Startup Division, Civitta, EcoPol... Ms Nini Gigani


(Photo by courtesy of Startup Division. Ms Gigani is seen front right.)

 Tom Hashimoto: Here, we have Ms Nini Gigani, our Economics and Politics alumna, who currently works at Startup Division. Recently, I gave a speech on AI and ethics (in relation to the EU's Responsible Research and Innovation framework). Some of you may remember Nini from team Nereus (which won Microsoft's AI Guardians competition). So, Nini, what is 'Startup Division'?

Nini Gigani: Hi, Tom! Thanks for the riveting talk you gave the other day at our workshop. So, Startup Division. First of all, let's mention that Startup Division is a sort of a sister company to Civitta—both by ENTRA Holdings. Unlike Civitta, we are the leading entrepreneurship support organisation in the Baltics. What this means is that we help startups to develop their businesses, scale, and attract financing, while building bridges among startup ecosystems globally.

TH: Interesting. How did you end up with them? Are there many ISM alumni there?

NG: Actually, yes, there are quite a few of us in all positions—Consultant, Senior Consultant, Project Manager, and even CEO. Bonding over the same alma mater is no stranger. As for my journey that led me to Startup Division, as a final-year student, I was looking for job opportunities in Lithuania that could offer me three main things. For one, I was looking for flexibility. As a student who was writing her bachelor thesis, it was crucial for me to be able to juggle and combine work and study, whether that meant managing my own time or working from home. Second, the international aspect. As a Georgian with barely any Lithuanian language skills, I was looking for projects I could work on in English as well as a workplace where my colleagues and I would be able to communicate without barriers. As such, the environment here is immensely amicable. Finally, the idea of delving into a niche specialisation was not attractive to me at the time, and, thus, my focus was to find a job that would allow me to delve into a plethora of industries: AI and robotics, agriculture and horticulture, startup acceleration, digital innovation, ethics—you name it.

TH: You studied EcoPol and chose the path for NGO rather than government or international organisation. What are the attractions of working for an NGO in Lithuania? Any interesting projects perhaps?

NG: A resounding advantage is the flat hierarchical structure and the unique company culture. Certainly, micromanagement and the word 'boss' are totally foreign concepts. Moreover, everyone is encouraged to start various initiatives. During regular meetings, we discuss ways in which we could improve our office space, we suggest IT solutions, employee development opportunities, etc. Concerning projects, we are currently running several, namely Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE on Europe 2021), HubIT, Startup Lighthouse, IRIS, Soft-Landing, and Kaunas Startup Accelerator. 

TH: I see. I hope we will see more and more people like you! Thank you!

NG: Thanks, Tom!

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