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Mentors

24 mentors

Aleksander Gansen

Business development and financial management

Aleksander Gansen is an entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience, a technology company mentor, and an investor. Previously, Aleksander founded startups in the supply chain sector, helped companies build sales teams, raise investments, and has experience both with successful exits and as an angel investor. Today, he is primarily focused on building communities, serving as the lead mentor at the Tehnopol Startup Incubator and in several other programs in Estonia and abroad.

Areas where Aleksander can provide assistance:

  • Business model selection and development
  • Innovation processes
  • Financial planning and analysis

Daniel Tate Renwick

Pitching

Dan is an Australian entrepreneur, public speaking coach, and performer who now calls Estonia home. With more than 20 years of experience performing on the street, on stage, and aboard cruise ships, he also runs a beverage distribution company and a theatre, directs and organizes the Tallinn Fringe Festival, and advises startups through programmes and incubators such as Startup Wise Guys, Tenity, Tehnopol, EU cybersecurity initiatives, and NATO DIANA projects. Dan's extensive experience in both performance and entrepreneurship makes him uniquely qualified to help you communicate your message clearly, concisely, and with charisma—whether in formal or informal settings, when speaking to clients and investors, or within your own team and organization.

Topics Dan can help with:

  • Pitching and company presentations

Enelin Toneva

Affiliate Marketing

Enelin Toneva is the founder of Vivian Agency, a global affiliate and influencer marketing agency. Since 2018, they have worked with over 50 clients and more than 8,000 influencers and affiliates, generating over 12 million in sales for their clients. Enelin and her agency work with respected companies in both the US and European markets, including SafetyWing, Click&Grow, PrepExpert, Xolo, and many others.

Topics Enelin can help with:

  • Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing

Leila Haugas

Export

Leila Haugas is a recognized expert mentor in international markets, export, international teams, and brand management. For her, developing international markets is both a lifestyle and a passion, to which she has dedicated more than 15 years. Leila has participated in over 50 global trade fairs and adapts quickly to different cultures.

She has worked with international teams around the world and helped both Estonian and foreign companies succeed in export markets. For example, she has provided long-term support to a Japanese company in building B2B-level export and sales operations. Among Estonian companies she has guided to success are Mikskaar, Wiera Natural, and Nurme Looduskosmeetika. Her education at the Eesti Kunstiakadeemia (Estonian Academy of Arts) and background in design enable her to provide valuable advice on both visual and strategic matters, with a strong understanding of the challenges within the creative industries.

Thanks to her extensive experience, Leila offers effective strategies and ideas that help companies enter and grow in foreign markets more quickly and efficiently. She has over eight years of mentoring experience and is confident and clear in her role in supporting business development.

Topics Leila can help with:

  • B2B sales

  • Export strategy and target market selection

  • Getting started with export, building and developing relationships

  • Sales messaging in digital channels

Diana Veider

Entrepreneur, sales mentor, and strategist

Diana is a strategist with more than 20 years of experience launching and scaling sales systems that generate real revenue. As the co-founder of Relancer, she has deep expertise in the startup ecosystem. One of her recent success stories includes launching an AI solution and building a sales pipeline worth more than €500K in under a year.

She brings together strategy, product positioning, and team leadership into a cohesive approach that delivers measurable business results.

Diana can help with:

  • B2B sales and complex enterprise deals
  • Go-to-market strategy, from launch to scale
  • Building and managing sales pipelines
  • Crafting value propositions and messaging that truly sells
  • Building and leading high-performing sales teams
  • Applying AI in business beyond the demo stage
  • International expansion and validating new markets
  • Designing sales processes and advising executive leadership

Sven Aulik

Export

Sven Aulik

Sven has spent his entire 30-year career in sales, with a particular focus on international and export sales. After graduating from Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), he became known as the person who launches and develops new sales channels and partner networks in different countries—primarily across Europe, but also in other regions of the world.

