SPEAKERS
𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 | 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
KATI TORIM
Growth hacker | Advisor |
Founder of Bigger Picture Advisors
Kati is a growth marketing strategist for B2C businesses and the founder of Bigger Picture Advisors. She is also a former mindset management lecturer at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. She also teaches high-level achieving teams to prevent workplace burnout.
TEET TORIM
Entrepreneur | Advisor |
Founder of Bigger Picture Advisors
Teet is a digital lecturer at TalTech University and the founder of a marketing school and superfood business that exited with a value of $3.6 million. He is the founder of Bigger Picture Advisors.
They both are an international marketing and business mentors, entrepreneurs, speakers, and authors. They works with start-ups worldwide, serving as a mentors at the European Innovation Academy, Kiuas start-up Accelerator, and Alchemist Accelerator.
Kati and Teet will be talking about AI in business – is it a job killer or business innovator?
SIIM LEPISK
Solano Advisory OÜ
Siim is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in building digital scalable businesses, driving corporate innovation, and fostering SaaS venture building. Passionate about nurturing entrepreneurship, he has designed innovation programs and mentored over 500 startups and corporations. Siim excels in integrating strategies for digital revenue streams and efficiency to fuel growth.
As a JCI Senator and curious relationship builder, he leverages his extensive experience and network to help companies thrive by fostering innovative cultures and adopting cutting-edge technologies for digital growth.
Siim’s keynote speech topic is “Physical to Digital: Transitioning Traditional Services to Virtual Platforms”
KAUPO VOORMANSIK
Entrepreneur and scientist, co-founder and CEO of radar remote sensing company KappaZeta
Kaupo’s research is mainly about terrestrial applications of synthetic aperture radar with over 900 citations. He is a former head of remote sensing department of Tartu Observatory and the systems engineer of first Estonian satellite “ESTCube-1”.
Kaupo’s keynote speech topic is “Tapping into Outer Space: Business Opportunities Beyond Earth’s Atmosphere”
ALINA MAZZOTTI
Chief Marketing Officer of ESTO group
With over 13 years of experience in B2B and B2C marketing, Alina is a seasoned and versatile marketing leader who can drive growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction for any organization. She has a proven track record of building marketing departments from scratch, developing and executing effective marketing strategies, leveraging data and insights, and managing cross-functional teams.
She also shares her expertise and passion for marketing as a consultant, coach, and university lecturer, helping startups, entrepreneurs, and students achieve their goals and grow their businesses.
Discover how to scale your brand beyond borders with the right marketing strategies. From digital localization to cross-cultural engagement, learn the tools you need to thrive beyond your home market. Gain insights into digital marketing tactics that work across cultures and markets.
Alina will be leading a seminar on Breaking Boundaries: The Art of Cross-Border Marketing.
NIKS EVALDS
IT Project Manager of Printful
Niks Evalds joined Printful in 2017 as one of the company’s first IT Project Managers. Since then, his role has expanded from managing development projects hands-on to now leading a team of 50 IT professionals.
Printful’s Product teams are focused on customer-facing, growth-oriented software initiatives, ranging from ecommerce platform integrations to mobile apps. As part of the Printful leadership team, Niks is responsible for defining and executing a software product strategy that drives growth across all customer segments.
Niks will discuss the role of microfactories in bringing production closer to consumers, reshaping global supply chains.
ÜLARI KALAMEES
CEO and co-founder of Cargoson
Ülari brings a wealth of experience with over 15 years at DSV Estonia AS, where he excelled as the IT Director and later led the Warehousing and Local Distribution Network for the past five years. His journey in the logistics and IT sectors has been marked by a dedication to efficiency and innovation.
Currently, Ülari is the CEO and co-founder of Cargoson, a pioneering logistics platform that has grown from a local Estonian startup to a service with paying customers across Europe over the past five years. His leadership and vision have been instrumental in Cargoson’s success and expansion.
Beyond his professional achievements, Ülari values good company, engaging books, and playing ball games with friends, reflecting a balanced and dynamic approach to both work and life.
