About emma
Emma Alftan is an entrepreneur and a natural doer whose daily work is defined by speed, courage, and practical problem-solving. She is the founder and owner of the influencer marketing and talent management agency Kollab (formerly Mellakka Management), as well as Clayhem, a ceramics studio located in the Kallio district of Helsinki.
Entrepreneurship has always come naturally to Alftan. She left the publishing world to become an entrepreneur eight years ago and has since worked on a wide range of ventures. Her way of operating is straightforward: decisions are made quickly and followed by determined execution.
Alftan’s relationship with ceramics began with the Finnish TV show The Great Pottery Throw Down and deepened in the autumn of 2022 at a beginner’s ceramics course in Helsinki, where clay captivated her from the very first try.
“I couldn’t believe I managed to make six cereal bowls that ended up in my family’s daily use. I wanted to learn more and take this seriously as a hobby,” Alftan recalls.
The limited opportunities for pursuing ceramics in Helsinki quickly sparked the idea of creating her own studio — a place where ceramics could be practiced ambitiously, in a calm, beautiful, and inspiring environment, without strict time or quantity limits. Inspiration came from Los Angeles, where The Pottery Studio served as a model. Soon after, Clayhem opened its doors on Franzéninkatu in Kallio.
“I visited The Pottery Studio in Los Angeles, and its founder, Marshall Blair, showed me how everything worked. I realized I wanted to be able to practice in a place like that myself.”
Clayhem proved to be a success from the very beginning, and in autumn 2025 the studio expanded into a neighboring corner space on Franzéninkatu, opening as Clayhem Corner — a stunning venue designed for private events and courses. True to Alftan’s style, the decision to take on the new space was made in just two days.
In spring 2026, her love for ceramics will also find its way onto the pages of a book. Otava will publish Alftan’s debut novel Syteen tai saveen in April, launching a new entertainment book series of the same name. The publishing deal was reached after an exceptionally competitive auction between several Finnish publishers — a strong indication that Alftan had identified a gap in the market that others had yet to see. This time, in the realm of feel-good fiction she deeply loves.
In her writing, she combines her passion for well-crafted entertainment with the human drama — at times deeply personal — that unfolds around ceramics.
Everything Emma Alftan does is driven by a desire to create space for the things and people she believes in, and to move them forward with determination toward the attention they deserve.
do or do not - there is no try
7 facts about Emma
She is building a new summer cabin for her family in Mäntyharju
Under orders from the cabin’s designer, Anna-Kaisa Melvas, Emma is making the kitchen wall tiles herself. She needs around 200 — so far, she has made six.
Emma is the initiator of a legislative reform enabling companies that were mistakenly removed from the Trade Register to be restored.
Favorite entertainment writers include Nora Ephron, Marian Keyes, Lucy Diamond, Emily Henry, Fiona Walker and Helen Fielding.
Emma bakes excellent sourdough bread, but not quite as good as her mother
A third-generation writer — her father is a playwright and author, her mother a journalist and editor-in-chief, and her grandfather published several crime novels.
Loves East Helsinki, especially Herttoniemi
Emma’s friends say
If anyone wonders how she’s managed to write a book while running both her own management agency and a ceramics studio, they clearly don’t know Emma. For us, her friends, it’s really not that surprising. What’s most wonderful, though, is that in the middle of it all, she always makes time for her friends, too. ❤️
Emma has a special talent for making things happen, pulling the strings, and seeing the bigger picture — so when she said she was writing a book alongside running her management agency and ceramics studio, my only thought was: of course. And when do I get to read it?
It’s been amazing to watch how many and how varied projects Emma has carried through — not to mention the great results they’ve produced.
You really do feel lucky to call Emma a friend — she always comes up with the next thing to try when you’re starting to feel stuck.
Emma is both a rock-solid, dependable friend and a true source of inspiration. A humanist, a businesswoman, and a visionary whose courage and ability to turn dreams into reality are deeply inspiring.
There’s something especially admirable about the drive Emma has to get things done. It’s a combination of talent, determination, and passion — and it’s truly inspiring.
Emma seems to have more hours in her day than the rest of us mere mortals. Thankfully, she’s perceptive and fair, so she uses those extra hours wisely — taking on things that bring good into the world. And luckily, she also has a razor-sharp sense of humor, which makes her almost superhuman nature a lot easier to live with.
Emma is remarkable and incredibly accomplished. Without a doubt, one of the most original people I know.
check out the books
The first part of the Syteen tai saveen trilogy will be published in 2026, the second part in 2027 and the third part in 2028.