The AI coach roles are deeply connected to Siili’s broader commitment to employee growth. We invest in our people through AI training, industry-recognized certifications, personalized learning paths, and in-house coaching – reinforced by real-world project work and a culture of continuous, collaborative learning. AI Coaches play a key role in this learning ecosystem, offering hands-on support that helps teams confidently apply AI in practice.
To better understand what this role looks like day-to-day – and how it supports Siili’s transformation – we spoke with Axel Tuliara and Leevi Vahvelainen, two AI Coaches who joined the company in early 2025. We asked about their paths into AI, what their work involves, and what excites them most about shaping the future of software development.
Axel Tuliara joined Siili in January 2025 as an AI Native Coach after completing the intensive, peer-driven software engineering program at Hive Helsinki (Oct 2022 – Mar 2024). Before moving into tech, he spent nearly a decade in the music world as a freelance drummer, educator, producer, and composer – performing internationally and building learning environments for students of all ages, including a teaching stint at Drum School Up & Down Beats in Helsinki.
Leevi Vahvelainen joined Siili in January 2025, stepping into an AI Coach role grounded in design, strategy, and entrepreneurial experience. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in design from Aalto University, where he worked as a research assistant prototyping future scenarios for how artificial intelligence might transform knowledge work.
Who is an AI coach, really?
Many companies rely on people's own curiosity and initiative to explore AI tools. Siili decided to make AI coaching an official capability – with a real title, ownership, and time allocated to make it work. The original idea behind the AI Coach role at Siili was focused: to help developers – both at Siili and on the client side – adopt AI-powered tools and new ways of working. But that focus expanded quickly.
“We started by researching tools, teaching Siili’s developers, and helping clients adopt new ways of working,” says Leevi. “But since then, the work has expanded a lot. Now I spend most of my time in generative AI development projects, pre-sales, and even strategic internal discussions.”
Axel, who transitioned into tech from a background in music education, says the coaching mindset carried over naturally.
“There’s some differences, but I think the basic idea still remains the same in the education and coaching side of things,” he says. “It’s definitely been useful to have been doing it before.”
Together, the two have since worked across internal enablement, customer workshops, and emerging AI solution design.
Coaching beyond development
A common misconception is that AI coaching is only for developers. Axel and Leevi are quick to correct that.
“I definitely would say that it's not only for developers,” Leevi says. “We also do coaching for the non-technical people like product owners, and sales and marketing people, where AI capabilities are also extremely useful.”
Leevi has delivered sessions for senior leaders on AI agents and how they reshape planning and decision support. Axel, who’s been focused on developer-facing tools like GitHub Copilot and GPT-based assistants, is also working more with non-developer roles as AI adoption spreads.
From tooling to transformation
AI-powered development tools can make coding significantly faster. But when development speeds up, the rest of the process often struggles to keep pace (read our newest whitepaper The AI Ripple Effect, which addresses AI acceleration and common organizational bottlenecks it entails in more detail).
“The dev use case is the obvious one – it’s where the impact is immediately clear,” Axel says. “But once that improves, everything else has to adjust too. You need to rethink the processes outside of development.”
Showing someone how to use a tool is easy. Embedding it into production workflows, changing how requirements are written, or ensuring AI-generated code is reviewed properly? That’s harder.
“It’s simple enough to show how a tool works and what the features are, but a more challenging task is to actually take it to production environments and team processes.” ”
That’s why Siili has developed a structured AI tool evaluation and governance model.
“If a company doesn't have an AI tool policy, the developers will use AI tools – they will just use personal licenses without enforced data privacy settings,” Leevi explains. “At Siili, we evaluate tools and adopt them through a meticulous process. We manage our subscriptions, know what tools are being used, and enforce data privacy. We also encourage our clients to do the same.”
Coaching is learning, too
Both Axel and Leevi emphasize that the AI Coach role is not just about teaching – it's about continuous learning. They’re constantly experimenting and trying out new tools, and learning through diverse client challenges coming their way.
“There are always new things to test and figure out,” Leevi says. “Sometimes you’re doing hands-on sessions, sometimes longer-term support. But it’s always about learning – both for us and for the people we coach.”
Building trust with experimentation
One of the most important parts of the role, they say, is lowering the threshold for experimentation. Axel highlights how the AI Coach gives teams the confidence to try things out without fear of failure or wasting time.
“When we do test sessions or workshops, the idea is to make it feel safe and useful,” Axel explains. “It’s easier to try something new when you know there’s someone there to help.”
Client work is not one-size-fits-all
Asked about their work with clients, both Axel and Leevi stress the importance of adapting to each organization’s maturity and needs. What works for one team might be totally irrelevant for another.
“Every client is at a different point on the AI maturity curve,” says Leevi. “Some are just starting to explore – others already have policies, pilots, or their own internal champions. So our job is to meet them where they are.”
What’s it like to work at Siili?
If you’ve ever worked in a startup and then joined a larger company, some of what they say will sound familiar.
"Of course, at Siili we have a structure – but also lots of initiative. People start projects based on their own interests. Not everything sticks – but that’s how we learn and grow."
Axel agrees that the culture rewards proactive personalities: "There’s not a lot of handholding. But that suits me. You’re expected to figure things out. That’s what I like."
He also points to the social layer – internal communities, shared spaces, and the tongue-in-cheek nickname for one Helsinki office area: "It’s chill. Full of cool people. We even have our own corner called Chill West – kind of wild-west meets developer lounge."
Axel and Leevi outside the office
What people bring to work isn’t the whole story. Axel and Leevi’s energy outside Siili shows up in very different ways – one through rhythm and musical groove, the other through disciplined physical endurance.
“We have band practice on Saturdays,” Axel says. “Our style is a mix of rock, punk, jazz, Latin... basically, if it grooves, I’m into it.”
Before moving into tech, Axel spent years as a professional drummer and music educator, performing across Europe and teaching full-time. That past still lives on – not just in band rehearsals, but in the way he approaches teaching and flow in his daily work.
Leevi, meanwhile, used to play American football in a Finnish student league. These days he’s more likely to be found training for endurance events. “I’m preparing myself for my first triathlon,” he says. “It’s a sprint distance, but I’m most nervous about the swimming-to-bike transition after the wetsuit!”
About
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Axel Tuliara AI Coach at Siili Solutions |
Axel Tuliara is an AI Native Coach at Siili Solutions. He helps development teams adopt and integrate AI tooling into real-world workflows. Axel previously worked for nearly a decade in the music industry as a freelance drummer, educator, and composer. He has taught at Drum School Up & Down Beats and performed internationally. Axel retrained in software engineering at Hive Helsinki and now combines technical skills, educational experience, and creativity to support AI adoption across development teams and broader organizations.
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Leevi Vahvelainen AI Coach at Siili Solutions LinkedIn | Portfolio |
Leevi Vahvelainen is an AI Coach at Siili Solutions with a background in design, strategy, and software development. He holds degrees in design from Aalto University, where he researched future applications of AI in knowledge work. Leevi has led product development projects like uRent, founded a digital repair service startup, and worked in UX, service design, and business consulting. At Siili, he guides teams through AI transformation by bridging design thinking and technical implementation, with a focus on responsible, sustainable impact.