Ülari will be talking about discovering the innovations making international shipping faster, cheaper, and more efficient.
JOHN DI RICO
Director of Business Development for Wordbee, owner of ApexTra.fr
John Di Rico works as the Director of Business Development for Wordbee, helping companies deploy enterprise software that streamlines and automates their localization process. He also owns a niche translation company in France (ApexTra.fr) where he regularly sells to and retains 6-figure direct clients. He is a sworn translator and interpreter for the French courts, member of several professional associations (CETIJ, UNETICA, CFTICAAP, INCA, JCI), and has an MA in Translation and Localization Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS).
John is a certified trainer for adult education and has been offering professional training since 2006. He teaches professionals how to leverage customer-centric sales techniques, how to deploy and use enterprise translation solutions, and how to manage translation projects. John is currently teaching project management for the online Master in Technical Communication and Localization (TCLoc) and Master in Multilingual Web Communication programs at the University of Strasbourg.
John will be leading a seminar on Simply Selling.
ULLA KATTAI-AAV
Head of Omnichannel Management in Telia
Ulla Kattai-Aav is the Head of Omnichannel Management in Telia, the biggest telecommunication group in Nordic-Baltic region. In her past professional career she has successfully faced and solved challenges in both the international corporate world and tech startups. Driving quality service – while ensuring that both internal and external workflows are as lean as possible – has always been her passion.
What is the difference between multi-channel and omnichannel approach? How to build omnichannel strategy that would benefit both your customers and your company? How can AI be used to manage customer interactions without compromising the service quality? Ulla will talk about these topics.
LIINA JOLLER VAHTER
Lecturer and researcher, University of Tartu
Liina is an economist by education, lecturer and researcher on innovation management related topics at the University of Tartu. Despite her academic roots, she is entrepreneur in heart. This materializes in the biotechnology firm Power Algae that she founded in 2013, and in mentoring several biotech and medtech startups.
Liina has been member of the local JCI Toomemäe for 20+ years, serving as local chapter president in 2006, JCI Estonia president in 2009, and JCI International vice-president in 2010. Liina co-hosted the fabulous Awards ceremony at EC Aarhus in 2010, however, what she enjoys most are the deep philosophical discussions in smaller circles.
Liina is moderating Borderless Business day on Thursday
𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 | 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀
JAY JOHNSON
CEO, Keynote Speaker
Jay Johnson is an internationally renowned speaker, trainer, and organizational consultant specializing in behavior and performance. Jay works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leaders.
He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements® and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. He has delivered transformational workshops to accelerate high-performance teams and cultures in more than 30 countries across 4 continents.
On Friday Jay will be talking about leadership in international teams.
On Sunday he will be talking about balanced teams: Leadership can be a difficult balancing act. In this training, Jay Johnson offers valuable insights into the art of leading with balance in JCI and beyond. This training will help participants navigate the delicate balance between seemingly opposing qualities, such as speed and unity, individualism and teamwork, and self-leadership and collective leadership. By understanding how to harmonize these contrasting elements, we can create a more effective and fulfilling leadership experience.
LAURA-MARIE LINHOLM
Remote Work Lead of Testlio
Laura-Marie Linholm graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2020 with a degree in Psychology. Since 2022 she has been working at Testlio, where, following the company’s transition to full remote work, she took the role of Remote Work Lead. She played a key role in establishing Testlio’s Remote Work Guidelines and is responsible for advancing the Remote Work strategy.
Testlio is a global software testing company with people from over 40 countries and among the 16% of companies that operate fully remotely. In 2020, Testlio began offering options to work remotely and, in addition, providing a monthly Remote Work Stipend. In October 2023, Testlio transitioned fully to remote work, after the closure of its Tallinn office, which was used daily by only one person at that time.
Laura-Marie will be talking about Testlio’s experience of working in the office vs remote work.
