Anyone who follows the startup world and the emerge of new players on television is certainly familiar with the company "Kiud," which produces packaging from textile waste. Kaie Kaas-Ojavere and Liis Tiisvelt are the winners of Estonia's most famous business ideas competition, "Brain Hunt" 2023. Kaie Kaas-Ojavere is an alumnus of the Entrepreneurial Management MBA program. We asked her how the company "Kiud" is going to change the world.
You have completed the Entrepreneurial Management MBA programme at TalTech. Why did you pick this field?
The restless soul inside of me seeks challenges and wants to live an exciting life. By the moment I decided to enter the TalTech MBA programme, my life had reached a point where I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and get my brain muscles working again. I was particularly attracted to the "entrepreneurial management" direction of this programme, i.e., the opportunity to learn about the operating mechanisms of a start-up company through practical tasks. For example, we started creating our start-ups on the first day of the Technology Entrepreneurship course. We made up teams and did market research and financial plans - in addition, we built the product and tried to find customers. It was done under crazy time pressure, in the way things go in the real startup world, but fortunately, under the guidance of an experienced entrepreneur, lecturer Tauri Tuubel. I believe that was where I got infected with the Startup world. TalTech MBA programme was also made special by several experienced Estonian top managers lecturing us and a unique opportunity to rely on a personal mentor throughout the studies. My self-confidence, my awareness of my strengths, and my areas of improvement enormously increased. My life has drastically changed after completing my MBA - I am boldly moving towards my dreams and am immensely richer thanks to the human relations I gained from university. I keep in touch with several lecturers, now professionally, and I have also been a guest lecturer. Most of all, I value meeting my groupmates, with whom we are in close contact until the day.
The company "Kiud" co-founded with Liis Tiisvelt, won the "Brain Hunt" 2023 competition. When and how did your paths cross at the shared ideas level?
We met in March 2022 at the "Future Fashion" hackathon organized by the Tartu Centre for Creative Industries - Liis presented her idea of a handmade box made at the TalTech textile laboratory, and I was the entrepreneurship mentor. I had been looking for the right idea for some time wanting to contribute to making the fashion industry more environmentally friendly. When I saw Liis's product, I thought it was brilliant, and we could make it great together. Liis and I share values on environmental issues and the attitude that talking is of little help - we need acting. So, we started to process the problematic textile waste together. Right from the beginning, we aimed to go to the market quickly and started learning through pilot projects and customer feedback. This strategy has ensured our rapid development.
Today you are cooperating with TalTech. What exactly is this cooperation all about? We plan to continue working closely with the TalTech Laboratory of Polymers and Textile Technology to improve the properties of the material and test its new formulations. In the laboratory, we run various tests to ensure the compliance of the material with the product and transport packaging requirements, such as pressure, water repellence, weight-bearing, vibration, etc.
How has the Entrepreneurial Management MBA programme helped you to start and develop the company "Kiud"?
I dare to say that I have already applied 70% of what I learned about entrepreneurship. The knowledge in financial management has been the most applicable, in addition to the IT vocabulary (Business Intelligence and Digital Organization course) and, of course, the courses on strategic management, where top managers shared their successes and failures. The further KIUD reaches, the more I can apply the practical knowledge from the international business and HR courses. In the MBA programme, most tasks were done as group work, where we experienced working with very different people. There were very well-functioning groups, but accidents also happened. In conclusion, it is always possible to achieve a result if you know how to communicate correctly and make agreements. The ability to collaborate is one of the most essential skills that has helped me while developing KIUD. Completing an intensive MBA programme in 1.5 years alongside a salaried job and family increased my self-confidence and belief that I can handle stressful situations. By nature, I am a maximalist - i.e., when I do something, I still do it with great dedication and passion. This attitude has carried me through my studies and the development of KIUD. My wonderful groupmates, who are happy for me today, and whose doings I care about, bring a smile to my face, and warm my heart.
Do you have a message to the university or anything else you would like to say to our future students?
I am very grateful to the TalTech School of Business and Governance that the Entrepreneurial Management MBA programme has been developed and delivered at such a high level. I know that besides me, so many graduates have changed their careers and started to bring their entrepreneurial dreams to life.
The TalTech Entrepreneurial Management MBA has the power to reshape your life – so be prepared!