Inspiration lunch: The secret to a successful company is its values

The secret to a successful company is its values – both those of its employees and those it offers to its clients. This was the conclusion that was reached at the 'Business models without borders' inspiration lunch held in Tallinn on 28 April.

Sharing their experiences at the lunch were Riku Mäkelä from Finland, the CEO of Slush (the biggest event in Europe bringing together investors and start-ups); Martin Kõiva from Estonia, the customer support manager for the sales management software-producing Pipedrive; and Kristian Brøndum from Denmark, the director of the Business Model Research Centre at the University of Aalborg.

'Slush' refers to sleet that covers the ground. "We try and find the worst weather possible and then to convince people to come here from their warm climates!" says Riku Mäkelä. "And they do come, but not for the weather obviously – for the content. The money Slush makes is invested in the next event. We're a non-profit organisation, and the majority of our work is done by volunteers."