KRISTI ALUMETS
VP of People & Culture at Katana
Kristi is a people and company culture expert with 15 years of experience across different industries and company maturity stages. Past 6 years, Kristi has worked in a vibrant tech scene for fast-growing B2B and B2C startups & scaleups building world-class company cultures and leading global people & culture teams. Today, Kristi is the VP of People & Culture for a global scaleup Katana. Kristi is also a certified leadership coach and brain coach. Being a burnout survivor, she has focused her coaching practice on leadership burnout and burnout-proofing companies through designing human-centered company cultures.
Katana is giving businesses worldwide a live look at their inventory, uniting all the processes and tools their customers use with intuitive and easy-to-use cloud inventory software. Hailing from Estonia, Katana serves more than 1600 customers from 80 countries with a global team of 150 people. Katana’s customers range from mom-and-pop shops to multi-million-dollar businesses. To date, Katana has raised over $51 million in funding from VC firms and angel investors who, like Katanauts, believe the inventory software space needs more love.
Kristi’s keynote speech topic is “Burnout – whose problem is it?”
KAIRE KLEESMENT
HR and Recruitment Manager of Alma Career Estonia
Her aim is to keep all their team members, candidates, and recruitment clients happy. You can call her the matchmaker of the workplace. At Alma Career, they make sure their employees feel at work as fantastic as at the beach vacation, they entrust their employees with autonomy and trust, as each team member is a genuine expert in his/her respective area.
She brings over 25 years of experience in HR Management in various industries, as well she is a coach and a mindfulness teacher.
Kaire’s keynote speech topic is “Borderless Employer Branding: Navigating the Journey from Local to Global. Real Stories and Lessons Learned”
TIINA SAAR-VEELMAA
CEO of the work happiness-measuring startup HappyMe
Tiina Saar-Veelmaa is a psychologist and a lecturer, whose main research topics are work happiness, balanced life, and holistic work culture.
From 2011 to 2017, Tiina worked as a Workplace Happiness Advocate at the software development company AS Proekspert, where she designed a unique personnel philosophy that won in 2017 first place at the European Business Awards competition (European Excellence Awards in Human Resources).
Tiina is the founder and CEO of the work happiness-measuring startup HappyMe. She has written seven books, the latest of which is “Tööga õnnelikuks” (“Finding Happiness in Work”).
Tiina participates in several projects to make Estonia the work-happiest country in the world. She has inspired hundreds of Estonian organizations, thousands of employees, and job seekers.
Tiina’s keynote speech topic is “Future Skills: Maintaining Competitiveness and Adapting to Changing Work Philosophies Across Generations”
PIRET LUTS
Global Head of Talent Analytics at Nortal
As a founder of the Estonian recruitment community, Recruitment Thursday, and Global Head of Talent Analytics, Sourcing, and Research at Nortal, Piret has shown that her passion for Talent Acquisition is not just a secret hobby. It is a public passion led by a candidate-centric and data-driven approach.
Through her experience in a recruitment agency, product companies, and professional services organization, she knows how vital data is – not just for the business but also for the recruiters and sourcers.
Piret will be talking about the use of data in recruitment.
JUTTA RUUSUNEN
Communications and Events professional at SHIFT Events Oy & Topaasia Oy
In the “Building Teams without Borders” workshop Jutta will combine her passion for improvisation and participatory techniques in team building as well as her experience from different leadership roles both professionally and in volunteer organizations, ranging from leading a team of over 30 people to being a CEO. In this interactive session, be prepared to network in an unconventional way, learn tools to bring your team together and as a bonus, play and have fun with your fellow jaycees! Laughter guaranteed.
Jutta’s seminar topic is “Building Teams without Borders”
AGE ROSENBERG
An entrepreneur, coach, trainer and currently web project manager at a university.
Age is an entrepreneur who is passionate about creating spaces for transformation. For transformations that can help individuals grow, as well as assist organizations in evolving and adapting to their surrounding environment. She believes that raising awareness is the most powerful tool in this process. One can do this by looking within oneself or by approaching it scientifically, identifying and analyzing systemic patterns. Boundaries are an essential part of any change; they help us understand where change truly begins and how far you or your team are willing to go. We are not without boundaries, but by understanding them, we can learn to push or shift them. Let’s experiment together.
