non-binary people in starting their own game companies.

“The workshop series ran for four weeks, and after it ended, I felt ready to start my own company.”

It didn’t take long for things to kick into high gear. After a lunch meeting with Tilla Segerstedt, CEO of Aurora Arts, Wilma felt even more inspired. With support from Drivhuset—which presented a workshop within the All In project—she began putting together what would eventually become Elva Entertainment by joining Drivhuset’s Level Up program. The four-week program culminated in a final pitch.

Wilma teamed up with Kajsa Q Phalén, director of Drivhuset Skaraborg, working toward the goal of building a game studio fueled by teamwork and creativity.

“At Drivhuset, we immediately saw that Wilma had the right qualities to be an entrepreneur. The first time she pitched, it was like she’d been doing it her whole life! The groundwork we did together will serve as a springboard for the next stage in the company’s journey,” says Kajsa Q Phalén.

Now, the team at Elva Entertainment has joined Sweden Game Startup, a program run by Science Park Skövde. The team spent the fall creating a playable prototype of Home Sweet Gnome and are now in the first phase of the program.

"The future looks incredibly exciting,” says Wilma Gedda.

Home Sweet Gnome is a hand-painted 2D game where you play as a household gnome running a bed and breakfast inside a gigantic treehouse. The guests are legendary creatures from Nordic folklore.

“I hope people will cozy up under a blanket, pour themselves a cup of tea, and enjoy the game,” says Wilma.

The game draws inspiration from the tales Wilma and her team cherished as kids. Astrid Lindgren, Elsa Beskow, and John Bauer are all major influences.

“We see the game as a little escape from everyday life—a chance to immerse yourself in our fairytale world for a while. There’s a strong sense of nostalgia throughout.”

For Wilma, teamwork has always been important. She spent many years figure skating at an elite level, even representing Sweden on its junior national team.

“We were twenty skaters, incredibly tight-knit. Team spirit is something I value highly, and it’s one of the most important guiding principles for Elva Entertainment.”