EBS will implement social innovation training programmes commissioned by KÜSK
In February, the Sihtasutus Kodanikuühiskonna Sihtkapital (KÜSK) launched a call for proposals to find a partner to develop and deliver social innovation and social entrepreneurship training programmes in 2026 and 2027. A total of four proposals were submitted, and the Estonian Business School proposal was accepted.
The aim of the training programmes is to strengthen the competencies of NGO and entrepreneurship consultants at County Development Centres in supporting social innovation through their daily advisory work. These consultants play a key role in supporting NGOs, businesses, and initiatives across Estonia that seek to create social impact. Where possible, places in the training programmes will also be offered to other interested participants.
EBS will be responsible for designing and delivering two practical, experience based training programmes. Each programme will comprise at least 30 academic hours and will be delivered through in person learning. The training will include workshops, practical seminars, and a study visit to socially innovative initiatives. The first programme will begin in 2026, followed by the second in 2027.
“We are pleased to begin our collaboration with EBS and its trainers, who bring extensive knowledge and experience in the fields of social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Their contribution will enhance the competencies of consultants who advise initiatives, NGOs, and businesses, thereby supporting the broader development of social innovation in Estonia,” commented Sandra Paulus, Coordinator of Social Innovation Activities within the Swiss Estonian Cooperation Programme “Supporting Social Inclusion”.
“Social innovation does not emerge from good ideas alone. Leading innovation requires people who can identify, guide, and nurture those ideas. Through this programme, we aim to provide NGO and entrepreneurship consultants at County Development Centres with practical tools to help promising initiatives create societal value,” said Jelena Žovnikova, Coordinator of the EBS Training Programme.
The training programmes are part of the Swiss Estonian Cooperation Programme “Supporting Social Inclusion” and its initiative package “Strengthening Civil Society through the Promotion of Social Innovation”, implemented by KÜSK.
Lecturers
Jelena Žovnikova
Junior Research Fellow
Jelena Žovnikova is a Junior Research Fellow and PhD candidate at Estonian Business School, as well as a business and financial advisor, trainer, mentor, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience. Throughout her career, she has supported more than 1000 entrepreneurs, startups, creative businesses, and non-profit organisations in Estonia and internationally, helping them develop business models, strengthen financial planning, and navigate growth and innovation challenges. She has also designed and managed entrepreneurship programmes, combining training, mentoring, and practical activities to support participants’ entrepreneurial growth.
In her research, Jelena examines how collaboration between academia and industry can be strengthened to accelerate the adoption of research-based solutions and increase the impact of innovation on business. Drawing on her extensive practitioner experience, she focuses on innovation ecosystems, open innovation, university–industry collaboration mechanisms, and the development of evidence-based frameworks that enhance the effectiveness of knowledge exchange and innovation processes.
Alongside her research, Jelena is actively involved in managing and implementing international and national entrepreneurship projects at Estonian Business School and contributes to the school’s development activities. She is a certified Models of Impact methodology ambassador and trainer; a member of the management board of Hooandja, the largest reward-based crowdfunding platform in the Baltics; and an active member of Startup Estonia’s Regional Development Expert Group.
Kaie Koppel
Junior Research Fellow
Kaie Koppel's research areas are social innovation, co-creation, and service design. In her doctoral thesis, she develops a methodology for the design and management of social services in co-creation with networks and communities.
Since 2014, she has been involved in social innovation and public service design as a service designer, facilitator, mentor, and trainer, focusing primarily on human-centered social services. She also collaborates with the Estonian Social Innovation Lab for the applications of her doctoral research.
She has a master's degree in semiotics from the University of Tartu and an MBA in international business administration from EBS. She has been researching and teaching semiotics at the University of Tartu and has served as head of research at the Viljandi Academy of Culture. Her creative projects include the environmental documentary "The Measure of Man" and curating the renewal of the permanent exhibition of the University of Tartu Natural History Museum.
Marge Täks
Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Head of Knowledge Team
Marge Täks is an Associate Professor and Head of the Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Knowledge Team at Estonian Business School (EBS), where her research centers on sustainable entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurial competence development.
She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Tartu (2015), and an International Business Management degree from EBS, complemented by a double-degree exchange in International Marketing Management at InHolland University. Before moving into academia, she spent over two decades in industry as a marketing manager, product manager, and key account manager, including roles at Eesti Post and Saaremaa SPA Hotels.
Täks joined EBS as a lecturer in entrepreneurship in 2013 and also taught at the University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, later serving as Senior Lecturer and Head of the Impactful Entrepreneurship Bachelor's programme (2019–2025) at EBS, before stepping into her current role. She led the national ESF/Ministry of Economic Affairs project that developed Estonia's entrepreneurship competence model and education methodology, and has contributed to EU-level initiatives including the European Commission's EntreComp self-assessment tool and the Nordic Sustainable Entrepreneurship Network (NordSEnt).
Her work is published in journals such as Business Strategy and the Environment, Sustainability, and the European Journal of Engineering Education, and she was recognized with a national teaching award in 2011 for outstanding pedagogical practice.