Age’s workshop topic is “Unlocking Freedom: A Hands-On Workshop to Know Your Boundaries and Become Borderless”
LAURENCE SCHUURMAN
Laurence has been a JCI member since 2016, in JCI Belgium and JCI USA.
As her career led her to live abroad, she continued her engagement. She took positions on local, regional, national and international levels. Each of them enriching her as a person and member. As the years go by, she remains available for her Local Chapter for advice and over the years her coaching is sought out more broadly.
She also like to give trainings and workshop to equip members for the VUCA world we live in. Laurence hold a master degree in International Management. Professionnally, she is an IT professional with an international career mainly in Financial services. She has held a multitude of roles in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and in New-York. Laurence is currently Head of Omnichannel with the Life department of a major insurer in Belgium. Her department delivers multiple projects involving several other departments for digital and client facing applications. In top of delivering projects, she also develops a mid and long term vision for her department and guide her people on a daily basis.
Laurence’s seminars topic is “Resilience as the key skill in personal development”
KASPAR KARIK
Founder and CEO of an e-Residency service provider
Kaspar Karik is a dynamic and versatile professional with a diverse range of experiences and skills. He is the Founder and CEO of an e-Residency service provider in Estonia. Kaspar has a technical background but discovered his passion for working with people, leading him into sales. His experience includes roles such as Sales Manager, Country Manager and significant involvement in door-to-door sales and telemarketing. Starting from 2017 actively taking on bigger and bigger leadership roles.
Kaspar co-hosted JCI World Congress opening ceremony attended by over 3000 people. This is where he got his confidence and understanding that he enjoys engaging with large audiences. His involvement in Junior Chamber International (JCI) for over six years, including leadership positions such as National President of JCI Estonia shows his commitment to community service and leadership development.
Kaspar is moderating Borderless Teams day on Friday
𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 | 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲
ALEX ARDELEAN
Designer, Founder at Unplug, Vice President of Projects 2024 @ JCI Târgu Mureș
Alex is a product and systems designer, and a graphic designer. He passionately puts his skills and heart into projects that contribute to community development, to a more sustainable and fulfilled life, into productivity and digital wellness initiatives.
At Unplug, their aim is to create contexts – for people to disconnect from the digital realm and rediscover human connection. Contexts to be inspired. Contexts to design their environment in order to achieve balanced device usage and embrace conscious screen time.
Alex’s keynote speech topic is “Unplug: the bliss of device-free events”
MARIS SAAR
The neuruguru at borrowmybrain.ee
Maris is a versatile professional, transitioning from photography to marketing and, now, therapy with a neuroscience background. Passionate about growth and integrating neuroscience with holistic approaches, Maris breaks personal boundaries, guiding transformative journeys.
Maris will be talking about discovering and crossing personal boundaries.
JANIKA KOCH-MÄE
Personal Trainer and Nutritionist at sinutreener.ee
Janika Koch-Mäe is long-term experienced group and personal trainer, nutritionist, public speaker and teacher whose mission and heart belongs to helping people towards a healthier and more fulfilling life. Having improved herself in various exercise and nutrition trainings both in Estonia and elsewhere, Janika has broad-based knowledge and is able to find solutions even in more complex cases. As a lifelong learner, Janika is very interested in psychology, self-development and biohacking, and her next major goal is to finish study of neurolinguistic programming.
Janika’s keynote speech topic is “Stress Less, Move More: Integrating Physical Activity into Busy Schedules”
EVELY RAUDMETS
Brain Trainer and Neuroencoding Specialist at aju.ee
Evely Raudmets is an accomplished Peak Performance Coach, Speaker, and Trainer committed to unleashing human potential. With a multi-disciplinary background encompassing Mechanical Engineering, Product Development, Problem Solving and Neurosciences, she has successfully synergized technical acumen with human psychology to deliver impactful coaching and presenting.
Certified in Strategic Intervention Coaching by Tony Robbins and Cloe Madanes, Evely is also trained by Joseph McClendon III in Neuroencoding Coaching and Presentation methods. She is a licensed Brain Trainer and Coach certified by Dr. Daniel Amen, adding a unique neurological dimension to her skillset.