In the private sector, Sven has worked in both startups and large corporations across industries including automotive, logistics, energy, and especially IT. In the public sector, he served as Head of Enterprise Estonia’s (EAS) export offices in 16 countries, including opening new offices in the United States, UAE, Poland, and Kenya. Over the years, he has negotiated business deals in most European countries and many other markets worldwide, met with prospective and existing clients and partners, organized companies’ participation in major industry trade fairs, and spoken at seminars and conferences both in Estonia and abroad.

During his time at EAS, he organized business delegations for Estonian companies to those 16 markets, often alongside senior government representatives including ministers, prime ministers, and the president, while also coordinating the daily operations of the international offices.

Sven is also a Board Member of the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITL), giving him deep insight into Estonia’s IT and telecom landscape. Through his work at both company and national levels, he actively contributes to shaping Estonia’s development and image as a leading digital and IT nation. He has been involved in training and mentoring for more than 20 years.

Sven can especially help with:

  • Building, expanding, and remotely managing international sales teams
  • Starting and developing export sales operations
  • Selecting target markets for international expansion
  • Building and strengthening business relationships
  • Creating and growing an international network of contacts

 

Kätlin Häninen

Retail

Kätlin has more than 20 years of experience in retail, having built her expertise at Tallinna Kaubamaja. Throughout her career, she has continuously developed her skills through diverse roles that have provided opportunities for both personal and professional growth.

She began her career as an assistant in the Women's Department before spending many years as a Buyer, where she honed her expertise in supplier management and product selection to bring customers the best brands and a carefully curated assortment. She later led the Children's Department for five years, gaining valuable experience in leadership and team management.

Today, as Head of Retail, Kätlin oversees the Fashion Departments, driving their ongoing development, leading the buying team, and shaping business strategy. Working across multiple teams has also enabled her to develop and launch two entirely new Women's Department stores from the ground up, giving her hands-on experience in building and successfully operating retail stores. She is also passionate about supporting local emerging designers, regularly advising them on how to enter and succeed in the retail market.

Topics Kätlin can help with:

  • Retail strategy and operations

Kaarel Mikkin

Design thinking

Kaarel Mikkin is one of the founders of the service design company Brand Manual, with 15 years of experience in design thinking and service design for both private and public sector clients. Kaarel's daily work involves making organizations and their products/services more understandable and user-centered, defining organizational goals and differentiation, engaging employees and raising their awareness, mapping the user journey to the product/service, and shaping the user experience. He is an experienced trainer, mentor, and design lead in various development programs such as Design Masterclass, Circular Design Masterclass, and the Top Innovators program, among others.

Topics in which Kaarel can assist:

  • Circular design and circular economy
  • Brand creation and development

Meeli Vaikjärv

Financial Planning and Pricing

Meeli has worked as a chief accountant in several well-known companies and has been active as an entrepreneur for over 25 years. Her long-term experience with start-up entrepreneurs – from developing business models to advising on financial planning – began during her work as a business consultant at EAS (Enterprise Estonia).

She has also contributed as a lecturer in entrepreneurship and business planning at Tallinn University of Technology.

Over the past 12 years, Meeli has helped many companies build effective financial systems and has shared her expertise as a trainer in financial planning.

Taavi Pukk

Public Speaking

Taavi has seen the behind-the-scenes side of policymaking and has been involved in political communication and strategy for over ten years. For the past seven years, he has advised companies and organizations on communication and marketing issues, as well as government relations. His areas of special interest also include public speaking training, crisis communication management, and working with all kinds of texts—from press releases to extensive opinion articles.

Evelin Org

Personal Brand

Evelin Org is a personal, employer, and corporate branding strategist, trainer, and entrepreneur herself (including one successful exit). She currently leads her branding agency, Your Brand Up Studio, and is a co-author of the books “Brand Called You” and “360-Degree Model of Employer Branding.” She has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, and branding, working with startup founders, early-stage companies, growing organizations, and experienced executives alike.

