About

The Arborvitae Group

You have reached the home of Arborvitae OÜ, a privately-held consulting company headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. In addition to our for-profit business projects, we also work on an assortment of social enterprise, non-profit, and side projects. As of 2022, the business’s primary focus is on writing, editing, and business communication. We have a particular focus on the editing and naturalisation of translations or texts written by non-native English speakers.

Our Founder and CEO, Ben Robinson, is an educator, consultant, technologist, writer, editor, Estonian e-resident, and a lifetime learner. Much of Ben’s current work focuses on literature, technology, and the UK Higher Education system, particularly clinical legal education. Ben spent his early life in rural Canada, and his more recent life in London, United Kingdom. Ben writes and speaks in Canadian English, US English, and UK English. As a loose rule, content on this website will use UK English.

If you are looking for bespoke training or to engage Ben as a speaker, editor, or consultant, please contact us to discuss your needs and obtain a quote.

For press enquiries similarly please contact us here.

The Arborvitae OÜ Story

From Our Founder

Arborvitae is Latin for “tree of life” – a mysterious and ambiguous name selected – in part – for that mystery and ambiguity. It also refers to the cedar tree, particularly the eastern white cedar, which is common to central and eastern Ontario, where Ben grew up. You can find more technical and historical information about this tree in the related Wikipedia article.

The tree also figures significantly in the early survival of Western European settlers to Upper and Lower Canada, and its treatment in history and folklore holds lessons on communication, historical (re-)interpretation, and inclusivity. If you want to read the full story of the meaning behind our name, please keep an eye on the Arborvitae Group Blog.