Berkay Çıtak wants Lithuanian kids to spend more time outdoors — learning teamwork, environmental responsibility, and the kind of confidence that doesn’t come from a classroom. That’s the mission behind his venture, Green Hub LT: outdoor education and sustainability programming for children and teenagers.

Turning that mission into a working business is a different problem than believing in it. For that, Berkay needed someone who’d already built the exact thing he was trying to build.

Matched With the Person Who’d Already Solved His Problem

Through the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) programme, Berkay spent five months — from 2 February to 30 June 2026 — working with host entrepreneur Diyadin Altuntop, founder of Intermezzo Ungdom in Norway. Diyadin has spent more than ten years running outdoor education and youth development work — the same sector Berkay is building into, just further down the road.

That match is the real substance of this exchange. Rather than generic startup mentorship, Berkay had direct access to someone who’d already navigated the specific challenges of running an outdoor youth program: how to structure activities for schools and youth groups, how to find and keep institutional partners, and how to fund the work long-term.

Building the Business, Not Just the Idea

Over the five months, Berkay worked through the concrete mechanics of getting Green Hub LT off the ground:

  • Market research — studying the Lithuanian landscape for outdoor youth education and identifying where Green Hub LT fits.
  • Partnership development — researching and approaching schools and NGOs as potential collaborators.
  • Marketing and cost planning — building out a marketing plan and estimating the real costs of running the business.
  • Funding literacy — learning how to navigate project management and funding routes, including Erasmus+, from someone who has actually secured them.

None of this is the exciting part of building a business. It’s also the part that determines whether the idea survives its first year.

What He Brought Home

In his own words:

“This experience gave me more confidence in my business idea. I learned a lot and now I feel ready to take the next step with Green Hub LT.”

Diyadin’s read on the collaboration:

“Berkay is motivated, open to learning, and works hard to improve his business idea. He has good potential as a young entrepreneur.”

Berkay didn’t just gain planning and communication skills in the abstract — he gained them in the specific context of building an outdoor education business, guided by someone whose business already proves the model works.

The Takeaway for the Next Applicant

The value of an EYE exchange isn’t just international experience in general — it’s the specific match. Berkay’s story is a clear case for that: the right host entrepreneur isn’t just experienced, they’re experienced in solving the exact problems you’re about to face.

Interested in an EYE exchange like Berkay’s? Get in touch to find out how to apply.