I’ll always remember Ilmo as a pillar of our team, setting the stage with humor and compassion, and freely sharing his wit and wisdom with others.

Here’s a photo of him the first time we gathered in person, at a 2022 team summit in Seattle. For his introduction, he shared how science was always in his blood, even as a 5 yr old comparing Finnish and American pine cones. No mere doodles, these were the beginnings of a passionate naturalist!

He was also not afraid to try out new things, and help others understand it and realize what was possible. Here’s a song about our team that he remixed with generative AI, in the style of “Portuguese jazz waltz winner of Eurovision 2017”:

https://suno.com/song/83fa8b25-1da1-458d-88c5-28274748cf4c

Truly an anthem.

I’ll miss you Ilmo (or “Elmo with an I”, or “Limo” based on your security badge). You’ve shown us how to be human, and I’ll cherish that going forward.

Oriana Wander