At the core of Evelin’s daily work is making the strengths of individuals and organizations visible and articulating their story strategically. She helps clearly define value propositions, positioning, and differentiation; shape a compelling digital presence; and align personal or employer brands with organizational goals. Her approach combines strategic thinking, practical tools, and modern digital solutions, including the smart use of artificial intelligence.

Evelin is an experienced trainer and mentor who delivers development programs, workshops, and strategy days. She is also the host of two podcasts – “Personal Branding Learning Bites” and “Passionately About Employer Branding” – where she explores the practical and human aspects of branding.

Topics Evelin can help with:

  • Personal brand strategy and increasing visibility
  • Creating and developing employer or corporate brands
  • Strategic image-building for leaders and experts
  • Strategic use of LinkedIn and other digital channels
  • Using AI tools to support branding and marketing
  • B2B and B2C sales strategies

Jaano Inno

Business Model

Jaano Inno is an organizational business development and change consultant with more than 25 years of experience. His goal is to recognize and support leaders who have the drive and vision to achieve something meaningful.

Jaano has served as a mentor in growth programs run by EAS and SEB, and has advised numerous smaller companies on business growth, including VITS, My Breden, Estcarbon, ForkNAV, Springmar, and others. He is also a co-founder of the startup investment syndicate FStage.vc.

In addition, Jaano has 25 years of personal experience as a top executive and interim manager. Thanks to his analytical education, he approaches matters systematically, including in organizational and collaboration development.

  • Strategic development – vision, key drivers and interconnections, strategy, goal setting
  • Execution – organizational architecture, management tools and routines, lean bureaucracy
  • Collaboration – functioning as a team, engaging, supporting, and developing people

Pauline Marie Korp

Branding, Visual Identity

Pauline Marie Korp is an internationally awarded creative strategist and designer. She is currently working as a freelancer under her own brand, PauPau Creative.

Previously, Pauline has worked in Finland’s top creative agencies as an Art Director and Creative Strategist, as well as a designer in the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, and Singapore. Her extensive experience has given her an exceptional understanding and broad perspective of business, marketing, and design. Pauline’s strengths include strategic, conceptual, and analytical thinking, consumer psychology, and expertise in color usage. She often acts as a bridge between creativity and business strategy, contributing especially to visual identity and brand strategy projects.

In addition, Pauline has served as a jury member at some of the world’s largest creativity, design, and advertising awards, including ADC and The Webby Awards in New York, ADCE in Barcelona, Golden Drum in Slovenia, Vuoden Huiput and Grand One in Finland, and Kuldmuna and the Estonian Design Awards in Estonia. Pauline and her work have also received multiple awards at these same competitions.

Kadi Oja

UX/UI

Kadi Oja has 13 years of experience in design, the last five of which she has dedicated to user experience and interaction design. In her daily work, she focuses on digital product design and design systems, helping companies make their web solutions clearer, more logical, and more user-friendly.

At the Tallinn Business Incubators, Kadi provides entrepreneurs with practical feedback on website design, structure, navigation, content logic, and user experience. The goal is to help avoid common UX mistakes and support the development of web solutions in a way that meets business objectives while remaining clear and intuitive for users.

Maris Kase

Product design, product development, design strategy

Maris Kase is a product designer and design strategist who helps companies develop competitive products and turn ideas into market-ready solutions. Her background combines international design education (Estonian Academy of Arts and Strate School of Design in Paris) with hands-on experience in both large organizations and design studios.

She has worked in product development at Decathlon (Caperlan), at Samuel Accoceberry’s design studio in Paris, and in Estonia at Dreamsville, where she was responsible for developing products, brand identity, and visual language.

Over the past 5 years, she has been working as a freelancer, collaborating with companies such as Velvet, Kosmos, Standard, and Estcarbon in product development, branding, and environmental graphics. She has also created exhibition stand concepts (e.g. Orgatec) that support companies’ sales and international visibility.

Her experience also includes environmental graphics and spatial solutions that help companies communicate their brand clearly and effectively in physical environments.