Evely’s topic of the session is “Mastering the art of flow to live your purpose”
TRIIN RAUDOJA
Founder of the Conscious Entrepreneurship Academy at ettevotlik.ee
business trainer, she has supported nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs,
primarily women. In recent years, she has developed an approach to
conscious entrepreneurship that integrates personal growth with
business practices.
PAUL VAHUR
Certified Getting Things Done® Coach, Master Trainer and the founder of GTD Estonia (Brightwork OÜ)
His passion is helping clients manage tasks and responsibilities more efficiently with less stress.
His career started at 19 when he was hired as a General Manager; he has been an entrepreneur, organized global hackathons and summits at Microsoft, helped Private Equity with Technical Due Diligence, and got a private foundation out of a downward spiral. His work as a productivity coach was recently featured in the Estonian e-residency program. Having a global network of friends and business partners, he still lives in his native town, Tallinn.
In his presentation, Paul will talk how Getting Things Done (GTD) can equip you with the tools necessary to reduce stress and overwhelm, improve work-life balance, and live with more control, perspective and focus. Join this presentation to discover how to dramatically improve productivity and performance in a healthier, more sustainable way than simply ‘doing more’.
Paul’s presentation topic is “Getting Things Done (GTD) – The Art of Stress-free Productivity”
SANDRA LIIV
Producer at Peaasi.ee
Sandra has dedicated the last three years to making mental health topics more accessible to people through humor. One in four people suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lives, mental health challenges are all around us yet frequently unseen, often carrying a stigma from both individuals and the society.
As part of the main program of Tartu 2024, the European Capital of Culture, Sandra has introduced mental health improv as a means to support and enhance one’s well-being. She has also organized stand-up evenings in collaboration with Kinoteater titled ” Vaimne tervis on nagu porgand!” (“Mental Health is Like a Carrot!”) where ordinary people from Southern Estonia have shared their real-life stories related to mental health in a humorous light on stage. With the help of more than 50 volunteers, monthly mental health cafes have been launched.
Sandra is one of the panelist in discussion “What I do is taboo!”
PAAVO SIIMANN
Financial expert
Paavo Siimann is a seasoned financial expert and thought leader who has dedicated his career to demystifying the complexities of finance for individuals and businesses alike. With a wealth of experience in corporate finance, financial management, and education, Paavo has been a trusted advisor to numerous organizations, guiding them through the intricate world of financial planning and decision-making. His approach is characterized by a commitment to transparency, education, and the empowerment of people to take control of their financial futures.
In addition to his expertise in finance, Paavo is also a dedicated mentor who works closely with leaders and entrepreneurs to help them navigate the challenges of managing and growing their businesses. He is a passionate educator at TalTech, where he teaches students the principles of financial analysis and business performance management. Known for his ability to translate complex financial concepts into accessible knowledge, Paavo has inspired countless students to develop a deeper understanding of finance. As a speaker, he brings a unique blend of expertise, insight, and humor, making him a sought-after voice in discussions on financial literacy and economic empowerment. His commitment to breaking down barriers and encouraging open dialogue around finance has made him a respected figure in the field.
Paavo is one of the panelist in discussion “What I do is taboo!”
KRISTINA BIRK-VELLEMAA
Sexologist, feminist anthropologist and a sex coach
Kristina writes and talks about sexuality, sex, gender and bodies daily. She hosts an educating Instagram account, gives trainings and counsels people.
Kristina is one of the panelist in discussion “What I do is taboo!”
MARIS PRISKO
The creator of the website surmast.ee
HARALD LEPISK
Inspirational speaker, Inspiratsioon.ee
Harald Lepisk is an inspirational speaker on a mission for futureproofing humanity. He is the creator of Inspiratsioon.ee, author of „Minu elu kutse“ (My life calling) and host at “Elu looming” (Life creation) podcast.
Harald is moderating Borderless Me day on Saturday
Stay tuned for ongoing updates to our continually expanding list of speakers…
Please note that the finalized topics of the speakers may change.
The organizer has the right to make changes in the program.