From ideas to teams: “Succeed in Business” teaming up event brought young entrepreneurs together in Riga
On 20–21 May, the “Succeed in Business” project brought together young people from Latvia, Finland and Estonia for an intensive two-day Teaming Up Event in Riga. But this was far more than just another project meeting. It was the beginning of future collaborations, business journeys, and friendships.
For two energetic days, participants stepped into the dynamic world of hackathons, entrepreneurship, teamwork, and idea creation. The atmosphere quickly transformed from cautious first conversations into a space filled with creativity, laughter, discussions, negotiations, and bold ambitions.
The event began with interactive sessions led by the project’s Content Expert Jelena Sterhova, who introduced participants to the anatomy of a hackathon and the art of turning problems into business opportunities. Instead of starting with ready-made ideas, participants were challenged to identify real problems around them — situations they personally experienced, noticed in society, or believed deserved a better solution.
And this is where the real energy of the event began.
Through active discussions, voting, pitching, and spontaneous brainstorming, participants selected the strongest and most relevant ideas. Everyone had a chance not only to present a problem, but also to convince others why it mattered. The room quickly filled with passionate debates, unexpected concepts, and creative thinking without limits.
Then came one of the most exciting moments of the event — the Idea Marketplace.
Idea owners had just 120 seconds to capture attention, inspire others, and attract future teammates. Around the room, young people promoted their concepts, searched for supporters, negotiated roles, exchanged skills, and tried to build balanced teams around their visions. It was noisy, emotional, slightly chaotic — and exactly how the birth of new ideas should feel.
By the end of the first day, eleven teams had been formed around a surprisingly diverse range of concepts: from healthcare applications and emotional wellbeing tools to refugee support solutions, sustainable technologies, and ethnographic design initiatives.
But creating an idea is only the first step.
The second day focused on helping participants understand the bigger picture behind entrepreneurship and innovation. Sven Rassl from Tampere University of Applied Sciences introduced participants to SITRA megatrends and encouraged them to look at how global societal, technological, and environmental changes influence future business opportunities.
Later, Later, entrepreneur Deniss Butaeff, Art Director of GONGU, one of Riga’s most popular restaurants, brought a completely different energy into the room. Speaking openly about risk-taking, adaptation, failures, reinvention, and personal growth, he inspired participants to see entrepreneurship not only as business, but also as courage and mindset. His session sparked numerous discussions about motivation, money, communication, and the meaning of professional success.
The final sessions of the event were dedicated to shaping the identity of the newly created teams. Participants worked on team agreements, communication structures, names, slogans, logos, and future plans. By that point, the atmosphere had completely changed: strangers had become teammates.
Now the real journey begins.
Over the next four months, these teams will continue developing their ideas with the support of mentors and project experts. In autumn, they will present their business model visions and demonstrate how a simple idea can evolve into something much bigger.
And perhaps this is the most inspiring part of the entire event: every successful business once started exactly like this — with people meeting in one room and daring to believe in an idea.
