Evija Vaščenko

OPEN MIND MANAGEMENT – Managing partner

VeritaCell – Co-Founder & COO

Professional MBA Alumna Class of 2004

What are your success habits?

There are a couple of them –

  • If something seems interesting, ask whether and how I can be part of it.
  • Do only things which I am really passionate about and can see myself doing  for years
  • Finish at least one thing every day — small or big, private or business-related — it does not matter.
What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I have received is – “relax, you cannot do everything right and you do not need to”. It takes a lot of unneeded pressure off and makes life more enjoyable.

What are you most proud of?

  • Being able to build an international professional reputation and business
  • Believing in myself even when times have been tough. And not choosing the easiest way out but staying true to what I want.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I do not like public speaking.

What have you always wanted to try, but have never found the time to actually do it?

Travel for a 6-month period. The longest I was able to manage was 2 months — I was lucky enough to do it just before the pandemic started.

What is your current challenge or goal?

  • I want to bring VeritaCell burn care & skin regeneration solution to the global market. I believe that it can help to make many lives better and I would be proud to build a great business, which is born in Latvia.
  • I want to build a partnership network in Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on emotional intelligence, team coaching and mentoring, which will be a powerful part of a global network – where every partner has  support and a  growing business.
What are your hobbies or activities to relax?

There are many of them, but the main would be travelling, reading and spending time in nature – by the sea, in the garden, in the countryside.

How do you push through your worst times?

I start by saying to myself “I can do it”. Then I spend some time reflecting and asking what it is that I really want to do now. Then, I make some plans and follow them, at the same time giving myself permission to do nothing and feel OK with it.