Estonia: Global Gateway Summer 2026 (Reflections)

Program: UW Global Gateway in Estonia, Summer

Calysta C: An Impactful Moment

On the second day of being in Tallinn, we had gotten done with our tour of Old Town and needed to find a place for lunch. So, we decided to go to a restaurant right near Old Town called, Pizza Americana. We wanted some familiar food, and thought this would be the best option. At this point, I had not really interacted with anyone outside of the cohort. So, I was somewhat nervous to interact with someone from Estonia, especially with the language barrier. We had been told that some people would know English, but some may have a harder time understanding. We walk into the restaurant, and we are all trying to read signs if we should sit down, or wait. We mostly used context clues to figure out we had to seat ourselves. When we went up to grab menus, we could tell that the man behind the bar was a little put off by all of us. The menu was half in English, and then half in Estonian.

A zoomed in photo of a menu that says "Pizza Americana" in white writing within a red oval. Below the title it says "Pizza - Burger - Pasta". — This is the menu from the restaurant

A large sign in a clear frame. It has a large cheese pizza with one slice being pulled away from the rest of the pizza. Above the pizza in red writing it says "A slice a day" and below the pizza in the same writing it says "Keeps the sad away". — This is the menu from the restaurant

When I figured out what I wanted to order, I was nervous about talking to the worker. I said “hello” when I got up to the counter, and he just kind of stared at me. I realized then that he probably knows very little English. Especially when I started to order and he looked a little confused. So, I turned the menu around, and I pointed to the thing I wanted. He understood better and just nodded. To pay, I tried to use one of my bigger Euro bills, and when I tried to do that, I got a glare. So, I slightly panicked and used my credit card instead. This was an eye-opening moment, because it was such a new experience that I had never dealt with before. It was also the first time on the program that I felt out of place, and it was a learning experience as to how to deal with the language barrier, as well as the different conversational customs.

Apurva R: Career Connections

“If you want to start a business, I would recommend finding a problem before creating the solution.”

This was a candid piece of advice we received from Anti Veeranna, the Senior Product Manager at Starship Technologies and it has stuck with me long after our session.

A square, white robot with a black strip in the front and a tall black antenna with a red light on the top sits in the front of a classroom. The robot has six wheels, three on each side. On the screen behind it is a smaller drawing of the robot and a QR code on the left side. The middle of the screen says "Thank You" in black letters. — A working robot was brought to the presentation, and this is a still from when the robot started playing Mamma Mia’s music and we got the chance to move it around with a remote controller.

A white, rectangular robot with three wheels on each side goes down a gravel path. The robot has a blue wrap on it advertising "Wolt". It has a black antenna with an orange flag on the top sticking up at human height. — A working robot was brought to the presentation, and this is a still from when the robot started playing Mamma Mia’s music and we got the chance to move it around with a remote controller.

Through this program we got the chance to have a workshop with Starship Technologies where we learned about the origins of the company. This site visit stood out the most to me personally because some of the company’s biggest wins came from crashing lows. I found it very inspiring to see how they built a multibillion-dollar business from a robot that was designed for a NASA contest. I aspire to be an entrepreneur and it was really helpful to hear firsthand from team members who have been with the company from its starting phase.

It was very interesting to learn the ideation phase and all the thought that went into its design. Designers from Finland were called in to make it look gentler and more approachable. If you take a closer look, the front of the robot is a smile which subconsciously makes a consumer trust the robot more. Now I know if I want to design a product, Finland is the place to be!

Overall, this session helped break down Entrepreneurship into smaller chunks and made it feel more achievable to me.

Shiashe V: Sustainable Practices

Straight into coming into Tallinn, Estonia, I noticed the insistence on sustainable practices. Our hotel alone was already enough to tell me that this was how Estonia could remain environmentally friendly from desk signs with suggestions and why the hotel does what it does to their website with a dedicated section to sustainability. The website in particular made me feel inspired to take action and also made me realize I already did a few practices back home. For example, when brushing my teeth, I make sure the water is turned off when not using it. I decided to do the same when washing hands as suggested by the website, and I already feel the small contribution meaning something.

The sign in our room’s bathroom was especially representative of how environmentally friendly Estonia is, as I was able to fill my water bottle everyday with the tap water. The trash cans scattered throughout not just the hotel, but around the city, are organized into categories so they can be disposed of accordingly, which helped me stay aware of where to throw my trash. Self-ordering kiosks also give the option of printing less of the receipt i.e. the order number only to save paper. When I go back home, I will waste less paper by requesting online receipts instead since I know they probably don’t do the same system as Estonia. That way, I can keep track of my purchases, and they’re in a more permanent form.

A collage of two images, the bottom being a large gray rectangle with four different slots on the top (blue, yellow, light brown and dark brown) designed to collect recycling and garbage. Above this is a photo of a brown sign with write writing in Estonian on the left and in English on the right. The English says "Fresh and clean water runs from the tap. Good to drink, not to waste." — Reminders I pass by daily to remain sustainable during my stay (bathroom sink and trash bin near elevators).

I will continue to learn how to stay sustainable by understanding what resources are available at home and adapt. For example, our hotel room required our card key to access light for the general room and bathroom, which I believe was to use electricity more effectively. Since there isn’t such a system in the United States, another approach would be needed.

I remember during one of my semesters at UW that a classmate of mine did a presentation on sustainable practices, which included only turning on lights when necessary and unplugging things when they weren’t in use. This demonstrates that just because my home isn’t as technologically advanced or focused on sustainability doesn’t mean I can’t take action. By paying attention to my surroundings, I can take the proper steps to remain sustainable and help the environment.