EWA Estonia 2025 Masterclass: Fostering Mentor-Mentee Collaboration

The Masterclass opened with an inspiring keynote by Liisi Toom, entrepreneur, writer, and personal branding coach, who encouraged participants to see personal branding as the foundation of every successful business. Drawing on her own professional experience, Liisi demonstrated how self-awareness and strategic communication can turn an idea into a strong, recognizable brand. She introduced the mentees to the personal branding model and brand audit, explaining how clarity, consistency, and testing one’s ideas are key steps in building a meaningful professional identity. Throughout her talk, she also emphasized the importance of balance, well-being, and sustainability in entrepreneurship, reminding participants that personal growth is inseparable from business success.

Her central message resonated deeply: strive to be so good that you cannot be ignored.

Through interactive reflection, Liisi encouraged the entrepreneurs to consider: What do you want to be known for? How do you want to be perceived? How do you contribute to your product’s success? She reminded them that while marketing and visibility matter, true credibility comes from the quality of one’s work. She also stressed that marketing efforts should stay aligned with each entrepreneur’s values, goals, and life rhythm.

In the afternoon, the focus shifted to pitching practice, where all mentees presented their business ideas in four-minute pitches. Each participant received constructive feedback from peers on how to structure their presentations, address potential objections, and clearly explain why their idea is relevant today.

The session was guided by Vaido Mikheim, pitching coach and CEO of Startup Estonia, who is recognized as one of the leading pitching coaches in the country, having evaluated hundreds of pitches. Vaido emphasized that the first 20 seconds of a pitch are critical in capturing the audience’s attention. He also highlighted the importance of preparing a clear roadmap of past achievements and future plans, noting that the entrepreneurial journey begins long before a company is formally established. One of his key takeaways for participants was to clearly state from the outset why they are the right people to bring their ideas to life, building trust in their ability to turn concepts into reality.

Throughout the day, Liisi Toom and Vaido complemented each other perfectly, reinforcing their insights and helping the mentees consolidate both their personal branding and pitching skills.

The EWA Estonia 2025 Masterclass brought together female entrepreneurs to develop their personal branding, pitching, and public speaking skills. Mentors and peers provided constructive feedback, helping participants refine their business ideas and build confidence.

The day highlighted the strong collaboration within the cohort, which has formed a supportive network through multiple in-person sessions. Participants left energized and prepared for the upcoming Demo Day on 21 November 2025 at the VSPA Conference Hall in Tartu, open to investors, entrepreneurs, and other agrifood innovators.

Tartu Biotechnology Park (TBP) is a leading hub for innovation in Estonia’s biotechnology sector, providing office and laboratory spaces alongside business development and consultancy services. With 20 years of experience, TBP supports startups and established companies in health, foodtech, biotech, and cosmetics through networking, technology transfer, and market analysis. It fosters collaboration between research institutions, businesses, and international partners while organizing events like hackathons and seminars to drive innovation. TBP plays a key role in strengthening Estonia’s biotech ecosystem and supporting foreign companies entering the market.

Learn more about Tartu BT Park on their webpage.