Mikko Laakkonen (born 1974 in Espoo, Finland) studied furniture design at Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences and later received his masters degree from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.  After working in design and architecture firms for several years, the designer founded his namesake studio in 2004.  Laakkonen has been the recipient of numerous design awards and has been included in several designs exhibitions in Europe, North America, and Asia.