IK Start USA Leadership Meets with Norwegian Local and National Leaders to Enhance Cultural Collaboration Through Sport
From left to right: Maureen Rose-Kazemi (IK Start USA Advisor), Lauren Swartz (President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Philadelphia & Honorary Consul of Sweden for Pennsylvania), Roger Loughney (Co-Founder and Chairman, IK Start USA), Ambassador Anniken Huitfeldt, Norwegian Ambassador to the United States, Jean Kouao Bley (Co-Founder and CEO, IK Start USA), Susan Satkowski Honorary Consul of Norway in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, PA – IK Start USA, the ownership group investing in professional Norwegian football club IK Start, is strengthening ties between Norway and the United States through cultural collaboration in sport. Over the past year, key representatives from IK Start USA have engaged with Norwegian local and national leaders to deepen partnerships and advance the club’s role in fostering cross-border connections.
Initially, David Grim and Roger Loughney first met with Kristiansand Mayor Mathias Bernander on March 7, 2024, followed by a meeting between Jean Bley and the mayor on August 13, 2024. These discussions focused on enhancing IK Start’s integration within the local and regional community through collaboration with government and civic organizations.
From left to right: David Grim (Co-Founder and President, IK Start USA), Mayor Mathias Bernander (Kristiansand, Norway), Roger Loughney
From left to right: Jean Kouao Bley, Mayor Mathias Bernander
“Our vision has always been to enhance the club’s deep roots in the southern Norwegian community,” said Roger Loughney, co-founder of IK Start USA. “IK Start has a proud history, and we are committed to strengthening its place in Kristiansand and the region, ensuring it remains a pillar of local pride and engagement.”
Mayor Bernander later introduced the IK Start USA leadership team to Susan E. Satkowski, Esq., Honorary Consul of Norway in Pennsylvania. In subsequent discussions with the honorary consul, an invitation was extended to IK Start USA to attend a World Affairs Council event in Philadelphia on February 19, 2025, where Her Excellency Anniken Huitfeldt, Norway’s Ambassador to the United States, was speaking.
Following the event, Roger Loughney and Jean Bley met with Ambassador Huitfeldt to discuss the power of sport in fostering international connections. The conversation highlighted the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, during which Philadelphia will act as a host city, and the expanding role of football in American culture, emphasizing opportunities to further collaboration between the two nations.
During their visit, the IK Start USA leadership team also met with several key figures, including Joey Bilyk, Director of International Business and Global Strategy for the City of Philadelphia; Liva Stang Rugsveen, First Secretary for Political Affairs at the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C.; Ben Rush-Goebel, Director of Programs at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia; and Frode W. Kjersem, President of NorCham Philadelphia. These discussions focused on strengthening business and cultural ties between Norway and the United States through football.
“Football is growing rapidly in the United States, and with the World Cup coming in 2026, the sport is at a pivotal moment,” said Jean Bley. “Now is the time to use football as a means of strengthening relationships between the U.S. and Norway, fostering greater cultural and business collaboration through the universal language of sport. Meeting Ambassador Huitfeldt was a great honor, and we look forward to continuing our dialogue and working together to build lasting connections between our nations through football.”