About Rikke
Hi, I’m Rikke
My professional journey began in the shipping industry with A.P. Møller Maersk. Later, I became part of the original team behind what is today Cadeler, an international success within offshore wind installation.
Today, I continue to work professionally with board leadership, strategy, AI and new ventures. That part of my work has its own home at stoltz.dk.
Ugly Duckli is something different.
It is where I slow down. Where ideas grow. Where Danish culture, creativity and meaningful conversations come together.
The creative universe behind Ugly Duckli
Ugly Duckli began with a love for one of Denmark’s most beautiful traditions: the woven paper heart.
For more than 25 years, I have worked with Danish paper hearts, storytelling and handcrafted experiences. What began as a small creative project has grown into a universe of products, talks, private experiences and cultural storytelling.
Today, I welcome international guests into my home in Frederiksberg for private paper heart experiences, I give talks, and I continue to explore how tradition and transformation can meet in meaningful ways.
Why creativity matters
I do not see my professional work and my creative work as opposites.
In fact, I believe they strengthen each other.
Board work, strategy and entrepreneurship require structure, responsibility and long term thinking. Creativity gives me space to breathe, reflect and see new patterns.
Ugly Duckli is my creative sanctuary between boardrooms, AI projects and major business decisions.
It reminds me that even the biggest ideas often begin quietly, with a story, a conversation or a simple piece of paper folded by hand.
Talks, private experiences and meaningful encounters
Through Ugly Duckli, I offer talks, private cultural experiences and creative encounters rooted in Danish tradition and lived experience.
The private paper heart experience is designed for international guests who wish to experience Danish culture in a personal, warm and memorable way.
My talks explore AI, entrepreneurship, leadership, storytelling and the courage it takes to build something real.
TEDxFrederiksberg and the power of ideas
I have worked with TED since 2018 and am the licensed Curator and License Holder of TEDxFrederiksberg.
That work has taught me how powerful a well told story can be. The right idea, shared at the right time, can stay with people for years.
This is also how I think about Ugly Duckli. Small forms. Big meaning. Quiet moments that can become something people remember.
A personal note
Life has taught me that creativity, resilience and kindness are not soft values. They are essential.
I have stood in both stormy weather and bright spotlights. I have built companies, lost people I loved, started again and learned that nothing meaningful is created without courage.
Ugly Duckli is one of the places where all of that comes together.
It is a creative space, but also a human one.
A place where tradition, memory, beauty and hope can meet.
Let’s connect
If you are curious about Ugly Duckli, my talks, private paper heart experiences or my professional work, you are very welcome to reach out.