In addition, she has contributed to the development of the design field by organizing international exhibitions (Paris, London, Milan) with NID agency and mentoring young designers.

Areas where Maris can help:

  • Validating product ideas and developing them into market-ready products
  • Improving user experience and functionality
  • Supporting market entry (including trade fairs, catalogs, and presentation materials)
  • Creating holistic solutions for brand and physical environments (space, exhibitions, graphics)

Jürgen Jürimäe

Manufacturing

Jürgen Jürimäe has diverse and hands-on experience in production management in both small and large companies. His expertise covers the entire production setup chain – from selecting location, equipment, and production layout to developing motivation systems and collecting and analyzing production data. Over the past 5–10 years, he has focused on developing, manufacturing, and selling light industry production lines in international markets. His strength lies in developing innovative prototypes and custom solutions, including those advanced enough to achieve patent protection.

Areas where Jürgen can help:

  • Development of manufacturing industries and production management
  • Selection of suitable technologies and technical solutions
  • Building production supply chains for equipment and materials

Fredy Bogomolov

Business and contract law

Fredy Bogomolov pilt

Fredy Bogomolov is a lawyer, entrepreneur, trainer, and lecturer with over 9 years of practical experience in business and contract law, public administration, and legal matters related to entrepreneurship.

He has advised numerous companies, providing day-to-day legal counsel, drafting and reviewing contracts, legally structuring business processes, resolving disputes, and representing clients in court proceedings. In addition, he has extensive experience in government institutions and the education sector, where he has worked both as a law lecturer and as a head of department.

Fredy holds a Master’s degree in Law from Tallinn University. He has completed numerous professional development courses in the fields of public procurement, data protection, artificial intelligence, and business law, and has strong practical experience in contract law, employment law, administrative law, and dispute resolution.

Areas where Fredy can provide assistance:

  • Establishing and restructuring companies, drafting articles of association and internal documents
  • Drafting and reviewing contracts (cooperation agreements, service agreements, sales contracts, NDAs, partnership agreements, etc.)
  • Legal structuring of transactions and business processes
  • Risk mitigation and dispute prevention
  • Legal aspects related to public procurement and cooperation with the public sector

Robert Jakobson

Digital product development

Do you have a business idea or product but aren't sure how to make it clear and intuitive for your users? Robert can help you turn your first concept into a functional, user-friendly digital product.

With over 15 years of experience in digital product and web design, Robert combines a background in multimedia design with hands-on technical skills. He can both design and write code, which means he doesn't just provide strategic advice—he can also roll up his sleeves, build solutions himself, or work through them together with you.

He has helped both startups and growing enterprises design user interfaces and websites that have repeatedly doubled or even quadrupled conversion rates. Today, he works alongside several companies in the health tech and proptech industries, where he is responsible for product design and user experience. In addition, he runs his own design studio, through which he has collaborated with a wide range of international clients over the years.

Robert believes that great design doesn't happen through concepts alone—it comes from testing, refining, and continuous iteration. He helps you understand what truly works for your users, not just what looks good.

Areas where Robert can help:

  • Digital product design and user experience (UX/UI)
  • Website and application design strategy and structure
  • Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
  • Turning an idea into a working prototype
  • Using AI tools throughout the design process

Einar Tiimla

Marketing and branding

Einar Tiimla

Einar Tiimla is a serial entrepreneur and brand strategist with over 17 years of experience at the intersection of design, marketing, and technology. He leads the strategic creative agency Häk, teaches AI and innovation, and is the founder of Nivis, a campaign management platform for shopping centres.

Einar helps companies build sustainable brands that drive business growth by combining strategy, creativity, and artificial intelligence.

As an AI practitioner and educator, he builds AI agents and automation solutions on a daily basis while training marketing leaders, entrepreneurs, and startups to successfully adopt and implement AI in their businesses.

