Short Description
I have started, built and managed tech, food and consultingbusinesses, accelerator/incubator and most recently a venturebuilding studio in Bangkok. I have wide experience working inEuropean, British and different Asian markets in the last 12 years.Currently, I am focused on helping large corporations and theirventure funds successfully invest in and build a new generation ofdeep-tech startups. I value human imagination, creativity and out ofthe box thinking, I prefer taking a unique and authentic approach totechnology investment.
My core competencies are startups, creative problem solving,leadership, business ideation and deep-tech and researchcommercialisation, venture capital and business development.
kastisk123@gmail.com
Degree
ISM Vadybos ir ekonomikos universitetas, Bachelor’s degree, Business Administration and Management,General · (2009 – 2013)
Vilniaus Universitetas, Bachelor’s degree, Economics · (2006 – 2009)
J.Jablonskio Gimnazija
Experience
Whatnot Innovation Studio
2 years 5 months
Corporate Venture Builder
April 2018 – Present (2 years 2 months)
Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand
Whatnot is a Startup Studio that provides corporate venturing tools toorganisations across Thailand and South East Asia to enable innovation.Together with the largest Thai organisations we invest in and build the nextgeneration of startups. My mission is to sharpen a new model of entrepreneurship and new venturesby combining startups’ agility, flexibility and culture with corporations’ muscle,experience and resources to create innovative and disruptive solutions. I amresponsible for corporate venture building projects working with clients fromthe ideation up to scaling stages and beyond.
Co-Founder
January 2018 – Present (2 years 5 months)
Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand
I have designed the corporate venture building process, established therelationships with some of the leading Thai organisations in the industry andgovernment space within the first 6 months after we cofounder Whatnot. When it comes to building disruptive innovation, I am convinced that corporateventure building is the most appropriate model, since it has full alignment withcorporations’ mid-long term strategy, speed to market and a combination oflow risk with attractive costs.
Unifier Ventures
Venture Partner
November 2019 – Present (7 months)
Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand
Together with our Southeast Asian network of family offices, corporatesand entrepreneurs, we connect Asia and Europe by investing in early-stagestartups. We are looking for outlier-founders and industry-disrupting solutionsin both markets.
KX Knowledge Exchange Innovation Center
2 years
Corporate Venturing Advisor
June 2018 – Present (2 years)
Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand
My role is to lead corporate partners of KX and KMUTT university to implementinnovation by investing and/or building disruptive start-up companies orbuilding ventures alongside their business strategy.
Ecosystem Builder
April 2019 – Present (1 year 2 months)
Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand
I am responsible for effective collaboration of the KMUTT university, KXinnovation centre, Startup ecosystem and corporate partnerships that havethe residence in the KX Knowledge exchange centre. My goal is to assure thatthese partnerships can lead to impactful innovation projects.
Cinnamon Bridge
Founder & CEO
January 2015 – May 2018 (3 years 5 months)
London, United Kingdom
I launched and ran a business co-creation programme called Cinnamonbridge. We have built 20+ innovative food and drink businesses in London and now Bangkok. I was responsible for the Cinnamon Bridge growth, investments,building our independent retail channel and business expansion. My keyresponsibilities included running the London branch and working with our start-up brands to help their businesses innovate and thrive in the UK and EU.
drinkpreneur
Co-Founder
January 2014 – January 2016 (2 years 1 month)
DrinkPreneur Live 2014 is the first specialized start-up accelerator forRTD beverage category in the UK. We are proud to introduce this uniqueopportunity for drinks entrepreneurs to face greatest minds and most influentialpeople within the fast moving consumer goods industry. Present your existing product, concept or an idea in front of potential buyers,investors and future partners. Defend your business idea in front of the marketexperts. I am responsible for organizing the first beverage accelerator awardsin Europe, dealing with strategic partners, planning and project execution,marketing and PR.
MyDrink Beverages
7 years
Co-Founder/UK Business Development Executive
January 2014 – January 2015 (1 year 1 month)
London, United Kingdom
My current objective is to establish MyDrink beverages as a leading productdevelopment professional in the UK food and beverage industry. Myresponsibilities include strategic business development in the UK market,marketing and MyDrink brand management, key account managementand new partnerships, new product development and beverage conceptdevelopment. An exciting opportunity to maintain the constant and stablegrowth of our company.
Co-Founder/Chief Operating Officer
February 2008 – December 2013 (5 years 11 months)
Strategic business management, new product development, brandmanagement, beverage concept development, key account management,business communication and marketing, development of core business valuesand identity.
Co-founder/Managing Director
July 2010 – April 2012 (1 year 10 months)
Kaunas, Lithuania
My main responsibilities as a shareholder and a managing director were togenerate the vision, values, goals and strategy for the MyDrink beveragescompany and to work hard to reach them. I had to build up and lead the teamstep after step to reach my own as a shareholders and their personal goals. Iwas able to complete my function successfully and to step forward to gainingdifferent responsibilities in the company.
Dragoon Drinks
Managing Director
May 2011 – May 2012 (1 year 1 month)
Dragoon Drink was one of MyDrink Beverages co-development projects.My responsibilities involved strategic brand management, marketing,business management, key account management, new product launch, brandcommunication. During the project period we were able to successfully expandto western European markets, gain consumer recognition and to establish ourpositions in international beverage markets.
ACME Baltija
Product Manager
June 2007 – February 2008 (9 months)
New product development, allocating new trends, purchasing, quality control
UAB “Biuras R”
Administrative Assistant
September 2006 – July 2007 (11 months)
Kaunas. Lithuania