Some journeys don’t start with a clear plan, they start with curiosity, uncertainty, and a willingness to try. Persheng De Geer’s path is one of those stories. From moving to a new city to study at KTH, to eventually co-founding BY BANOO, her journey is shaped by small decisions, big realizations, and the courage to change direction when something didn’t feel right.
In this conversation, Persheng reflects on the moments that shaped her, from the intensity of her first year at KTH, to the perspective she gained studying abroad, to the turning point where she chose to leave a stable career and build something of her own. It’s an honest look at what growth really feels like: not always certain or straightforward, but deeply human.
We sat down with Persheng to talk about her time at KTH, her experience in consulting, and what it really takes to turn an idea into something real.
What was it like doing the Open Entrance program, and how did that experience shape you, not just academically, but as a person?
I moved from Trollhättan, a small city near Gothenburg, and it was really exciting coming to Stockholm. I had only been there once before, so everything felt new and big. The reason I applied for the Open Entrance program was partly because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to study, but also because I was interested in Industrial Engineering and Management, and my grades weren’t high enough to get in directly. So it felt like a good starting point.
I remember arriving and being in Stadshuset, it almost felt like I was royalty coming from a small town into this big city. KTH felt huge, and everything looked very impressive. At the same time, it was a lot to take in. I didn’t know anyone there. One of my best friends had also moved to Stockholm, but she studied at another school, so I was alone at KTH in the beginning.
The pace was very high from the start, it was a big jump from high school. I had set a clear goal for myself: to get into Industrial Engineering and Management. At first, I thought you needed really high grades, but I learned that the most important thing was actually to pass all your courses. That was something I didn’t know before starting.
At the same time, the year wasn’t just about studying. People were very friendly, and there was a lot happening outside of classes. It was intense and demanding academically, but also very fun. And in the end, I got into the program I wanted, which made it all worth it.
If I were to give advice, it would be to keep an open mind. A lot of people are very vocal about what program they want to get into, but I think it’s better to stay open and see where things lead. You also have to accept that it will be a tough year, you’ll study a lot. But it’s just as important to have fun, you really can do both. And honestly, enjoying yourself makes you perform better in the long run.
How did living and studying in Singapore influence your perspective, both on your studies and on yourself?
It influenced me a lot. It was actually while I was in Singapore that I realized I wanted to become an entrepreneur. I was surrounded by people building startups, working on their own ideas, and being incredibly passionate about what they were doing. Seeing that environment made me feel like I wanted that too, to build something of my own.
I chose Singapore because I wanted to go as far away as possible and really challenge myself. I didn’t want to stay in Europe, I wanted a completely different experience. The program [KTH-NOC Singapore] itself was also very unique since you both studied and worked at a startup at the same time, which made it especially interesting.
A big part of the experience was also the people. I lived with six other students from KTH that I hadn’t met before, and we became very close. It was a really fun and intense experience living together, and we’re still close friends today.
Being there also gave me a new perspective on work and studying. I saw how hard people work in Singapore, the pressure is much higher compared to Sweden. It made me reflect on what I wanted for my own future.
Before going, I thought I wanted to work at a big company, maybe become a CEO. But after that experience, I came back with a completely different mindset, I wanted to start my own company instead.
It also changed how I think about ideas. Before Singapore, I felt like I didn’t really have any. But when you’re in that kind of environment, you start seeing opportunities everywhere. You realize that many ideas come from everyday problems.
My advice would be to take the chance to study abroad if you can. It doesn’t matter exactly where, you will grow a lot either way. But also focus on your grades, since they matter for getting in, and find a way of studying that works for you. And don’t forget to enjoy it!
How would you describe your experience working as a consultant on a day-to-day basis?
I would say consulting is not for everyone. What I really liked about it was that it was very fast-paced, you learn a lot very quickly. I also really enjoyed my colleagues and the culture. We did a lot of things together outside of work as well, like trying new activities and just having fun, so that made it a very nice environment to be in.
But the everyday work really depended on the project. Some projects were quite standard, like working 9 to 5 with a client in Stockholm. Others were much more intense, especially the shorter projects where everything moves very fast and you work a lot. I also traveled quite a bit, mostly within Sweden and nearby countries like Denmark and the Netherlands. Since I often worked with factories and operations, it was usually smaller cities rather than big, glamorous places.
There were definitely intense periods. I’ve had projects where I worked from early morning to late at night every day. It can be a lot, but in the moment it also felt exciting and we had fun as a team. Still, I realized that you can’t keep that pace all the time, you need balance, rest, and time to recover on weekends.
What I learned from consulting is mostly structure and project management. You learn how to take a messy situation and turn it into something organized. You also learn a lot about handling people and understanding different perspectives, because you’re often working with clients who have many different opinions and priorities.
At the same time, I realized quite early that something was missing for me. It wasn’t creative enough, and I didn’t feel like I was fully thriving. I was working hard and doing well, but I wasn’t fully satisfied. And even though I tried to give it time, I slowly understood that I was probably meant to do something else.
How did the idea behind BY BANOO come to life?
It started with something very simple. I’ve always been very interested in fashion, and I remember right before my first day as a consultant I was thinking, “Okay, what should I wear?” But then I also realized, “Wait… what laptop bag am I even going to use?”
I didn’t really have anything that felt right. We were given these very basic, not very nice work bags from an electronics store, and they just didn’t fit how I wanted to show up at work. And when I looked at older colleagues, most of them had very traditional briefcases that felt quite male-dominated in their design.
At first, I didn’t think too much about it, it was just my first day at a new job. But then I started asking my female colleagues what they were using, and almost everyone said the same thing: that they weren’t really happy with their bags, and that there wasn’t really a good option out there.
That’s when I realized there was a gap.
But at the same time, I also had this mindset that I had studied engineering, so I “should” do something in tech or something more traditional. I think I even felt like fashion was a bit too “girly” to take seriously, which is something I had to unlearn later.
When I eventually decided I wanted to start a company, I actually didn’t start with the idea, I started with the decision to build something, and then I went back to all the problems I had written down over time. I had a long list, and the work bag idea was just one of them. It wasn’t even the first.
But it stood out because it felt real, something I personally experienced, and something I felt I could actually start without needing to be an expert in everything. So I thought, “Let’s try this. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try something else.”
And that’s really how BY BANOO started.
If you could leave aspiring entrepreneurs with one final piece of advice, what would it be?
I would say stop waiting for “perfect”, because it doesn’t exist. No company has ever started from a perfect place, if you wait for that, you’ll never begin. What actually matters is that you start and keep moving forward, step by step. You’ll figure things out along the way.
Also, believe in yourself and remember that it’s not just about the idea, it’s about what you do with it. People invest in people, not just products. And no matter how things look from the outside, the journey is full of ups and downs, doubts, and challenges. That’s completely normal.
If you have the drive, a clear purpose, and the willingness to keep going, even on the days when it’s hard, you can build something meaningful. In the end, success is really about creating a life you enjoy, not just achieving something that looks good on paper.
*Answers in the interview have been
edited for clarity and concision as
appropriate.