Priit Kallas

AI

Priit Kallas is the founder and strategist of the Amperly AI agency. He is Estonia’s most experienced hands-on AI trainer, having shared his knowledge with more than 10,000 specialists, entrepreneurs, and marketers.

Priit has led an advertising agency and worked in digital marketing for 30 years. His daily work focuses on making websites generate profit. SEO, content marketing, Google, analytics, ChatGPT, and artificial intelligence are areas he engages with constantly.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with several leading Estonian brands, including Telia, Nordea, EAS, Eesti Energia, If Kindlustus, Peugeot, Postimees, the University of Tartu, and many others. He has created campaigns targeting both the Estonian market and international audiences. Priit is also a business mentor for EAS and the Creative Incubator.

In addition to his practical client work and marketing for his own companies, Priit has trained tens of thousands of marketers over the past 20 years through nearly 1,000 training sessions, workshops, and conference presentations.

Priit has published more than 1,500 articles, videos, and podcasts, which have been read, listened to, and viewed by over 12 million people worldwide.

He is also the host of the Practical AI podcast, where he shares actionable AI insights that can be implemented immediately.

Andrus Kiisküla

Digital marketing

Andrus Kiisküla

Andrus Kiiisküla has long-term experience in the field of digital marketing and digital marketing strategy. Today, he manages Tallink Group's digital marketing and analytics on a daily basis. His second vocation is training, supporting and directing others to make marketing work more effectively. As a valued trainer and consultant, his knowledge has been put to work in their strategy by small NGOs as well as the Estonian representative office of the European Commission, several e-shops, tourism companies, public sector institutions, real estate developers, industrial drone manufacturers, and large telecoms.

Topics that Andrus can help with:

  • Digital marketing
  • Digital Marketing Strategies
  • Digital tools for entering foreign markets

Veiko Ristissaar

Meta Ads

Veiko Ristissaar is an entrepreneur, lecturer, and trainer with over 12 years of experience in digital marketing.

He has created more than 50 different web and marketing projects for various companies and has trained over 20 organizations in digital marketing. In addition, he is a lecturer at Tallinna Majanduskool, where for the past three years he has been teaching digital marketing and social media specialists as well as small business owners on various internet marketing topics.

Veiko holds a higher education degree in marketing and a master’s degree in finance. Today, through his company Digiturundus OÜ, he helps businesses take the next step forward in their marketing efforts while also training future digital marketing experts at school.

Topics Veiko can help with:

  • Social media and Facebook

  • SEO

  • Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Merchant Center

Annika Põldma

Digital stratgey and media planning

Annika is an experienced media specialist who, over the past decade, has progressed from traditional media planning to in-depth digital strategy and analytics. Her broad understanding of the media landscape enables her to support companies in achieving both entry-level campaign goals and complex strategic objectives.

Currently, Annika works as a digital strategist and analyst, managing campaigns across all major channels: Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Google Ads, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, and Twitter. Her strength lies in her ability to connect creative ideas with data-driven planning to ensure maximum return on advertising investments.

As a mentor, Annika helps entrepreneurs identify the most suitable channels for their business, set measurable goals, and optimize advertising budgets so that every euro spent delivers real value to the company.

Almar Sehver

Intellectual property protection

Almar Sehver is a lawyer and patent attorney who has been active in his field for nearly 30 years. In his daily work, Almar advises both start-up companies and large enterprises, with a significant part of his work being international in scope—assisting international companies in Estonia or arranging international intellectual property protection for Estonian businesses.

Almar provides practical and legal support in all intellectual property matters related to the registration, protection, and contractual use of relevant rights. Matters concerning registrable intellectual property (trademarks, designs, patents, utility models) begin with an initial search and advice on the possibilities for registration. Successful registration is based on an appropriate strategy and professional representation before patent offices. Registered rights must also be renewed, and in some cases enforced in the event of infringement.

In these matters, Almar works together with his colleagues at Estonia’s leading patent law firm, AAA, and, when necessary, with international partners.

Areas Almar Can Help With:

  • Intellectual Property
  • Design Solutions