She was named Alumnus of the Year for her work in introducing IT curricula to young women – she also provides a dedicated scholarship to female IT students through the Development Fund to support them in their technology studies. In addition, she has been an advocate for IT education for many years.

According to Kristel, she was clueless when she finished high school, but with the support of her older sister, she chose IT. ‘In life, it is sometimes these scary moments that set us on the right path. Even though I was unfamiliar with the IT field and my world was full of strong stereotypes, I decided to follow my sister’s example,’ she explains. ‘At the IT College, I discovered a lot of new sides of myself. I was an active student, a tutor, a member of a band, a member of the student union. I discovered that I am a determined, patient person who keeps moving towards my goals despite the difficulties. This time at IT College not only helped me find my love for IT, but also brought love into my life in another sense – I met my husband Marko there,’ Kristel confessed.

According to the head of the Alumni Association of TalTech, Robert Kitt, the Alumnus of the Year award is given to a person whose activities have significantly promoted Estonian society in the fields of education, science, technology, economics or culture, or who has made outstanding contributions to TalTech. ‘Kristel is a great example of how an active person can achieve anything and how her contribution has been an inspiration and role model in many areas, from popularising IT careers, start-ups, to popularising engineering education among girls, as well as contributing to the culture of donations.’

According to Kristel, she knew nothing about computers when she came to university and thought it was a job for long-haired boys. ‘In high school, my maths grade fluctuated between two and three. I fought with a teacher who didn’t want to let me sit the national exam. At university, I was already helping others,’ recalled Kristel Kruustük, founder of Testlio and the youngest female millionaire of Estonia at the age of 24. ‘Thanks to professors like Kristiina Hakk, who was able to turn my fear of maths into love, I realised that nothing is impossible. She taught me that if something doesn’t work, you shouldn’t give up, you should try something different.’

The key to Kristel Kruustük’s success was that she was very passionate about testing, and because there were only problems and no solutions, Testlio was born. At the time, she knew nothing about entrepreneurship, and any negative feedback led to being distressed. ‘But now I see every problem as an opportunity,’ said one of the leaders behind the company with global impact.

According to Gert Jervan, Dean of School of Information Technologies, Kristel as TalTech’s Alumnus of the Year represents the values and skills that the faculty members of the university try to pass on every day: initiative and courage to deal with real-world problems in a smart and innovative way and the desire to make people’s lives better with the help of IT. ‘We have always relied on her in the faculty when we have needed a role model and an inspiration to introduce IT careers, and I believe that thanks to her, many girls have decided to come and study in our programmes,’ said Jervan.

According to Kristel, the key in life is consistency, determination, and the ability to see the big picture in small steps. ‘Real achievements don’t come quickly or easily, they are built on patience and perseverance. Every small step brings you closer to your goal. So, to future students, I would say: hold on to your vision, be consistent, and don’t be afraid of small steps – they add up to a big journey.’

Kristel’s lecturers recall:

Kristiina Hakk, Lecturer in Mathematics, IT College: Kristel started her studies at the IT College at a time when the image of an IT person was more of a ‘boy with long hair’, and girls were rare in IT programmes. The ratio of boys to girls among first-year students was around 1:10 at the time. Kristel is a good example to prove that women can do as well or better in tech than men and that no challenge is too much if you have the will and desire.

Certainly, even the difficult basic subjects that may seem a little daunting at first glance are no barrier to learning. As a maths lecturer, I only heard later that maths was not one of Kristel’s favourites at high school, but it didn’t stand out at university. Rather, Kristel was a role model for other students with her learning strategy, drive, intelligence, and ambition, and also helped her fellow students with maths. It is great to see that Kristel has kept this drive and enthusiasm to inspire her companions to this day.

Kalle Tammemäe, Director of the IT College: Kristel’s evolution from IT specialist to the head of a company and opinion leader has been purposeful, with results coming from constant hard work and apparently the utmost self-discipline. After all, we can only see the tip of the iceberg, and that alone is truly remarkable.

At the time of her college studies, Kristel Kruustük, then surnamed Viidik, was so early in her development that it was difficult to single her out from the other good students. Yes, she was active with her fellow students at the study fairs (Teeviit), the college curiosity days, and also received recognition and praise for her participation in the Erasmus committee and her tutoring activities. With these small steps, she has built up the momentum for the current success.

And did you know that, among her other talents, Kristel is also a superb singer. She demonstrated this at a college event when she sang Rihanna’s song ‘Under your umbrella’. In 2010, it had a very surprising effect and everyone got goosebumps.

Kristel has received a number of other recognitions, and the recognition from the TalTech Alumni Association and the University of Technology is a perfect complement to these:

• TOP100 women entrepreneurs of the year 2022 of the US business magazine Inc

• Global Startup Awards, Diversity Role Model of the Year, finalist in 2021 from the Estonian region

• Financer.ee TOP10 most influential and entrepreneurial Estonian women in 2021

• Outstanding young Estonian / TOP 2020

• Estonia’s TOP10 most popular persons 2020

• Youngest millionaire in the Estonia’s TOP richest people 2018

• Estonian Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2017

• Anne & Stiil Woman of the Year 2017

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Swedish Business Awards 2017