News

Online Mentor Feedback Carousel Mentors

Mentoring is considered a critical foundational component for building a successful startup. Great product or service that provides solutions for pain points is good, but a great mentor who helps to keep the startup on the right track is equally important. That's why we have organised an Online Mentor Feedback Carousel where 17 STARTERtartu and Smart-Up Lab (healthcare solutions) teams can get professional feedback on their idea from 20 entrepreneurs and field experts. 


It's really great to see that so many mentors are taking the time to help out our early-stage startups. It means a lot for us, for the teams, and also for the whole startup community. Thank you! You are all incredible!


Meet the 2020 Autumn semester Online Mentor Feedback Carousel mentors

Aivar Pere - Aivar is a senior business consultant at UT. He is a mechanical engineer with long-term experience in consulting spin-offs and startups.

Alo Peets - He has an MSc in computer science. He has a company that runs workshops about how to build robots.

Andreas Unt- Co-founder of Adact. He can help early-stage startups with marketing and branding. 

Ants-Oskar Mäesalu - Co-founder & CTO of TRIT, visiting lecturer at TalTech Tartu College, STARTER alumnus and has practiced software engineering since age 11.

Chris Thompson- Chris is the founder and CEO of Neuroactive AI. He has worked as a developer and systems architect for around 19 years and is particularly interested in machine learning, web performance optimization, and usability.

Evgenia Trofimova- Co-founder of Introwise and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Tartu. Evgenia has 9 years of experience in software product management and general business development. Previously, she has worked as a Product Manager at Mooncascade and Senior Product Manager at Oracle in California.

Harri Tallinn – Harri is the head organizer of the business idea competition Ajujaht, startup programs & ecosystem developer.

Ingrid Laht - Ingrid is an entrepreneur and trainer. She advises early-stage startups in finance, marketing, sales, strategic planning.

Justin Hein - Export Manager at BioCC OÜ. Justin can help teams in topics such as food processing, marketing, exports, service design, sustainability and the circular economy.

Kalev Kaarna - Venture Development Manager at Superangel.

Kei Karlson - Kei is the co-founder of GoWorkaBit. She can help out with creating the learning culture, fixing problems with teams, goals, and communication. Also, she is very competent in future work skills, creating happy teams, and managing remote teams.

Kuldar Leis - Kuldar is a former manager of Ösel Foods and Premia Foods, and is currently involved with ten companies. Kuldar's impressive experience has made him an outstanding personality at various entrepreneurial activities. At the moment, he is an entrepreneurship advisor in Southeast Estonia.

Laura Eiche – Laura is a UX/UI Designer, and also a Starter alumnus. She has previously worked in Nevercode and Mobi Lab, improving the user experience of digital products. She can help early-stage startups with idea validation, branding and product design.

Marelle Ellen - CMO of Promoty. She has also been the Head of Marketing at sTARTUp Day, the biggest business festival in the Baltics. Besides that, she has been working with early-stage startups as a freelance growth marketer for the past five years.

Ott Pärna – Founder & CEO at SCULT, visiting professor at the University of Tartu School of Economics and Business Administration. Ott has also been the founder and CEO of Estonian Development Fund and a Management Board Member of SmartCap Venture Capital Ltd. As an expert on technology and innovation policy,

Raphael Koster – EIT Health sector field expert.

Rimante Valancauskaite - STARTER and NGAL alumna. Previously worked on surveillance and access-control software and has been a Product Manager at Nevercode and science popularizer at Makerlab. Experienced in team building and leadership.

Sven Parkel - General Manager at Tartu Biotechnology Park. He has been a long-term advisor for STARTER teams. He has experience with biotechnology, chemistry, and general business development.

Taavi Tamm - Taavi launched his very first business when he was a first-year student in College – and he failed. He tried again and again until he figured out how to do it. Lately, he has been working as a Service Design Strategist for WAE in NYC. Today he’s a freelance service designer, trainer and entrepreneur.

Vaido Mikheim - Vaido is a business mentor with a long-time experience mentoring early-stage startups both in Estonia and internationally. Currently, he is working as a Project Manager in Tartu Science Park. Vaido has been awarded as a Mentor of the year 2019 by the entrepreneurship programme Edu ja Tegu