Young Entrepreneurs Summer School brought 24 aspiring entrepreneurs from seven countries to EBS
From 10–16 August, EBS hosted the Young Entrepreneurs Summer School (YESS), bringing together 24 young people with an interest in entrepreneurship from seven countries. Over six intensive days, participants moved from identifying and understanding a problem to conducting customer interviews, developing solutions and ultimately pitching their ideas. This year’s central question was: how can entrepreneurship help get more people involved in sports?
YESS stands out for its hands-on approach – participants did not just listen to lectures, but were constantly encouraged to test their ideas, seek feedback and work in teams. Throughout the week, they explored topics including artificial intelligence, negotiation and pitching, while receiving advice from experienced entrepreneurs and experts.
Among those sharing their knowledge and experience with the participants were Mart Habakuk, Andreas Veispak, Peep Aaviksoo, Carmen Kivisild, Hira Wajahat Malik, Uku Joost Annus, Ucha Vekua, Madis Lehtmets, Dean DiNardi and Alexandra Balkova. Alexandra Balkova also led a practical negotiation workshop, where participants had to work towards a shared agreement – a hands-on exercise that highlighted how important it is in entrepreneurship to listen, adapt and find common ground.
Learning also extended beyond the classroom. Participants visited e-Estonia, Wise and Bolt, took part in a discussion on sports and investment, and gained practical insights into the intersection of Estonia’s startup and sports ecosystems.
The hackathon turned ideas into real solutions
One of the highlights of the week was the hackathon, during which participants were challenged to find a solution to a challenge presented by the Estonian Olympic Committee: how can we help more people get involved in sports?
Seven teams made it to the final round, where they presented their solutions to a jury.
🥇 1st place – Kordus
A personalised game analysis tool that turns game and training videos into practical feedback for athletes, helping them improve their performance.
🥈 2nd place – Athlead
A solution that connects people with existing sports courts and facilities, making it easier to find places to play and helping turn unused capacity into active opportunities.
🥉 3rd place – Gamify
A solution addressing low levels of physical activity among young people in Estonia by connecting students, schools and sports clubs through gamified physical activity.
According to the YESS organisers, one of the key lessons of this year’s programme was that building a technical solution is no longer enough, even if you have a good idea. The hackathon demonstrated how important it is to communicate an idea clearly, understand the customer, build relationships and, above all, know how to sell the solution.
Over six days, strangers became teams, problems became prototypes and ideas turned into the first potential ventures. YESS 2026 once again showed that one of the best ways to learn entrepreneurship is by actually doing it.
YESS will return in August 2027.