uProfile August 2026 - Gia Matikainen

Meet Gia: Lead Umbraco Developer dreaming of building a thriving Umbraco community in Finland

Written by Gia Matikainen

Before Gia Matikainen's first Codegarden in 2025, she pictured stiff shirts and dry jargon among the other attendees. But Codegarden proved to be nothing like that - instead, it was a community that made her feel like she belonged from the very first conversation. Five and a half years into her Umbraco journey, Gia is now Lead Developer on Umbraco projects at Riihisoft in Finland, leading migrations for big clients and dreaming of building a thriving Umbraco community in Finland.

Name: Gia Matikainen

Pronouns: She/her

Company name: Riihisoft Oy

Job title: Lead Developer, Umbraco Projects

Country/Region: Finland

How long have you been working with Umbraco?: 5 and a half years

How did you first stumble into the Umbraco Community—and what made you stay?

During my first days at work, I stumbled into the Umbraco Community when my colleague suggested watching Paul Seal's excellent YouTube videos about the basics of Umbraco.

At Codegarden 2025, I finally got to meet the community. I expected a tech conference to be full of grumpy dads in stiff collared shirts, having dry technical jargon conversations and trying to stay awake through endless technical presentations.

Boy, was I wrong. Friendly and inspiring people came up to talk to me. The speakers were engaging and professional. Everywhere I went, people made me feel like I belonged.

Codegarden runners — Codegarden 2025 runners club

What do you do in the Community? Any special areas you’re passionate about?

I've spread the word about Umbraco in the Finnish market by selling Umbraco projects and creating Umbraco-related blogs and social media content for our company's channels.

I've participated in community meetups. Special shout out to UUGI!

Favorite memory, proudest moment, or wildest experience?

The first memories that come to mind about the Umbraco community are from the Codegarden dinner party where we made a musical chair Guinness World Record and seeing someone win a real snake as a prize during the Bungo game. I think those moments say everything about the community's wonderful quirky sense of humor.

What keeps you coming back to the community?

What I value most is how much we give to one another, whether it's sharing technical knowledge and helping each other solve problems or simply being there as warm and hyping buddies.

What are you working on right now, community-wise or professionally? (Tech talk welcome!)

Migrations from Umbraco version 13 to 17. To mention three of them:

One project is a productivity tracking software for one of the world’s most prestigious rifle and cartridge manufacturers. Built on .NET, Umbraco, SQL and Oracle databases. Docker containers provide smooth and scalable deployments. Fluent and secure access with Azure AD integration and passwordless login. Custom tools for importing analytics data from CSV.

Another project is a content service for a multinational pharmaceutical company. Built with .NET and Umbraco. Effortlessly managing content in four different languages alongside extensive data for country-specific vaccine recommendations and vaccination sites.

Another project is a website for one of Finland’s largest construction companies. Built on .NET, Umbraco, Azure and Azure DevOps. Umbraco is packed full of tools tailored to their needs. Only creativity sets the limits. Integrated with a third-party centralized housing sales service that automatically imports and exports data such as contacts, reservations, and prices. Features SSO login for easy user management.

The real credit goes to everyone working at or with Riihisoft, but special credits for my genius teammates, Mikko Lind, Marko Haapasaari, and Saku Karttunen.

Love you! #h5yr

Your top 3 tips for someone new to Umbraco or the community?

Relax, smile and chat!

What’s next for you? Any dreams, goals, or exciting plans?

One of my dreams is to build a thriving Umbraco community here in Finland. I want to create a space where people can network, support, share experiences and laugh.

The Umbraco community in Finland is still quite small, but that's why I believe we have such a great opportunity to bring together people from the .NET and CMS worlds and introduce them to Umbraco.

Any Finn reading this, I urge you to reach out to me on LinkedIn!

On behalf of Riihisoft, lately we have focused on AI. We have already gained experience from developing a couple of AI-driven solutions. So now our goal is to develop more!

Fun facts

Got a fun fact, secret, or unexpected talent?

I've sung in a choir on television, worked at an advertising agency in Portugal and won a beginner's golf tournament!

What’s currently living on your desk?

A LEGO minifigure, suspected of being a member of the community (cult), proudly wearing an Umbraco hat #iseeumbracologos #itisacult

What book/series/game are you into right now?

Goofing around, joking and catching up on all the gossip with my best friends and their kids. We never seem to run out of things to yap, so we don’t have much time for books, shows or games. Haha!

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Always have the best jokes.

What’s at the top of your bucket list?

A list of nearly 100 nature destinations, including the Kevo Nature Reserve.

2024 van road trip through Northern Norway. View from Trollholmsund.

Most unforgettable meal?

Every time my mom makes a salad using vegetables and berries from her own garden, adds a pinch of mom’s love and finishes with her homemade pancakes.

Hidden talent?

If I had any special talent, trust me, I would've been bragging about it. Haha!

What’s on repeat in your headphones?

Lately, I've been listening to Finnish rap, especially Costi, along with pop artists like Mirella.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

I asked ChatGPT for a list of animals along with descriptions of their personalities. I couldn't help but laugh when I came across the quokka, known as "the happiest animal in the world" because it always looks like it's smiling.

A quokka — A ChatGPT-generated picture of a quokka

How can we find you?

My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gia-m-6ab62a130/

Riihisoft’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2315697/

Riihisoft’s website: www.riihisoft.fi

Is there someone you'd like to nominate for a uProfile?

Do you know someone who deserves a spotlight on their Umbraco journey? To nominate a friend, peer, or colleague, reach out to Mathilde Høst in the DevRel Team at community@umbraco.com and explain why!