Meet those Who Started StartSchool
At StartSchool, we're not just educators - we're tech visionaries on a mission. Learn more about our passionate founders and their commitment to shaping the future of tech education in Latvia.
Team
CEO at StartSchool
Anna Andersone
Anna is a driving force in Latvia’s startup ecosystem and Chair of the Board of Riga TechGirls. With over 20 years of experience in design, communication, technology, and entrepreneurship, she has a deep understanding of how to merge creativity and tech innovation. Her leadership and passion for empowering women in tech, combined with her extensive experience in building businesses, make her the ideal candidate to lead StartSchool. As CEO, Anna is responsible for setting the strategic vision, building partnerships, and ensuring the success of the program in transforming Latvia into a global tech hub.
Program Manager at StartSchool
Austra Marta Jirgensone
Austra Marta Jirgensone is the perfect fit as StartSchool’s Program Manager, blending her technical expertise as a Frontend Developer at Mapon with a passion for education. With years of experience teaching programming to children through Datorium and mentoring aspiring developers, she brings a unique ability to simplify complex tech concepts for learners of all levels. Her background in project management and leadership, combined with a deep understanding of the tech industry, ensures smooth program operations and a student-centric approach. Austra’s main responsibilities include overseeing program execution, mentoring participants, and using data-driven strategies to continuously improve the StartSchool experience.
Campus Manager at StartSchool
Jānis Altgauzens
Janis was a perfect match as the Campus Manager at StartSchool, with over five years of experience managing and accelerating innovation programs across Latvia. From launching and managing the Innovation Academy to leading initiatives at Buildit Accelerator, Jānis has a proven track record of driving tech education and startup growth. His deep understanding of program management, paired with his extensive network in Latvia’s tech and innovation ecosystem, makes him an exceptional leader for StartSchool’s campus. As Campus Manager, Jānis is responsible for setting the vision, leading the team, ensuring operational excellence, and building key relationships to drive the campus’s growth and success.
Founders
Anna Andersone
Anna is one of the leaders of the startup ecosystem in Latvia and the head of the Riga TechGirls association and movement. For more than 20 years, her experience has been related to the field of design, communication and technology and entrepreneurship.
James Janis Berdigans
Founder & CEO of Printify. Started and grew the company to 600 employees and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Studied MBA in University of North Carlina, USA, Bachelor International Business Administration, The Netherlands
Elīna Branta
Elina has had a varied and impressive career in management and innovation. Currently, she is a board member of Swisscom DevOps Center Latvia, where she applies her skills in marketing and company management.
Ieva Ilvess
Ieva is a diplomat, an expert in foreign and security policy issues, digital policy and cyber security with more than 20 years of experience in national and international institutions in Latvia, NATO and the EU. She has worked as a digital policy and cyber security advisor to the President of Latvia, the Ministry of Defense and now the EU advisory mission in Ukraine.
Kristofs Blaus
Kristofs Blaus has been founding and managing tech companies for 16 years. Has driven the growth of health tech company Nutrameg in over 100 markets. Co-founded the portal ManaBalss.lv, which has changed 60 Latvian laws.
Andris K. Bērziņš
Andris K. Bērziņš, a seasoned founder and executive with successful exits over $100M, is also a venture capital investor at Change Ventures. He co-founded TechHub Riga and TechChill, and is involved in the Latvian Startup Association. Andris brings 25 years of startup and investment experience, holding an MBA from Stanford Business School.
Edgars Peičs
Edgars Peičs is a passionate senior leader with 30 years of international experience in the information technology sector. Over his career worked in many companies - Microsoft, Lattelecom, Swedbank, Evolution Gaming, Gaming Innovation Group, Luminor, NetEnt and currently works as a Chief Technical Officer at Printify.
Raimonds Simanovskis, eazy BI
I am grateful that I had a great technical education at my school and university. It was one of the main success factors why I could build a successful software business. Therefore we, eazyBI, already have been supporting many tech education projects in Latvia. StartSchool is a new, promising project with the goal of growing new tech leaders of tomorrow, and therefore, we are joining as a founding partner to support it both financially and also by sharing our tech and business experience.
Jānis Lucaus, Balcia Insurance
Over the past years, we've actively pushed the insurance industry to break conventional boundaries, driven by innovation and new tech. Despite lagging behind banking in innovation, we view this as a learning opportunity from others' experiences. StartSchool participants, too, will have access to this valuable opportunity to learn from industry professionals. We take great pride in being part of the team that contributes to shaping future technology leaders!
Jēkabs Endziņš, weby.vc
We believe that the basis of Latvia's future success is the ability to create exporting technology companies, if we want to live in a country that is prosperous and recognized. Weby.vc was created with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship among young people, showing examples of the opportunities to build your own startup in any field. In our opinion, StartSchool is the right next step in order to create a new generation of technology entrepreneurs in Latvia, who will have the knowledge, the necessary motivation, and a lot of friends to develop big ideas. Let's continue to support and keep our fingers crossed for StartSchool!
Armands Broks
I co-founded technology school in Latvia because I believe we can inspire the next generation with the skills and knowledge they need to not only excel locally, but also compete globally. Technology is a great help and we can serve the whole world from Latvia. As a technology entrepreneur myself, I am well aware of the skills required for this task. By providing up-to-date education and hands-on experience, we aim to ignite passion, foster innovation and bridge the gap between traditional education and the rapidly evolving technology sector. This is a wonderful project that invites Latvian entrepreneurs to join forces for a better Latvia by nurturing local talent that can turn ideas into reality and potential into global excellence.
StartSchool is financed by successful Latvian tech companies and private donations
Fond aims to strengthen the start-up ecosystem and foster the transition to a knowledge-based economy, as well as to create co-working spaces to promote start-ups and innovation.
Easy-to-use business intelligence application that could be installed and immediately utilized by end users
One of the top algorithmic market makers and liquidity providers in the crypto space.
Nutrameg is a healthtech startup developing patented nutrition technology for weight management and fitness used by millions of people worldwide.
The most modern insurance company in Latvia!
Building up the best and coolest DevOps Center in Europe.
A startup studio with a VC arm. We build & fund companies.
StartSchool is supported by:
