Speakers

Michael Capponi is known as one of the instrumental key pioneers in shaping the image, popularity, and growth of Miami Beach. Over the past 30 years, Michael has been a leading force in the hospitality and entertainment industries and one of the most accomplished residential real estate developers in South Florida. Michael has since fully retired from the private sector and focuses 100% of his time and efforts to Global Empowerment Mission (GEM). He now brings the skills of his prior endeavors to his philanthropic work with GEM. He has built an international organization that is disrupting the disaster sector through innovative, efficient, and modernized systems. GEM has the ability to immediately respond around the world to all phases of disasters. By harnessing the power of social media, celebrity influencers, strategic public-private partnerships and a strong, knowledgeable base of experienced volunteers, Michael has created a replicable formula to have an efficient and effective response to global disasters. GEM has responded to disasters in 44 countries, distributed over $250 million in supplies, coordinated over 336 disaster mission trips and built or repaired more than 148 homes, 15 schools, and has supported children in Haiti with their education for the last decade. Currently, Michael Capponi is serving as a member of the Advisory Board to World for Ukraine Summit 2022.

Maryna Denysiuk, since the war outbreak, is the Senior Project Manager and Team Lead developing and coordinating the Ukraine Recovery Plan under the auspices of the Reforms Delivery Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. She has extensive experience in the fields of government relations, providing advisory services in the field of the environmental protection system, climate actions, and coordination of the European Green Deal initiatives at the Ukrainian government level. She has also two years of experience in the fields of ecology and sustainable development, waste management, and attraction of investments in the communities of the region in the public sector. She has previously also worked in the field of energy efficiency of industrial enterprises and green energy. Ms Denysiuk completed 17 projects under the Kyoto Protocol in industries such as the generation and distribution of thermal energy, alternative and small energy, solid waste landfills, water and electricity distribution networks, chemical enterprises, coal mining and enrichment, and energy efficiency in industrial enterprises. Under the Kyoto Protocol, Ms Denysiuk has also carried out energy and technical analysis of environmental investments of more than 40 industrial enterprises in all regions of Ukraine.

Iryna Koshel-Repnevska is the Director of the Reform Support Team at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine. The Reform Support Team at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine (RST) represents one of the components of the Ukraine Reforms Architecture (URA) programme, an instrument developed jointly by the EBRD and the European Union. RST provides expert technical support to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine in implementing priority reforms identified by the Government of Ukraine. Before her current position, Iryna held various other positions with the Reform Support Team at the Ministry of Infrastructure including a legal adviser role, consultor with private companies. In 2015, Iryna serves Deputy Chairman of the Board Railway Transport Company. She also worked with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and various private companies.

Barrie Hebb is a development economist currently consulting with aid and development agencies for providing aid to vulnerable people in the context of natural, man-made and economic disasters and investing in disaster preparedness. His research interests have focused on the impact of institutional failures on poor communities in transition economies.

Magnus Liljeström is a Senior advisor to the international development projects of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR). He has been working in development cooperation for more than 30 years and for the last dozen of years has been focusing on the local aspects of good governance, democracy and the development of local government associations. Since 2016, he has been engaged in projects in Ukraine in support of the decentralization reform. Mr Liljeström is also an experienced local politician, currently as a member of the municipal council, executive committee and social welfare committee of his home municipality.

Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak is Secretary of State in the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland. Madam Minister oversees the implementation of EU funds for Operational Programme Eastern Poland, Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development and Regional Operational Programmes. Her duties also include coordination of the preparation of the new programming period for 2021-2027 and supervision of the Accessibility Plus Programme (she also co-authored the Accessibility Act in Poland). Previously she was the minister of development funds and regional policy.

Konrad Fijołek is Mayor of the City of Rzeszów. Konrad Fijołek has been involved in the management of the refugee crisis since 24 February 2022. Together with the municipal staff and citizens of Rzeszów he provided support to refugees in many different aspects. Rzeszów, as the first large city near the border with Ukraine, has been heavily affected by the war. At the peak of the crisis the city which normally is inhabited by around 200 000 people, now hosted 100 000 refugees. All of them were provided with proper support. In appreciation of the city’s and its citizens’ involvement, Rzeszów became the first city in the world to be granted the Rescuer City title by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The support has not ceased, now Mr Fijołek and the city are focused on the integration of refugees into local society and the preparation for winter. Mr Fijołek is a graduate of the Pedagogical University in Rzeszów and Apsley Business School of London.

Liana Khorovytska is CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) Ukraine Country Director. Liana oversees CORE immediate humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine, with a focus on the most vulnerable territories. Liana is dedicated to identifying and addressing the acute humanitarian needs of people affected by the war. She coordinates the response with the Government of Ukraine, international help agencies, as well as civil society partners, and volunteer hubs in frontline areas and the liberated territories. Liana has over 15 years of experience in leading complex teams in international organizations as well as the business sector. Her expertise includes crisis management in dynamic environments, social cohesion in conflict-affected territories, dialogue and mediation, humanitarian aid, freedom of expression, and media environment. Prior to CORE, Liana served as OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Project Coordinator in Ukraine, where her work overlapped with key stakeholders in the country, including, the Office of the President of Ukraine, Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Reintegration and Temporarily Occupied Territories, Ministry of Culture and Informational Policy, Council of Europe, Internews, USAID and the US and German embassies, among others.

Darja Gonstarova is an international relations expert and former diplomat, working for the European institutions since 2016. She holds Masters’ degrees in International Law, in International Relations and in Communication Studies. At the European Committee of the Regions, she has been responsible for relations with Ukraine, including offering support to the decentralisation reform, and bringing EU and Ukrainian cities and regions together within the CoR Working Group on Ukraine. Since February 2022, this support includes also intensified political ties and the recently launched European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.

Zhan Beleniuk (born 24 January 1991) is a Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler and politician. In 2019, he became the first black member of the Ukrainian Parliament. Beleniuk was born in 1991 in Kyiv to a Ukrainian mother and a father from Rwanda. His father was a pilot who studied in Kyiv at the National Aviation University and died during the Genocide in Rwanda. Beleniuk began wrestling in 2000 when he was nine years old. Thee-time European, two-time World Champion in Greco-Roman wrestling in under-85 (87) kg weight category. In 2016, he won the silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In 2021, he won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was educated at the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport (Master of Sports Psychology) and the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management with a degree in business management. Beleniuk was elected a deputy to the Verkhovna Rada in July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election as a member of the Servant of the People political party. He was one of the first ten candidates on the party’s electoral list. He’s served as the first deputy head of the parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports. Beleniuk’s vision of Ukraine’s future involves building the necessary infrastructure to support athletes and the improvement of public health by promoting sports.

As Ukraine response field team lead, Jake Wheeler oversees Americares shipments of critical medicine and support for local organizations assisting adults and children affected by the war in Ukraine. Wheeler leads a team, based in Kraków, Poland, focused on delivering medicine and medical supplies to health facilities in Ukraine and providing emergency funding and other assistance to local organizations in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. Americares Ukraine response supports more than 60 partner organizations providing medical care, mental health support and other essential services to adults and children across all four countries. Wheeler has played a key role in Americares response to the war in Ukraine since April 2022, when he joined the health-focused relief and development organization as an emergency response and assessment officer in Romania. Americares responds to more than 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings preparedness programs to communities vulnerable to disasters. Americares relief workers are among the first to respond to emergencies, helping to restore health services for survivors. Prior to joining Americares, Wheeler worked for multilateral development organizations, bilateral government agencies and international non-governmental organizations. Most recently, he worked in South Sudan for four years as country representative for The Carter Center, overseeing all public health programming in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health. He previously worked in the Ministry of Finance, Republic of Liberia and consulted with the World Bank and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on refugee and migration issues. Wheeler earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a certificate in refugees and humanitarian emergencies from the Institute for the Study of International Migration. He received his bachelor’s degree from Emory University.

Alona Shkrum is a Ukrainian politician and lawyer. Since 2014, she is MP of Ukrainian Parliament. Ms Shkrum works in the Parliamentarian Committee on taxation, banking and finance. She is a member of the President of Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group with France and a Secretary of Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group with Great Britain. Ms Shkrum is also a member of the Bureau of Committee on peace and security of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Her focus areas include: international relations, inter-parliamentary diplomacy, public administration reform and support for local small and medium businesses. Before being elected an MP, Ms Shkrum worked on matters related to IDPs as an advocacy expert and implementing partner of UNHCR, as well as a lawyer in Ukraine, France and Great Britain as a Pegasus Scholar in the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. In 2017 and 2020 she was at list of top-100 most successful Ukrainian women. In 2016, she was awarded «Top 30 under 30» by the Kyiv Post as one of the young leaders of Ukraine. Ms Shkrum is a graduate of Cambridge University, University Pantheon-Sorbonne Paris 1, and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Grzegorz Gruca is a vice-president, member of the Management Board and an expert working at Polish Humanitarian Action. He participated in establishing PHA missions to Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Ukraine and has also participated in humanitarian missions to North Korea. Between 1990 and 1994 he worked as an executive manager and consultant at various trade companies. From 1995 to 1997 he was the NGO liaison coordinator of the Warsaw office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He has been working for PHA since 1997, as a Management Board Member and an Executive Manager. In 1998, Mr Gruca completed a technical cooperation program under the Program of the Agency for International Development of the Government of the United States of America in the field of Emergency Management. He is a member of Polish Fundraising Association. In November 2011 he was awarded the Bene Merito badge by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for strengthening Poland’s position on the international stage. In 2016 Mr Gruca joined the regional round-tables, organized by NOHA and the European Commission as part of the preparation for the World Humanitarian Summit. In 2017, he obtained a certificate from the Union Civil Protection Mechanism Training Programme for the Technical Experts Course. The certificate is honored by the European Commission.

Andriy Sadovyi is a Lviv city mayor since 2006. When the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine started, Lviv became one of the leading cities of the Ukrainian homefront, receiving wounded soldiers and civilians, providing shelters for internally displaced people (IDPs) and undergoing frequent missile attacks. Lviv city mayor implements a number of scale programs that enable full-fledged functioning of the city in these unusual circumstances.

Joanna Porath has 17 years of professional experience as a director in TSL sector. Experienced in management and business development within the field of customs services, maritime and intermodal forwarding and air freight. She is fluent in 3 languages. A dynamic leader specialized in creating and developing long-term business strategies and building company’s image on the Polish, German-speaking (DACH) and Dutch market. She is an active participant in women’s business groups: Ladies Logistics Lounge Hamburg, Damen Logistik Club Vienna, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association. She is MBA candidate, having Master’s degree in Transport Engineering and Commodity Science.

Agnieszka Wądołowska is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She leads a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe created by Notes from Poland and produces and hosts The VoiCEE podcast. She has previously worked for Polish mainstream media: Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza, Wysokie Obcasy and Duży Format.

Zygmunt L. Ostrowski (MD, PhD, MPH) is a pediatrician in Paris, a former WHO Regional Advisor, and currently the president of the European Association for Child Development (ADE) – a humanitarian and nonprofit organization created in 1976. The aim of ADE is to promote studies concerning the psychomotor development of children at each stage of age. While conducting scientific studies in Southern Sudan, Dr Ostrowski found himself at the heart of the Sudanese civil war (1984-2005). He saved children in war conflicts and created a Center for Children in Distress in Uganda to de-traumatize them through art-therapy (also later in Afghanistan and former Yugoslavia). Dr Ostrowski has published sixteen scientific and geopolitical books and over 100 scientific articles and speeches. For one of his books, he received the Henri Duveyrier Prize (1840-1892) of the French Geographical Society in 2007. Officer of Polish Order of Merit and UNICEF Order of “SMILE”, he continues humanitarian actions and research through art-therapy and group stimulation to prevent the worsening of the mental state of traumatized children. Since the war in Ukraine, he is also concerned with the health of traumatized Ukrainian children arriving to Poland.

Oleh Berezyuk is an Advisor to the Mayor of Lviv on health issues. He is an alumni of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, where he works now too. Psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and Member of the USP community (Ukrainian Union of Psychotherapists).

Phil Oldham is International Medical Corps’ Deputy Country Director for Programming in Ukraine, where he oversees programs in health; mental health and psychosocial support; gender-based violence prevention and treatment; water, sanitation and hygiene; nutrition; and cash assistance. He has been working in international relief and development since 1992, and has extensive experience in conflict and emergency operating environments, including assignments in Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Libya and Ukraine. He also has managed development programs in Africa and Haiti in health, economic development, agriculture, financial services, climate resiliency and other sectors. His work includes assignments with some of the leading international NGOs in the field, as well as smaller organizations with a geographic or sectoral focus. Before joining International Medical Corps in September, Phil worked with International Orthodox Christian Charities in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, establishing programs in Romania, Poland, and Ukraine. He holds a B.A. in Soviet Studies from Middlebury College, speaks Serbo-Croatian, French and Russian, and is learning Ukrainian.

Being passionate about Startups, Uliana Pereskotska is currently covering Health & Wellbeing Vertical at Kickstart Innovation, helping organizations become more sustainable and innovative. She leads the Ukrainian Chapter of Diaspora TV and multiple projects at Ukrainian Swiss Business Association (USBA). Uliana has been synergistic professional with over 9 years of experience in logistics, communication, and innovation industries, including 5 years in project managing.

Jean-Christophe Bonis is a futurist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, TED speaker, investor, and writer. He is passionate about new technologies and is a tireless globe-trotter. Jean-Christophe was recognized in 2019 among the most influential French experts in the field of artificial intelligence across the planet. After a career as a VC, he decided to leave everything to give a meaning to his life. He travelled the 5 continents to meet the different cultures impacted by today’s digital challenges. An entrepreneur committed to the ecosystem of successful start-ups, Jean-Christophe led for 10 years a start-up studio dedicated to projects in the field of artificial intelligence (anomaly detection, computer vision, smart city and industry 4.0). Facing successes and failures, he believes in «Tech for Good» and empirical experience. Having dedicated all his career to innovation strategy and people, Jean-Christophe created the foundation Team4UA/Team4Humanity in February 2022 to link technology with emergency humanitarian answer in Ukraine. As chairman of the board, he’s leading since then all the operations in the field.

Brock Bierman was sworn in on January 8, 2018 as Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia. Mr. Bierman brings considerable experience to the Bureau from previous leadership positions with the Rhode Island House of Representative USAID, FEMA, Department of the Interior, and the private sector, as well as extensive knowledge of the region. Prior to his current appointment with USAID, Bierman spent more than twenty years in the private sector as a successful entrepreneur, launching two small businesses from the ground up. Throughout his career in public service, Bierman has demonstrated a commitment to expanding transformative development across Eastern Europe and Eurasia. From 2002-2007, he served as Chief of Staff in USAID’s Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, where he helped implement strategic priorities for the Bureau and provided oversight of conflict mitigation, democracy, health, and trade initiatives within the region. Bierman also managed all aspects of the Bureau’s public outreach activities. While at FEMA Bierman led a program to recruit, train, and monitor nearly one million emergency management volunteers on a $20 million budget. A recognized leader, Bierman also served three terms in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, where he cultivated strong bipartisan support and received public recognition for extraordinary ethical integrity and accountability.

Oleksander Yakovlev is a Skadovsk city mayor. He served his first term in office in 2015-2018 and was re-elected in 2020. Now the city of Skadovsk (Kherson region) is occupied. Mr Yakovlev manages it remotely, looking for solutions and ways that enable the functioning of the city and its services even under the occupation.

William McNulty is a social entrepreneur, United States Marine veteran, and the Head of Mission for White Stork. In February 2022, William traveled to Ukraine where he cofounded Operation White Stork. In 2010, William cofounded Team Rubicon, an internationally acclaimed veteran-led disaster response organization with over 100,000 members and 500 operations around the world. In 2014, William founded Team Rubicon Global, serving as CEO until 2017 and then again from 2020-2021. In ten years, William helped raise over $100M and launched five Team Rubicon country units in Australia, Canada, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States. William holds a BA from the University of Kansas – with a double major in Economics and Communication Studies – and an MA in Government from The Johns Hopkins University. William is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Dr Stanisław Mazur is a medical doctor, specialist in internal diseases and cardiologist, scholarship holder in Hamburg and Philadelphia, and author of several scientific publications. He is a precursor of private health care in Rzeszów. For over 33 years, Dr Mazur and his family have been running the Medyk Medical Center – the first private medical company in the city of Rzeszów, one of the fastest growing networks of medical facilities in the Podkarpackie Province. Currently, the Medyk Medical Center provides services to over half a million patients, 8,000 companies and employs a total of over 1,000 people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he actively participated in the pandemic prevention efforts by creating hundreds of testing sites and vaccination clinics, as well as isolatories for patients and medics working in COVID wards. Dr Mazur is a winner of many awards, including the award of the Patient Rights Ombudsman “Golden Leader” in the Healthcare competition 2019. In 2021, he received the PR Wings award for communication and crisis management of the vaccination process. From the very beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, he was deeply involved in helping people who fled violence. He is the originator and main founder of the emergency accommodation point for refugees at Full Market in Rzeszów, a medical clinic dedicated exclusively to Ukrainian refugees, the Language Institute, where Ukrainians with medical degree have the opportunity to learn Polish language and the “Little Medyk” kindergarten for children from Ukrainian families.

Oleksandr Syenkevych was elected as Mykolaiv City Mayor on November, 24, 2015. Mr Syenkevych is the youngest mayor of the regional centre of Ukraine. On November 22, 2020 he was reelected as the Mykolaiv City Mayor. His main task as a mayor of a half a million city is transformation of Mykolaiv into the best city for the citizens’ life. On February, 24 with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syenkevych has become the head of the city, which has been on the front zone. He has organized the work of the city council executive bodies under martial law. Prior to his position as a mayor, Mr Syenkevych founded a public organization «Golos gromady».

Krzysztof Stanowski is a member of the regional board of the underground Solidarity movement, a political prisoner, and co-founder of the independent scouting in Poland (1988). Since 1989, he has been a co-founder and leader of various non-governmental organisations including the Education for Democracy Foundation and the Zagranica Group. He is an experienced trainer and educator active in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Mongolia. Author of numerous educational programmes and publications concerning NGO management and civic education. Krzysztof is also a coordinator of long-term development cooperation and democracy support programmes in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa. Member of the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy, as well as Ashoka fellow. Furthermore, he has served as under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education of Poland (2007-2010) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2010-2011). He was the President of Solidarity Fund PL – Polish Democracy Support Agency (2012-2017). Since 2013, he is a co-organiser of the Polish support for the Revolution of Dignity. Co-founder of Civic Committee of the Solidarity with Ukraine. Member of the Polish-Ukrainian Dialogue Group. On February 23, 2022 he co-founded Lublin Civic Committee to Aid Ukraine – an umbrella organization to integrate assistance from local government and NGOs. Since 2022, he is a member of Committee of Experts on the Intercultural Integration of Migrants Council of Europe.

Dr Graziella Piga is an international specialist on gender equality and social inclusion. She combines over 20 years of experience in field missions (OSCE, UN Women, INGO) with consulting work, research, analysis on gender equality and women, peace and security (WPS) in conflict-affected and fragile states. She has extensive experience in gender-sensitive policies and programme review, design, monitoring, evaluation and learning. From 2011 to 2013 she was the manager and chief technical adviser of the UN Women Cross-regional programme on the implementation of the UNSCR on WPS, covering 8 countries. Dr Piga has an excellent knowledge and experience of international human rights instruments and principles and their application. Since 2014 she has undertaken a variety of short-term assignments for several IOs, including the UN, the OSCE and the EU. She was an expert of the EU IcSP Gender Facility I and led the GF II. She has recently joined Project HOPE as their Regional Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Director providing technical guidance to their teams in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova and Poland. Dr Piga holds a PhD in Gender and Politics from Surrey University (UK) with a thesis on the gender dimension of the EU Foreign and Security Policy. She also holds an MA in Russian Studies from Bologna University (Italy) and an MSc in Development Practice from Oxford Brookes University (UK). She is fluent in English and proficient in French and Russian. Italian is her mother tongue.

Maryna Marchenko has been a head of NGO ‘PMSC Lada’ since 2020. She created this organization with partners 4 years ago to provide conditions and opportunities for healthy and active maternity in Ukraine, economic capacity and financial independence of women. Maryna’s role now is based around managing activities and projects, fundraising and government relationships. It includes project design, monitoring and evaluation, negotiation with potential partners and donors, building cooperation with government and advocacy rights and interests of mothers on the government level. Under her leadership, NGO ‘PMSC Lada’ launched the first all-Ukrainian support hotline for parents. 8.000 parents received aid in 9 month. Also, she and her team created a free online course ‘The time has come’. 10.000 moms are currently participating in it to understand how to find themselves, return to the labor market and become financially independent. Since the war in Ukraine began, she has made an adaptation of all NGO projects to military conditions. Now she continues to create new projects to help Ukrainian moms. Maryna also consults other women activists on how to create an NGO and start its activities.

Larysa Sugay is a health educator, physiotherapist and NDT Bobath therapist. She helps people to change their lives for the better – as a physiotherapist, using rehabilitation techniques, as a health educator by showing advantages of the healthy lifestyle. Larysa was born in Ukraine, studied in the United States and currently lives in Poland. Thus, multiculturalism and the diverse backgrounds are significantly important to her. She likes to exercise empathy with others to assist in all aspects of communication and creating higher chances of people’s successful outcomes. As a physiotherapist, Larysa works at the Polish Migration Forum – an NGO helping people with migration background to integrate into the host society. Her major occupancy is focused on migrants (mostly children) with neurological disorders or trauma aiming to help them to overcome their traumatic experience and get better health. Additionally, Larysa works in the National Institute of Public Health at the Department of Health Promotion and Chronic Diseases Prevention, where among others, she runs the research project aiming at reducing inequalities in health for migrants. As she says: “I think it is a high time for all of us to use our skills to make the global society a better place for all the people, not just chosen one”.

Monika Plata is a speech and language therapist and an intercultural educator. In 2014-2020, she worked with Polish bilingual patients in London, including at the Family Clinic operating at the Polish Psychologists’ Association; Polish Saturday schools: Hounslow, South Croydon, Willesden Green and the Polish School of the Polish Embassy in London; Poland Medical Private Medical Practice; Healthy Body Clinic ManualMed. Monika collaborated with the London-based foundation Aphasia Re-Connect, offering help to people suffering from aphasia as a result of stroke. In 2015-2017, Monika was an assistant at the Department of Polish Diaspora, and in 2017-2020 at the Department of Health Sciences at the Polish University Abroad in London (PUNO). From 2016 to 2020, she conducted a number of speech therapy classes at PUNO and was also the head of the University Speech Therapy Clinic. Since 2020, Monika is an assistant at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Polish Academy of Social Sciences and Humanities in London (PASSH). In April this year, she took a position as the president of the Association of Schools of Mother Subjects established by PASSH. She is also a member of the Ethics Committee of the Polish Society of Neurologopedists and occasionally presents as a court expert in the fields of speech therapy and neurologopedics. Currently, she is the medical director of the NEURO Specialist Clinic, specializing in the rehabilitation of children and adults with neurological deficits.

For the last 5 years, Roman Neyter has been engaged in research and consultations in the field of agricultural and land policy, including the EU and World Bank program “Supporting Transparent Land Governance in Ukraine” and in the UaFoodTrade project – a project of sustainable internationalization of scientific structures in Ukraine, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Science. Currently, Roman is a researcher with the Center for Food and Land Use Research at the Kyiv School of Economics.

Dr. Dadunashvili has worked for such organizations as Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Labour Organization, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. She was a member of the Permanent Identification Group on the status of victims of trafficking in human beings, and a member of the Interagency Co-ordination Council for implementation of measures against THB. She is a member of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. She has participated in country assessments of Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo, Armenia, Belarus, and Serbia and Azerbaijan. As a member of the ad hoc working group on labour exploitation, she participated in drafting of the compendium of good practices in addressing trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation, and the guidance note on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation; she took part in the meetings of the drafting committee for the CoE Ministerial Council Recommendation on trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. She accompanied the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees in her fact-finding missions to Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Moldova to assess the situation of Ukrainian refugees. She is the Gender Equality Rapporteur for GRETA.

Maryana Zaviyska has over 15 years expertise in Ukrainian civil society development and good understanding of current rapidly changing situation in Ukrainian and sector context. She works as a facilitator of transformation processes with organizations working in the social change and development sector in Eastern Europe and Balkan countries. Her expertise is in the fields of stakeholder dialogues and collaborations. Her work comprises building partnerships in complex multi-stakeholder initiatives ranging across the development spectrum. Since 2017 Maryana Zaviyska has been a Project Manager and Facilitator at the Collective Leadership Institute, a cutting edge NGO working on changing the collaboration paradigm towards a vision that values interdependence, interconnection, compassion, care, and respect. Maryana Zaviyska guides individuals and organizations through processes that build collaboration capacities in the expectation of developing productive collaboration cultures within organizations and through and across thematic sectors. In Ukraine Maryana Zaviyska is coordinating Collective Leadership Hub (https://www.collectiveleadership.de/blog/article/collective-leadership-hubs-network/).

Iryna Kopanytsia is a CEO of White Ribbon in Ukraine, an international campaign against domestic violence, a woman rights activist, humanitarian and a public speaker. Iryna has been engaged in Government Relations and lobbying sector in Ukraine, USA and Great Britain. She co-organised GR international conferences and forums in Washington DC, Istanbul, Dubai, Brussels and Kyiv. Iryna is also a former CEO of Miss Ukraine, a national beauty contest a franchise of Miss World, produced online reality show in China, actively supports different charities including David Lynch Foundation in Ukraine, children hospitals and medical facilities, participates in developing a number of laws about women’ rights and orphans’ houses. She helped to advocate in Parliament of Ukraine for a new law criminalizing domestic violence and coordinated cooperation with European Parliament members and Senators on women rights. During COVID19 Iryna launched production of PPE in Ukraine assisting governmental organizations and medical facilities with needed supplies. In 2022 after the war crisis in Ukraine began she stepped in White Ribbon Ukraine campaign’s management as a CEO. White Ribbon Ukraine launched the first in Ukraine mobile application for domestic violence victims supported by the US Embassy in Ukraine and State Democracy Fund of the US as well as currently producing TV series about the heroic role of Ukrainian women during the war.

Robert Drogoś has 30 years of experience backed by successes and lessons learned from failures. Fellow of the U.S. Government and the German Parity Social Union. Former employee of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Working Community of Social Organizations, the Working Community of Associations of Social Organizations, the European Academy of Social Sciences and the University of A. Mickiewicz University in Poznań. He is a specialist in social communication and an NGO development advisor. Robert is President of the TRATWA Association since its inception and creator of the EQUAL project “CYBER-HAND OF LEADERSHIP – Supporting leaders of social change in Poland” and project “PROMES – Promotion of Social Economy in Poland”. He is also a founder of the ZAJEZDNIA Intercultural Projects Studio and the Center for Academic Culture and Local Initiatives Czasoprzestrzeń in Wrocław.

Colleen Denny is Spirit of America’s Regional Director for Europe. Prior to joining Spirit of America, Colleen earned her Master’s Degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) after serving for eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard. As the Regional Director for Europe, Colleen has executed projects throughout the Balkans and eastern Europe alongside deployed American troops and Diplomats in support of US diplomatic and national security objectives. These projects have ranged from supporting a Ukrainian NGO making masks for Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Donbas, to creating a food security initiative for import-reliant Montenegro, to helping evacuate at-risk Afghans from Kabul to safety in Albania. Colleen has led Spirit of America’s efforts to provide aid and assistance to the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Force and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To date, Spirit of America has provided over $24mm worth of aid, totaling over 180 tons, including 9,400+ sets of body armor and helmets, 20,000+ Individual First Aid Kits, 9 50-passenger vans, 4×4 trucks, and communications gear. A native of Buffalo NY, Colleen graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science. During her time in service, she served on three ships including a tour as the Commanding Officer of a Fast Response Cutter.

Malcolm J. Wright is a FCA Developer and contractor with vast experience in starting and growing companies including three fully reporting public companies. Mr. Wright has owned businesses in England, Spain, the Caribbean Islands of Antigua, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the United States. He has been active in Puerto Rico since the Hurricanes of 2017 creating his own proprietary resilient and sustainable building materials, wall and roof systems to construct energy-efficient housing that can withstand storms and earth quakes yet improve the residents’ quality of life. His systems enable local unskilled labor to be employed for 80% of the work and can be built in half the time of traditional CMU systems. His fiberglass solar panels are lightweight and almost unbreakable and there is almost no roof made that cannot support the weight of his panels. They are manufactured in Amsterdam and shortly in Poland. He intends to set up factories in Poland and the Ukraine to give people jobs and to build back better, greener, faster and at a lower price point to stretch the monies to help more families. He has developed a refugee solution which is on display at the Rzeszow Arena that is flat packed and can be erected in a day and can be taken apart quickly and moved multiple times. The home is designed to last for 20 years. On display also is his power wagon which can be fitted with a reverse osmosis plant to produce drinking water.

Julia Sachenko is a Country Manager of a non-governmental organization A21 Ukraine. She has 10 years of experience in combating human trafficking and assistance to survivors of modern slavery in Ukraine. Together with the A21 Ukraine team, she developed dozens of prevention programs for people vulnerable to trafficking in human beings, as well as awareness projects with the government of Ukraine. Julia took part in police raids and rescue missions, and was involved in holistic reintegration assistance to victims. Now, as a refugee from Ukraine in Poland, she and her team continue working to protect Ukrainian refugees from human trafficking in European countries. Currently, in Poland, together with her team Julia is involved in the development of projects and resources for refugees, conducts information campaigns along the Ukrainian side of the border, trains frontline officers, and helps refugees affected by human trafficking.

Anton Aslanov is currently volunteering for the non-governmental organization and project ‘Childhood Without War’. He is also self-employed in banking and international business consulting and is broadening the knowledge in supply chain finance along with trending ways of the modern ex-im banking support. Anton has long-term relations and business portfolio with partners from the Middle East, India, Japan and the European Union (namely Germany, Netherlands and Italy) in structured contracts, commenced supplies and successfully closed deal. He was born in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Olena Aslanova is a Volunteer and Fundraiser of the non-governmental organization ‘Childhood Without War’ since March 2022. She is also the Head of Project Office of the company “Varus” (food retail chain), over the last 5 years. She has more than 10 years of experience in strategy development and project management, and she is a business and life coach for personal effectiveness and project management. She was born in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

Adrian Goretzki is a lawyer & patient advocate specialized in the area of rare diseases. In years 2010-2018, a leader of Polish Association for Patients with Primary Immunodeficiencies ‘Immunoprotect’, former member of executive board of international umbrella association – the International Patient Organization for Primary Immunodeficiencies (IPOPI). For his successful patient advocacy, Adrian has been given Luciano Vassali Award in 2014, the University of Silesia Rector’s Award in 2020 and RARE Champion of Hope award in 2022. In his foundation, the Healthcare Education Institute, he ensures the best possible standards of care and therapy for people with chronic and rare diseases in Central Eastern Europe. To fulfill this purpose, the foundation’s main focus is on preparing studies and reports and providing education of patient advocacy groups, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, his foundation supports Ukrainian refugees with rare diseases in obtaining highly specialized treatment in the European Union and also helps Ukrainian hospitals taking care of patients with rare diseases. See: EDUinstitute.org

Anna Korzeniowska is a Co-Founder and Board Member of the Koper Pomaga Foundation, established in Łódź, Poland in the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After starting with the coordinator of free buses from the border, the Foundation organized to evacuate women and children from the Lviv train station, where most of the escapees from the east were flocking. Ms Korzeniowska was then responsible for the team that identified available accommodations for the refugees and distributed material aid. Together with Marcin Banasiak, a co-organizer of the humanitarian aid convoys to Bucha, Kharkiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Toretsk, and other frontline towns and villages of the Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, the Foundation’s Package for a Civilian project feeds those at risk of starvation. Ms Korzeniowska is a co-author of the Surzhyk album of photographs, which documents the daily struggles of the people of Kharkiv as they face the enormity of Russian aggression. Some of the photographs will be featured at an exhibition accompanying the W4UA Summit.

Oleh Fasolya is head of the component of education support at the local and regional levels of the Swedish-Ukrainian project “Supporting Decentralization in Ukraine”. He is a candidate of Pedagogical Sciences. From 2014 to 2021, he headed the Department of Education and Science of the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration. From 2016 to 2021, he was a member of the Board of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. He specializes in the formation of effective school networks, the creation of conditions for providing high-quality educational services to those seeking education regardless of their place of birth, residence and education, and reforming the senior school in terms of the formation of a network of senior specialized schools. Mr Fasolya is a co-author of the manuals “New school in new communities”, “Senior specialized school: steps to creation”, and “Autonomy as a way to effective school management”. One of the initiators and authors of the “School Gardens of Victory” project.

Jan Marković is an educational psychologist, children books author, and an activist with more than 20 years of experience working on dozens of projects. The NGO he co-founded in 2015, Podkarpackie Stowarzyszenie dla Aktywnych Rodzin (PSAR, transl. Subcarpathian Association for Active Families), has established itself as one of the most active, professional, and respectable regional organizations in the areas of education and culture in Subcarpathian Poland. PSAR currently employs more than 20 personnel. After the Russian invasion on Ukraine, PSAR immediately engaged in helping Ukrainian refugees and working on social inclusion of newcomers, especially children and youth. It runs Center for Psychosocial Support TUTU in Rzeszów. It collaborates with international organizations such as Project HOPE, UNHCR, Soleterre, Premiere Urgence Internationale, and others on providing essential support to those in need. Every day Jan writes, talks, plans, teaches and asks questions trying to contribute as much as possible to those efforts.

Dave Tomlinson serves as the Senior Director of Global Disaster Response and Procurement. His global responsibilities include all facets of disaster cycle services in over 60 countries. His direct major disaster response experience includes natural disasters and humanitarian crisis in 40 major events in the last 4 years. Dave leads HOPE worldwide’s $30 million response to Ukraine that includes food security, psychosocial support, direct medicine and supply aid, and refugee support in Ukraine and in 37 cities in Europe. Prior to joining HOPE worldwide in 2018, Dave retired after a 35-year career in Fire and Emergency Services. Dave holds a Master of Science in Technology Management and a Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Management.

Virginie Bidault de l’Isle is the head of the International Cooperation of the non-governmental organization French Civil Protection. She coordinate more than 32 000 volunteers. Launched in 1964, thanks to General de Gaulle’s initiative, French Civil Protection is the leading NGO of the first aid emergency response, training and humanitarian aid in France. Virginie started volunteering in first aid teams and social care as a teenager. Along all those years, she was mainly in charge of increasing the support of homeless people and managing many projects in crisis response involving many volunteers. Lately, she was the head of large COVID testing and vaccination centers. On the first day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Virginie was sent by the French Civil Protection as one the bridgehead at the Ukrainian boarder to organize the arrival of the first humanitarian help before managing a large refugee camp in Paris. Then, she jointly organized the rise in power of the Ukrainian help. The French Civil Protection has sent more than 15 000 pallets of humanitarian aid in Ukraine. She is involved in business management and consulting, and has a large experience with projects based in Eastern Europe.

Ania Hyman is a doctoral student in the Department of History at American University in Washington, DC, and the co-founder of the Koper Pomaga Foundation, about to defend her dissertation on the post-World War II reconstruction of Warsaw. Her work focuses on the inscription and/or erasure of certain carefully selected memories and versions of national and local history into the urban landscape. Some of her main research questions include: What is the role of architecture and urban planning in (de)constructing local and national narratives? What should be reconstructed and how to foster both community building and reconciliation? What is the significance and role of sites of memory (lieux de mémoire) in the healing of communities fractured by armed conflict? What should be the input of local inhabitants in the reconstruction of cities? Should reconstructions be chiefly local, or is there a place for the international community to step in? If so, to what extent? How should the affected communities reconcile the tension between preservation, reconstruction, and redevelopment? How should reconstruction be conducted to avoid re-traumatizing the population? Since the first days of the Russian invasion, Ms Hyman is actively engaged in supporting war refugees in Poland and delivering humanitarian aid to the people of eastern Ukraine. Passionate about history, architecture, reading, traveling, vinyl, cooking, and everything Warsaw. The mother of two dogs, the wife of one husband. She lives in New York.

Julia Markhel is a public figure with 20 years of experience. She is currently a leader of the largest environmental movement in Ukraine – “Let’s do it Ukraine”, which unites more than 3 million Ukrainians. She is also a coordinator of the International Humanitarian Project “Let’s do it Ukraine SOS”, and a coordinator of the World Cleaning Day in Ukraine. She co-founded international movements Let’s Do It World and School Recycling World in Ukraine and continues to be actively involved. In 2022, it was possible to continue the implementation of eco-projects in Ukraine, as well as attract 2,300 volunteers who united in 18 regions of humanitarian hubs to carry out humanitarian missions both in hot spots and in relatively safe areas of our country; organize dozens of international cultural, social, events in support of the project; attract bloggers, athletes, public opinion leaders. Also, within the framework of the international humanitarian project, it was possible to attract and distribute 3,030 tons of humanitarian aid to more than 422,113 Ukrainians, distribute 106,248 food kits, organize the logistical support of aid arriving in other regions of Ukraine, the provided humanitarian aid is equivalent to 46 million dollars. www.letsdoitukraine.org

Yevhen Smuryhin is a Senior Project Manager at the Reform Support Team of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine. His main area of expertise and responsibility is the Inland Water Transport Reform. Mr Smuryhin has experience in the transport sphere in the public sector since 2008. Since 2011, he has held management positions in governmental authorities in Ukraine, mainly in the field of water transport. Mr Smuryhin has taken part in the process of Ukraine’s accession to several international agreements, as well as the preparation of the Ukrainian law “On Inland Water Transport” and numerous by-laws to it, and the adoption of the law establishing the State Fund of Inland Waterways.

Viktor Stepanyuk works in the social sphere since 2009 in Lviv cory council, Lviv regional administration, and the Ministry of Social Policy. Since July 2021, Mr Stepanyuk is the head of the Lviv regional department in the National Social Service of Ukraine. Before the war, his main responsibilities were the control of local structures of social protection and local communities regarding the provision of social support, social services and the observance of children’s rights. During the war, he additionally cooperates with various funds, institutions and organizations in terms of improving the conditions of stay of internally displaced persons in the territory of Lviv region.

Agata Kozak is the President of Kraina Foundation which is a non-governmental organization that carries out a mission to strengthen local communities by creating equal opportunities for people in crises, including the poor, elderly, and refugees. During the Ukrainian refugee crisis, Ms Kozak manages the Centrum Pomocy Mokotów [transl. Mokotów Aid Centre] at 20 Puławska Street in Warsaw – a place where refugees from Ukraine receive free food, clothes, shoes, hygiene articles, household chemicals and many other necessary products. From the very beginning, the Mokotów Aid Centre has been ran only by volunteers, hundreds of committed people, and many invaluable private donors. It has helped over 20,000 refugees from Ukraine and the estimated value of the aid obtained and provided was 8 mln PLN. Mokotów Aid Center has been recognized by global media (CNN, BBC, Fox News, Arte, etc.). Agata is an experienced entrepreneur and manager. For over 15 years, she ran the digital marketing projects and companies.

Dmytro Klets is a Senior Project Manager at the Reform Support Team at the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine since 2019. As Project Manager, he assists in developing the road sector’s reform agenda and work planning, manages preparation of changes to laws and secondary legislation, manages analytical support of the reforms, and assists in implementing infrastructural projects in Ukraine. Among others, Mr Klets is also involved in the drafting and approval of a number of draft laws regarding the EU acquis requirements of road transport, as well as legislation regarding the functioning of Weigh-in-Motion systems (i.e. the automatic recording of offenses and automatic fines collection). Previously, Mr Klets has worked as Vice Rector and Head of Computer Technologies and Mechatronics Department at Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University. He has also conducted research with Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany), National Aerospace University «Kharkiv Aviation Institute», Kozhedub Air Force University, and Kharkiv Research Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Svitlana Chystiakova is a financial and project manager, and vice-president of Kraina Foundation, helping Ukrainian refugees with humanitarian aid and allocation programmes. After 15 years of corporate finance and project management experience, Svitlana started her own business in Warsaw, Poland. Since the end of February 2022, she runs ‘Centrum Pomocy Mokotów’ [transl. Mokotów Aid Center] on Pulawska 20 in Warsaw where she became a volunteer supporting Ukrainian refugees coming to Poland. With this centre, Svitlana managed to help around 20 thousand refugees, coordinated around 500 volunteers, and managed around 8 mln PLN of donations from all over the world. With Kraina Foundation, she continues to help refugees and displaced people integrate into local societies.

Blandine Bruyère is International Medical Corps’ Coordinator for its Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Emergency Response Team in Ukraine. Before joining International Medical Corps earlier this year, she worked for the last 12 years as an MHPSS expert for various humanitarian organizations in Africa (in Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Senegal) and in the Middle East (Iraq and Syria). Before joining the humanitarian sector, she worked as a psychologist and psychotherapist for 12 years in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric facilities in Lyon, France. She also worked with Forum Réfugies, a local NGO supporting asylum seekers and migrants. Ms Bruyère has conducted research at the Research Center on Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology (CRPPC) at the Université Lumière Lyon 2, and holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and psychopathology, specializing in the psychological effects of collective violence and migration.

Katarzyna Pietrzak is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, specializing in international law and human rights. She works as Programme Coordinator for the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH). After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, she lived and worked as a coordinator of the crisis intervention point at the border crossing in Dorohusk. Currently, Katarzyna continues to work as a coordinator of PAH activities on the Polish-Belarusian border. Privately, she is a great lover of backpacking around Asia.

Since 2013, Svitlana Osipchuk has taught historical disciplines at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. From 2016 onwards, she has also worked in the non-governmental sector, first in the field of non-formal education with a focus on human rights and the history of the Holocaust, then in an organization that aimed to build a journalistic community in Eastern Ukraine. She was an AMCHA-Germany project participant for professionals working with groups affected by trauma and collective violence in Ukraine (2019-2020). Svitlana started working in War Childhood Museum Ukraine in 2021 as a project manager and recently stepped in as a Project Director. Svitlana advocates the importance of mental health care and care related to the traumatic past. She likes to travel across Ukraine and meet her friends in her free time.

Aaron Asay is the Chief Medical Officer for Aerial Recovery, overseeing all medical preparations and response to humanitarian events. He is a practicing Physician Assistant with extensive experience in austere and rural medicine, primary care, and trauma, including 6 years as the primary care provider of a small island community in Hawaii and over a decade caring specifically for underserved communities. He is also a CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive) injury and trauma specialist on a disaster rescue team with the US Air Force. He worked as lead medical operator and team lead with Operation Underground Railroad, with numerous successful high-risk missions in a variety of international locations, conducting undercover child sex trafficking investigations. His work has also included developing standards of operation and training guidelines for this unique niche of field medicine. He has worked as a professional urban and wildland firefighter and paramedic, including being a member of an elite civilian rescue squad with special training in technical rescue, hazardous material response, mountain and swiftwater rescue, and confined space urban disaster response.

Dmytro Natalukha obtained a graduate degree in MPhil in International Relations and Politics at Cambridge University. He also got both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law from the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Before being elected as an MP, Dmytro worked in leading Ukrainian and international law firms: “Spenser & Kauffmann,” “Ilyashev and Partners,” and “Baker & McKenzie,” where he specialized in international investments, banking, and finance, as well as litigation. Dmytro assumed the office of Deputy Country Director of “Right to Protection,” an implementing partner of UNHCR, where he worked with IDPs. He was also the Head of the Lymansky district state administration of the Odesa region and a managing partner of “Lead/Augury,” a strategic communications boutique firm specializing in government relations, public relations, crisis communications, and branding and political consulting. In 2021, Dmytro was listed as one of the “100 most influential Ukrainians in 2021” and one of the “100 most promising Ukrainian politicians in 2021”. He is fluent in English, Italian, and French.

Borys Dorogov is a COO and Partner at balbek bureau, Kyiv-based architecture and interior design practice. With 18 years of experience in operations management and project supervision, Borys has been leading the studio’s most large-scale projects, such as a corporate hub for a global IT company Grammarly in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Darron Incubation center in Qingdao, China. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, Borys has been involved in supervising the balbek bureau’s social projects, including RE:Ukraine Housing – a dignified temporary housing system for internally displaced persons.

Rachel Roe is an attorney and international specialist on grants, contracts and procurement. She has over 20 years of experience in field missions and embassies (UNDP, USAID) along with extensive experience in the Middle East and former Soviet states. From 2010 to 2020 she served with USAID, assisting local and international partners to expediently achieve program objectives. Ms. Roe has excellent knowledge in international procurement mechanisms and experience in increasing their effectiveness while remaining compliant with requirements. Recently she was in training as a private pilot before joining Project HOPE on the Ukraine response this year and currently serves as the Regional Director for Contracts and Grants providing guidance to teams in Ukraine, Romania, Poland and Moldova. Ms. Roe holds her degree in Psychology from Harvard University as well as degrees in Law from Northeastern University and the University of Wisconsin (US). She is fluent in English and proficient in Arabic.

Irina Costache is CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) Romania Country Lead. She manages the provision of immediate emergency aid and life-saving services for refugees fleeing war in Ukraine. She is dedicated to filling in some key gaps in the overall humanitarian response in Romania. Irina is a public policy expert and researcher with a Ph.D. in Gender Studies and over 10 years of experience in the field of social policy, anti-discrimination, and anti-corruption. Irina worked as a consultant with major international organizations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, European Women’s Lobby, and Open Society Foundation. She authored research and policy reports commissioned by Romanian and international organizations with impact at the EU level. Irina served as President of the Romanian women’s rights organization A.L.E.G and helped it to grow into a well-recognized, vocal, and youth-oriented feminist NGO. Her expertise includes managing the mental health counseling service for victims of gender-based violence, specializing in working with PTSD, trauma processing.

Ewa Leniart was born in 1976 in Dylągówka in Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

In the years 1995 – 2000 she was a student at the Faculty of Law at Rzeszów branch of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, where she received a master’s degree in law.

For three years (2002-2005) she was a Chief of the Legal and Organisational Division in Branch Office of the Institute of National Remembrance in Rzeszów.

In the period from December 2005 until January 2007 she was a coordinator and director of the Voivode’s Cabinet in Podkarpackie Voivodeship Office in Rzeszów.

From February 1, 2007 to December 8, 2015 she held the positon of the director of Branch Office of the Institute of National Remembrance in Rzeszów.

On February 2014 she obtained Ph.D. degree in law.

In the years 2015-2019 she was the Voivode of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. In 2019 Ewa Leniart was elected as a deputy to the Polish Sejm. On 13th January 2020, Mateusz Morawiecki Polish Prime Minister appointed her again the Voivode of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

Pawel Mania brings more than 15 years of experience working across development and humanitarian nexus. In his current role as a Deputy Director for Transformational Response at Humanitarian Leadership Academy (Save the Children UK) he oversees portfolio of capacity strengthening and research programmes, aiming to deliver sustainable humanitarian response in Ukraine and neighbouring countries that strengthens civil society, advocates for transformational impact and provides valuable learning on shifting power for other global responses. Pawel is an expert in research and evaluation, having worked previously at the British Council and Committee on Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament across various research, MEAL, policy and advocacy roles focusing on strengthening resilience of diverse communities affected by conflict and crisis and inclusion policies. In his field work he supported humanitarian responses and development programming in Uganda, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Pakistan. He graduated from the University of Sussex, University of Copenhagen and University of Gdansk.

As a volunteer, Mr Volodymyr Dyba coordinates the logistics of humanitarian aid that is coming to the city of Rzeszów at the request of the city authorities from 24.02.2022 and the “Blahodar” foundation. To find our more about his proejcts, see Facebook page. Currently, Mr Dyba is engaged in his own fund, which finances various projects. Also organization of charity concerts and tournaments. His foundation @welcomerzeszow is a co-organizer of the international charity hockey tournament on November 10-13.11.2022 in Toruń. He is actively looking for sponsors for his projects and regularly sends humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Graham Weihmiller is Chairman and CEO BNI – the largest and most successful business networking organization that brings together nearly 300,000 entrepreneurs in almost 80 countries. He joined BNI in 2014 to help execute BNI’s strategic plan that includes operational enhancements, continued membership growth, and ongoing global member expansion. Graham is passionate about building successful service organizations that have a remarkable value proposition and a positive social impact. Prior to BNI, he served as the CEO of a 32-year-old nationwide franchisor of homecare services. While there, he was a founding director of a foundation that provides homecare to those who cannot afford it. His previous leadership experience includes roles with Pioneer Equity Partners, American Franchise Company, Bank of America, Booz Allen and JP Morgan. Graham speaks frequently on entrepreneurship and franchising and has recently been on panels at Harvard Business School, Stanford University, and Georgetown University. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his BBA from the College of William & Mary. He has done subsequent executive education with Harvard Business School in India. He is a Certified Franchise Executive and active with the IFA. Graham is trained in Lean Enterprise, Process Excellence, Design for Six Sigma, and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. He is an active member of the YPO and the Harvard Business School Club of Charlotte, where he was formerly the Club president.

Iuliia was born on October 27, 1978. She graduated from the University of Finance and Economics in Odessa. She has a diploma of a junior specialist “Finance and credits” and “Accountant-financier”. Julia has a bachelor’s degree in”Economics and entrepreneurship, specialty: Accounting and auditing and a master’s degree in economics. She also graduated from the “Cosinus” police school in Warsaw and obtained a diploma in administration technique. She gained professional experience in Pharmaceutical organization “UNIVERUS” as Accountant and Director. In the Progress distribution company, she worked as a director and manager of the financial department. She is a volunteer in shelters for Ukrainian citizens and in Lemkin Center in the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor (Lemkin Centre).

Dmytro Anopov’s professional activity in the context of aid to Ukraine in Poland started in 2014. From November 2014 to June 2015 he worked in the “Ukrainian World” Help Center in Warsaw, which provided informational, psychological and legal assistance to Ukrainians who were forced migrants as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Numerous cultural, artistic, educational and integration
events were organized in the “Ukrainian World”, where Dmytro initially worked as the
head of the Help Center. In 2015 he was the head of its Information Point, organizing
volunteer work and helping people from Ukraine with documents, employment and
searching for a place of residence.
Since August 2015 Dmytro has been a member of the Council of the Euromaidan-Warsaw Foundation, which helps Ukrainians in Poland. The Foundation organizes annually an International Football Tournament and Inependence Picnic on
the occasion of the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Warsaw.
In 2022, when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Dmytro joined the Rafal
Lemkin Center for Documentation of Russian Crimes in Ukraine, created by the
Piletsky Institute. His task is to collect testimonies from people, who were eyewitnesses or suffered as a result of Russian aggression in Ukraine. The aim of the Lemkin Center is to preserve evidence of the crimes of the Russian army, so that
the world never forgets the events that took place during the war on the territory of Ukraine.

Anna Cerutti has been working in the humanitarian sector for 12 years before with International Non-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations and, then with the Red Cross Movement, holding multidisciplinary positions in emergency response and recovery operations in a total of 23 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Since June 2022 she manages IFRC/PCK Ukraine and Impacted countries operation in Poland focused on Multi-Purpose Cash, Shelter and Mental Health and Psychosocial support. Anna is enthusiastic by nature and fulfilled while working towards social and humanitarian objectives, as well as while sharing knowledges creating occasions to capitalize know‐how within teams. She has good communication skills and experience in dealing with donors and medias. Anna holds a master’s degree in diplomacy and two bachelor’s degree in International Relations and International Science. She also has Cash and Voucher Certification CaLP level I and level II.

Kasia Madera is a BBC News presenter with over 20 years of broadcasting experience. At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kasia was one of the first international journalists to report live from the Poland-Ukraine border. For weeks she witnessed first hand as thousands of people fled the fighting. Of Polish heritage Kasia is bilingual in Polish and was able to interview many refugees in a mixture of Polish and Ukrainian. Her father was born in Lviv so Kasia has a strong connection with the region. She regularly returns to Poland to report on the plight of the millions of displaced people.

Professor Y.L. Zarutsky is a scientist and surgeon, whose scientific researches are devoted to the actual problems of military and emergency surgery. For many years his activity is connected with military surgery. From 1993 to the present time he has been working on scientific and pedagogical positions at the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy. In 1997, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences on the topic: “Diagnosis and surgical treatment of liver damage in closed combined abdominal trauma”. In 2000 he was awarded the academic title of “Associate Professor”. In 2004, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences on the topic: “Clinical and organizational bases and principles of diagnosis and surgical treatment of victims with traumatic diseases”, and in December of the same year he was awarded the academic title of “Professor”.

Anna Coen is a Founder at the #DKTech4Ukraine employment campaign for Ukrainians in Denmark. We have joined forces with 30+ Danish startups to help Ukrainian Tech talent affected by the war to find jobs in Scandinavia.

She is also a Tech Recruiter at Cyber Security consultancy Kontex. Anna brings over 15 years of international experience in Finance, IT and Recruitment, having lived and worked in the USA, London, Singapore and Copenhagen. In addition, Anna is an activist and Board Member at AUD: Association of Ukrainians in Denmark, the largest non-profit organization representing Ukrainians in Denmark under the coordination of the Embassy of Ukraine in Denmark.

Elena Malitskaya is Ukrainian Business Leader with 15+ years of managerial experience in multinational businesses and launching new business, with 8+ years in CFO role and 4 years with IT Business and 3 years as founder and CEO of NGO “Innovation Startup Entrepreneurship Group”. Awards include: Top Women in Tech in Ukraine Award 2020, Short listed as best CFO by Strategic Business Review 2018, Finalist in UBL PIE (Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation), USA 2021 Her Key Career Results are: the Aggregate value of all executed M&A transactions and PE/VC deals is over 2 billion USD; Executed 20+ transactions; Brought to Ukraine such international business as Fairmont, Intercontinental and Commerzbank; during 2017-2018 managed scale-up of IT company into 40+ countries including Europe and Asia; Was a member of management board of PE Fund with USD 400m under management; During the war convinced Google to launch equity-free Ukraine Startup Fund amounting 5 million

Mateusz Wojdylo is an inventor and a successful founder of several companies including 2 exits. In 2017 Mateusz co-founded and successfully launched tech start-up, Safeside.life, the Swiss online life insurance company trusted by Baloise Bank and a few other big players. Mateusz is a man who turns ideas into reality. In his latest venture, after only a few months of activity his Start-up Share.P has an experienced team, the product that solves the problem of customers and signs contracts with big players on the market including Google. With experience on the international level and an extremely positive attitude he always inspires others to go beyond the impossible. ShareP is very much engaged in helping Ukraine with already several projects, one of them is the UN project in Lviv.

In the past, Khrystyna Faichak was adviser to the Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2019-2020), adviser to the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (2019), expert on public administration reform and business self-regulation in the Better Regulation Delivery Office (2015-2022), founder and manager of various educational projects for civil servants and representatives of civil society.

Andrii Deshchytsia is curently the advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. He served as Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland from October 2014 till July 2022. Previously, he was also the Ambassador of Ukraine to Finland and Iceland in 2008-2012. During Ukraine’s Chairmanship in the OSCE in 2013 Mr. Deshchytsia was Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for protrected conflicts. During and after the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014 he played a vital role as a diplomat, publicly opposing the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine at that time. In February 2014 after the victory of the Euromaidan he became Ukrainian Foreign Minister and served in this position till June 2014. From the beginning of Russian invasion into Ukraine Ambassador Andrii Deshchytsia has been a vital part of the Ukrainian diplomatic front in Poland, advocating Poland’s support for Ukraine and building strong international coalition to Russian aggression.

Svitlana Muzychenko is formerly a technology entrepreneur, consultant, and sales leader. She has worked in several technology firms in the USA and the UK. She eventually started her own technology services start-up in Brazil (https://smttech.com.br/), growing the company to 70+ employees and a worldwide customer base. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, she has taken a sabbatical from her business and dedicated herself to humanitarian work in Ukraine. She founded UA Brokers Without Borders (https://www.bwb.org.ua/) – a non-profit that works with urgent, grassroots humanitarian projects in Ukraine. As organization UA Brokers Without Borders came together with the objective to save lives in Ukraine and lighten the load of this unjust war. Outside of work and war, Svitlana is a mother of two wonderful boys, an amateur mountain biker, and a very determined human being.

Olga Sulkowska is the Caritas Poland Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe, including EU Eastern Partnership countries. She has led the emergency humanitarian response of Caritas Poland, dedicated to the groups most affected by the war in Ukraine. She coordinates the cooperation with the local Ukrainian Partners, the Member Organizations of the international network of Caritas and public institutions. In Ukraine, she’s focused on multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) and in-kind food assistance projects that geographical coverage includes the front-line areas of the Eastern and Southern Ukraine regions. Olga leads the flagship Caritas Poland project Family2Family – Ukraine, managed in line with the Caritas unique methodology, already developed and implemented in the Middle East countries (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Gaza Strip). Olga has over ten years of experience in designing and implementing a wide range of projects, including humanitarian assistance in the Eastern Europe region and the Middle East (Yemen), as well as social and research projects dedicated to the inclusion of migrants in Poland.

Andreas Wilkman is an experienced agile manager. He has over 15 years of experience within banking, special logistics, entrepreneurship and setting up agile teams. His educational background includes Bachelor Degree in Finance and Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship, Management and Organisation. Before his studies he served one year at the Finnish army within the Marine corps as Intelligence NCO. Mr Wilkman lived and worked in Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands. He has been deployed in Poland and Ukraine since the war took a new turn in February 2022. Therefore he put his personal career on hold and now he is focusing on helping Ukraine through the NGO Zero Line and a few other organisations and volunteering teams. Some of Wilkman’s career highlights before the war was setting up a new capital management firm, strategy setting and negotiations at the highest level in Finland regarding procurement of critical PPE to Finland; planned special supply chain & logistic solution; and coordination of emergency blood transportations within Finland. Some of the aid provided through Wilkmans teams to Ukraine are among other: tourniquets, protective vests, helmets, evacuation vehicles and portable ultrasound equipment’s to the Kiev hospitals while Kiev was under siege.

Andrzej Bułka is a graduate of the Navigation Faculty of the Maritime University of Szczecin. He completed postgraduate studies in leadership psychology at the Business School of the Warsaw University of Technology and studies in marketing and management at the Warsaw School of Economics. He started his professional career as a merchant navy officer. He has been associated with the TSL industry for several years. He gained managerial experience in international logistics companies. In 2005-2006 he was a manager in the sales department of Eurogate Logistics Ltd. Then, until 2010, he was a shareholder and managing director of LPL Projects & Logistics Polska. In 2010, he headed Fracht FWO Polska as its Managing Director. He has been the Chairman of the Board of the company since January 2019.

Hanna Proszowska is a graduate of Cultural Studies of the Mediterranean countries. She works as an MPCA/Livelihoods Officer in the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH). After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, she lived and worked as a coordinator of the crisis intervention point at the border crossing in Hrebenne. Currently, Hanna continues to work as a MPCA/Livelihoods Officer on the shelter project in Olsztyn. Privately, she loves to practice yoga and travel.

Svitlana Muzychenko is the Head of Pokrovska municipality in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Her profound experience in the local self-governance and her appreciation of the municipality helped to unite and stay stronger in front of the Russian threat. The municipality is close to the frontline, the wounded soldiers are delivered to the city every day. The city also sends aid to the frontline. The local government provides the locals, IDPs from the eastern regions of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces with all the necessary services. The municipality became a kind of shield that defends the native lands.

Vladyslav Atroshenko works as the Mayor of Chernihiv He has two higher education degrees in “Aircraft Control Systems”, electrical engineer and “Public Administration”, Master of Public Administration. After graduation, he began his career as an economist in a private bank. Then he worked as a financial director and in other executive positions in private institutions. In 2002 was elected as a Member of Parliament of Ukraine of the IV convocation.In 2005 was appointed the Head of Chernihiv Regional State Administration. In 2007 returned to the private sector. In 2012 again became a Member of Parliament of Ukraine of VII-VIII convocations.In 2015 was elected the Mayor of Chernihiv. In 2020 was re-elected as the Mayor of Chernihiv, supported by 77.49% of voters. On March 6, 2022, for a significant personal contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, courage and selfless actions shown during the organization of the defense of the city of Chernihiv from Russian invaders, was awarded the Order “For Courage” of the III degree.

Zbigniew Lasocik is a professor of law and criminology specializing in human trafficking, serious criminality, prison systems, human rights and civil society. He serves as the Director of the Center of Excellence The Human Trafficking Studies Centre, at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw. Professor Lasocik was visiting scholar of Columbia University in New York, Harvard University in Cambridge, California State University in Los Angeles, John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and several other universities in the US, UK and Argentina. In 2019 he conducted research on effectiveness of combating human trafficking in the US. Mr Lasocik is an expert of the United Nations, European Commission, OSCE and Council of Europe and former member of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture in Geneva. He served as a President of the Polish Section of the International Commission of Jurists in Poland. He participated in over 60 international fact finding and assessment missions regarding prisons, torture prevention, human rights and human trafficking. Professor Lasocik has been a recipient of the Zbigniew Holda Human Rights Award in 2015. He graduated from law and criminology/sociology. He is an author of over 120 scientific publications (books, articles and research reports) in criminology, human trafficking, human rights, torture prevention and prison systems.

Artem Panchenko launched Uber operations in Ukraine back in 2016 as an operations manager. He aimed to offer Ukrainians a comfortable, reliable, and affordable mode of transportation. After adding more and more cities and products including Uber Black and the pilot of Uber Shuttle he moved to Uber CEE central team to cover expansion projects across the region. For the past months of russian war in Ukraine, Artem has been working on relaunching Uber operations in cities, providing our riders with life-saving essential transportation and our drivers with a unique source of continued income to support their families. In addition, he executed Uber’s social impact programs, including the build-out and scale-up of Uber Direct for UN emergency supplies deliveries across Ukraine, our evacuation of irreplaceable cultural heritage artifacts, and our free rides for doctors, nurses, and other essential workers.

Velina Zayats is the Head of Dunayevetska municipality in Khmelnytskyi region. The municipality consists of 54 settlements. It became a shelter for thousands of IDPs. Ms Zayat’s leadership enabled providing IDPs with dwellings, meals and other services for those who suffered. No kids and women were ignored by the municipality. Besides, following the call of the local authorities, the residents of the municipality regularly gather humanitarian aid for the municipalities located close to the frontline. Ms Zayats managed to establish a friendly space for the children from IDP families and their parents on the territory of the municipality.

Michał Szachmat – Board Member of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland Przemyśl Branch; Coordinator of projects aimed to support refugees from Ukraine funded by Polish Humanitarian Action, including Temporary Rapid Assistance Programme (TeRA)for People Who Fled Ukraine; sworn translator of Ukrainian language; volunteer. Since the beginning of the full-scale armed conflict in Ukraine, he has been involved in providing assistance and coordinating activities organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Poland, Przemyśl Branch, the centre of which has been the Ukrainian House in Przemyśl. This institution established the city’s first, still functioning shelter for refugees and has coordinated the work of about 900 volunteers-translators, who have been active since the first days of the crisis. The volunteers-translators are, among others, present round-the-clock at the Railway Station in Przemyśl. Moreover, the employees and volunteers attempt to comprehensively assist refugees from Ukraine in the following areas: psychological support, integrative events, food and NFI support, financial support, assistance in searching for accommodation and employment, teaching Polish language, activities for children, engaging refugees in volunteering etc. The Association coordinates these activities and monitors current needs of refugees from Ukraine staying in the region.

Hleb Salauyou is currently CVA-IM Officer at the Polish Red Cross. He graduated B.A. in International Relations (BSU, Belarus), M.A. in Translation & Interpreting (MSLU, Belarus). His work experience include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Accenture Poland, volunteering and work at Polish Red Cross. Mr Salauyou has more than 12 publications on the topic of Belarusian-Ukrainain relations.

Iryna Tverdovska ia s communication advisor, expert in communications with political parties and state authoritie, head of Communication Offices,project manager, producer, cooperator with mass media, TV production. She specializes in the implementation and development of press services and communication departments, creation of dedicated teams, communication with mass media. She worked as the Head of the press service and Communication Advisor to the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada Of Ukraine and the Deputy Head of Communication Office of The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Ihor Hnatusha is the Head of Komysh-Zorianska municipality in Zaporizhzhia region. Even though the community was captured by the enemy at the beginning of March, the head of the community continued to provide the population with humanitarian aid and pensions. Risking his life, the head of the community repeatedly delivered the necessary aid to the locals and continued to carry out his duties. Only after direct execution threats, Mr Hnatusha began to manage the community remotely from the city of Zaporizhzhia. As the leader of the regional communities team of Zaporizhzhia, he helps other heads of communities to find solutions on how to ensure the presence of the Ukrainian authorities on the temporarily occupied territories and recover after de-occupation.

Oleh Fasolia graduated from Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State Pedagogical Institute and Kyiv National University of Economics. Teacher of biology and chemistry, master’s degree in administrative management. Defended his thesis at Uman State University named after Pavlo Tychyna. Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences. Worked as a biology and chemistry teacher, school director, newspaper editor, first deputy head of the oblast state administration, director of the Department of Education and Science of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast State Administration. He was a member of the board of the Ministry of Education and Science Ukraine for 4 years. Associate Professor of Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University. The circle of professional interests includes the creation of a system of providing quality educational services, the formation of effective school networks, the establishment of the Profile education in Ukraine, issues of environmental education and environmental education. Co-author of the education manuals “Manual on effective education management in amalgamated territorial communities “New School in New Hromada”, “Profile education in Ukraine: stages of development”, “School Autonomy as a way to effective management of the school”.

Yuliia Nikandrova is head of the Children’s Affairs Service of the Odessa City Council. She graduated from the Odessa National Mechnikov University. In 2017, she studied in Harvard Kennedy School (program “Emerging leaders”). At the beginning of the war, she participated in the evacuation of orphans from orphanages in Odesa and the Odesa region to Poland. Married, she is a mother of two sons.

Jan Linke is Partner and President of the Management Board at Linke Kulicki Law Firm and Legal Counsel specializing in law for business with a particular passion for corporate governance matters and VC investments. Linke Kulicki Law Firm serves many NGOs providing assistance in connection with the war in Ukraine.

Oleksandr Korinnyi is the Head of Novoukrayinska municipality in Kirovohrad region. A member of the National delegation to Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. After the decentralisation reform started in 2016, Oleksandr Korinnyi initiated the founding of the All-Ukrainian Association of Local Communities. More than 600 municipalities from all over Ukraine became members of the organisation. In 2020 Mr Korinnyi became the head of the All-Ukrainian Association of Local Communities for the second time. From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr provided the municipality support for the local Territorial Defence and arranged the care for IDPs from the Eastern and Southern parts of Ukraine. At the same time the Association, ruled by Mr Korinnyi, launched a special project “Municipality for Municipalities” which allowed to set up sending aid from the municipalities in the western part of Ukraine to the municipalities in the eastern part.

David Allen Schlaefer is the Senior Advisor for War Crimes and Accountability in Ukraine in the Office for Global Criminal Justice at the US Department of State. He was previously the Senior Assistance Coordinator at the US Embassy in Kyiv and served as Acting DCM and Team Leader in Rzeszow during the past year. In that capacity, he worked on coordination of US foreign assistance with international partners and implementers following the Russian invasion as well as the reopening of the Embassy. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Schlaefer was the previous Deputy Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS from 2020-2021 and was the Director for Political-Military Affairs at the US Embassy in Tokyo from 2011-2015. He has been a diplomat for almost 30 years.

Oleksandr Iatsyna was born in 1983, city Vinnytsia Ukraine – Ph.D. in medical sciences, Honored Doctor of Ukraine, Deputy Director for Medical and Coordination work of the National Cancer Institute, President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Pelvic Floor, Vice-President of the Association of Aesthetic Gynecology and Andrology in the “Andrology”, Founder of the Charitable Foundation “Mercy and Health”. Author of 233 scientific works, 15 patents for inventions, 17 information sheets, 4 methodological recommendations, co-author of 5 training manuals, 1 textbook “Textbook of male genitourethral reconstruction” (Springer, 2020). Awarded the Gold Medal at the 8th International Salon of Inventions and New Technologies “Novy Chas” for the development of the “Urodynamic system and new methods of conducting urological and proctological examinations”. High education obtained in Vinnytsia National Medical University of M. I. Pirogov, and internship at the NMAPE of P. L. Shupyk (urology, oncology), National Military Medical Academy. A practicing surgeon of the entire range of modern operations on the urinary and genital organs. Actively engaged in medical and volunteer activities. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, it has been helping medical institutions affected by hostilities on the territory of Ukraine and military units by providing humanitarian aid in the form of medical equipment, ambulances, medicines, and tactical means.

Chief Financial Officer in Bravecare, Founder and CEO in Fundacja “Bezpieczni Finansowo”, woman mentor in financial education area.

Dr André Lieber is a surgeon with many years of experience. He became a graduated surgeon in 1993, a chest surgeon in 1997 and a visceral surgeon in 2002. Dr Lieber was all together in 22 deployments with regular forces, navy and other forces where he served as a medical surgeon. His first deployment was Somalia in 1993/94. He also served in the Military Hospital in Berlin as a consultant and was a member in the medical Advisory Board for the Medical Command (surgery, surgical instruments and consumables, procedures and consumables for or medic´s, teaching of our younger surgeons, developer and medical director of the German war surgery course).

Tetiana Svyrydenko is the Head of Ivankivska municipality in Kyiv region. Ms Svyrydenko has more than 10 years of experience working in local governance and public authority. In 2022, the President of Ukraine awarded her with the III grade Order of Princess Olga. The municipality was occupied from the first days of the full-scale invasion. The enemy shelling out flamed the Maria Prymachenko historical museum in Ivankiv, where the pictures of the outstanding artist were kept. However, the locals saved the majority of the works. Nowadays the municipality solves the question of the museum rebuilding.

Anna Radecka is an experienced humanitarian and development aid specialist. Since 2010 she was implementing development aid programmes for Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM) in Georgia and Palestine, as a Project Coordinator and Head of Mission. In the past, she was national expert for EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) as well. Also, cooperating with Solidarity Fund PL agency (Moldova, Georgia and Armenia programmes). Currently, she is coordinating PCPM humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, specifically, the cash assistance modality, that is addressed mostly to internally displaced persons. Her motto is to help people make their lives better by encouraging them to use their own minds and concepts.

Vadim Danilchenko has a bachelor’s degree in fitness and recreation, and a Master’s degree in sports physiology. He is a graduate student of the Department Psychology and Pedagogy. Vadym has been working as a fitness and physical training specialist for 13 years.

Bogusław Świeży is a native of the city of Przemyśl. In 2003, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Rzeszów and obtained a Master’s Degree in Law. Bogusław worked in a managerial position (Director of Commercial Affairs) from 2003 to 2007. In September 2008, he took a management post at the trading company BOZ-3 Sp. z o.o., and from July 2014, he began to serve as the Company’s Managing Director. As Company Director, Bogusław was responsible for creating plans and strategies for the company’s operations, as well as for their execution, monitoring and analyzing the market, negotiating terms of cooperation and trade agreements, along with compliance of the company’s operations according to the current law.

Victoria Kerr is a Scottish lawyer and Consultant with the T.M.C. Asser Institute in The Hague. She works primarily on the MATRA project ”Strengthening Ukraine’s Capacity to Investigate and Prosecute International Crimes”, in partnership with Global Rights Compliance and funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her work focuses on supporting several national criminal justice actors in investigating, prosecuting, adjudicating and reporting on international crimes. She also contributes to projects in the context of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). Prior to joining the T.M.C. Asser Institute, Victoria worked for Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, on their UK Military Accountability project, and for GRC on their Mass Starvation project. She also spent time assisting the Defence team for Jovica Stanišic at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in the Hague, as well as at the International Bar Association and the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre in London. She holds an LL.B. (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh (2015), with a year spent at Universität Wien in Austria (2013-2014), and obtained an LL.M. in Globalisation and Law (specialisation in Human Rights) from Maastricht University (2016).

Liam O’Hagan is a Chartered Engineer and graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Queens University Belfast. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Healthcare and Environmental Management, a Fellow of the Association of Consulting Engineers, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers and a Member of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland. Liam joined a Consulting Engineering practice in 1978 as a design engineer and went on to become the Managing Director and Chairman of this International practice of Consulting Engineers with 12 offices located worldwide. He has been involved with many notable building successes in Ireland, United Kingdom, Romania, Russia, Nigeria, Libya, USA and the Middle East. He brings a solid network of close contacts amongst the NI business community. He has a special interest in Sustainability and in particular Nett Zero buildings. Liam was a past board member of NICENT (Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship) and is currently Chair of Grow the Glens CIC Ltd, a community organisation set up to foster employment and employability in the Glens of Antrim area. He is a Director of MedPro Scientific. Currently engaged in a Consultancy role in Greenview Group driving Business Development.

Oleg Dunda was born on March 6, 1980 in Dnipropetrovsk. In 1999, he graduated from the Dnipropetrovsk Welding and Electronics Technical College (programmer-system engineer). Thesis (practical) – creation of software for calculating the reliability of electronic devices.In 2001, he graduated from the State Institute of Advanced Training and Retraining of Managers and Specialists of the Metallurgical Complex (Dnipro) with a major in Finance. Diploma work – development of financial instruments for managing bad loans of a commercial bank.Candidate for People’s Deputies from the Servant of the People party in the parliamentary elections in 2019 (electoral district No. 91, Fastiv, Makarivskyi, Fastivskyi districts, part of Kyiv-Sviatoshynskyi, part of Skvyrskyi districts). Member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Construction and Design. Speaker of the “Servant of the People” party with a clear pro-Ukrainian position. Actively participates in international activities. He is a member of the interparliamentary friendship groups with France, the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, and Luxembourg.

Myshenin Dmitry Mikhailovich was born and grew up in Donetsk region. Ukraine. In 2014-2018, he assisted as a volunteer in evacuations, humanitarian assistance to the needy, shelter and rehabilitation projects in Ukraine. With the beginning of the war, he resumed his volunteering activities creating new projects and opening up a foundation “Angels of Salvation”. Main areas of his work include: evacuation, humanitarian aid, assistance to the settlers, preparation for winter, children’s emergency.

Kateryna Leontyeva took the role of promoting variability of educational opportunities and distance education in Ukraine in February 2014, after her daughter’s school in Crimea suffered from the annexation. Within several months Kateryna launched distance education in a number of Ukrainian schools making Ukrainian education available for those in the occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Eight years later, on February 24th 2022, Kateryna woke up from the missile attack in her home in Kharkiv and decided to leave. After a 52 hour trip she came to Poland as a refugee with her teen daughter, their pet rat and a backpack, with no plans or contacts. Kateryna received help from random people, who truly became her new Polish family. As of day one in Warsaw Kateryna started volunteering with a number of organizations. After several months of volunteering as an interviewer at Rafal Lemkin Centre for Documenting Russian Crimes in Ukraine, Kateryna became a coordinator of the Centre, specializing in video and audio evidence. Kateryna uses her vast corporate background and project management skills to implement the best practices for launching and promoting the Centre’s archive with the evidence of russian war crimes in Ukraine. Kateryna’s purpose in this work is making sure the world doesn’t “get tired” of the war and continues to fight russian aggression as one. Kateryna’s dream is to show beautiful, victorious Ukraine to her new Polish family.

Nadiia Kovalchuk is a deputy director of the CF Right to Protection, a non-governmental organization, since 2021. The Right to Protection is a leading Ukrainian organization that works comprehensively with the problems of people who are forcibly displaced. Over the past 8 months, our organization has grown 6 times, and the team is now implementing over 45 projects. More than 1000 specialists provide legal aid, psychophysiological support, cash and in-kind assistance and social services. We advocate rights of IDPs, refugees and stateless people. Previously, Ms Kovalchuk was also a deputy director of the Ukrainian Cultural Fund, a program manager of the Reanimation Package of Reform (a coalition of NGOs), a senior project manager of the Ukrainian Catholic University, and a project manager of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

Volodymyr Mitsuk, head of Biloziria village community in Cherkasy district of Cherkasy region. He has been working in local self-government bodies for 12 years. Mr Mitsuk was the head of the first Cherkasy region amalgamated territorial community, formed in August 2015. Due to the decentralization reform, he managed to implement many positive changes in the village of Biloziria. Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Mitsuk actively coordinates the volunteer movement in the community and cooperates with humanitarian organizations. Residents of the community weave camouflage nets, buy ammunition and food, fundraise, and organize field kitchens – all for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The community actively participates in the Gardens of Victory programme of the President of Ukraine. The programme aims to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine, IDPs and Ukrainians in the fight zones with the vegetables.

Robert Jacek Moritz is the President of ALTA SA, a company investing in projects creating urban spaces and technical solutions. In the 90s, he managed the courier company Servisco (now DHL), as well as the shipping company Hellmann Moritz. Since 2005, he has been the CEO of ALTA, a company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. He carried out the process of transformation of the company from transport to investment activities. An urban visionary who created the Siewierz Jeziorna Town based on the principles of new urbanism – the first such place in Poland. He wants to share his vast experience, to inspire municipal authorities and for other innovators to follow this direction. Originator and co-founder of the CitiSense think tank, an organization that brings together exceptional experts and professionals in the fields of new urbanism and the future of cities.

Michał Kuroń is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and psychotherapy supervisor. He is Head of the Psychology Team of the Psychiatry, Combat Stress and Psychotraumatology Clinic of the Military Medical Institute – National Research Institute in Warsaw. His scientific interests include broadly understood aspects of personality disorders occurrence and mental illnesses in the group of uniformed services officers and crisis intervention. He also deals with issues that focus on the role of a psychologist during mass events and accidents, with particular emphasis on the psychological consequences of event participants. For many years, he has been actively involved in the creation and implementation of training programs for doctors and psychologists from Ukraine in the field of treating disorders related to traumatic stress. Projects are continuously implemented stationary in Ukraine, also during the period of increased aggression by Russia, which directs its attacks against civilians and civilian facilities, such as hospitals, medical facilities, shops and schools.

Kateryna Sukhomlynova is a public activist, a member of the Mariupol City Council, a volunteer since 2014, the head of the Maltese Aid Service, whose office in Mariupol called “Svitlytsia” was used to work with children in risk groups – those relocated from the war-torn east of Ukraine, with orphans etc. Since the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, she began to help victims of hostilities. For her, the war began in 2014, and today she has the strength to fight, even in Europe to call the whole world to the problem of Russia’s aggression not only to Ukraine itself, but also to the whole world!

Paulina Brym-Ciuba is COO of the StartupHub Poland Foundation, as of 2019. She is a manager of acceleration projects including: Academic League of Startups, Poland Prize or Warsaw Booster, as well as scouting and educational projects such as V4 Venture Drill, Orlen Inventor Tech Day or softlanding projects such as Poland Business Harbour. In 2016-2019 she was Director of the Marketing Department at the Institute for Eastern Studies, responsible for cooperation with commercial partners, promotion of companies during events organised by the Institute (especially Economic Forum in Krynica – the largest economic event in the region, known as the “Polish Davos”). She sat on expert committees analysing and evaluating applications for the competition.

Roman Dmytriv was born on June 23, 1975, in the town of Kalush (Ivano-Frankivsk region). He studied at the Simferopol Public Catering College. In 2003 graduated from Kyiv National University Of Trade And Economics, where he studied the management of organisations. In 2019 he graduated with honours from The National Academy of State Administration under the President of Ukraine, becoming a specialist in the field of Public Management and Administration. Mr Dmytriv’s career started in 1997, he underwent the path from a cook to the director of the food processing company LLC Royal Catering (2005-2015). Since 2015 Roman Dmytriv is the head of the village Hora in Boryspil district of Kyiv region. He is married and brings up two daughters.

Ostap Protsyk is the Advisor to the Mayor of Lviv. Responsible for international and communication projects in the Lviv City Council since 2006. In 2012, he co-founded the Lviv Media Forum – one of the most significant media events in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2022, he began cooperating with the Swedish association SALAR International within the project “Supporting Decentralization in Ukraine.” The “United for Ukraine” project, supported by USAID, assists in establishing long-term partnerships between Ukrainian and foreign communities. He deals with communication issues and contacts with international organizations in the “Unbroken” project, which aims to build a national rehabilitation center in Lviv for victims of the Russian war against Ukraine.

Since the attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine, Michał T. Łukasiewicz has been actively involved in international humanitarian aid projects, coordinating and leading aid convoys, participating in the evacuation of the population, supporting the activities of foreign media covering the war. Social activist, traveler, TV producer and presenter. Over the years associated with TVP, TVN, also working with CBS News, CNBC, RTE. Entertainer, guest of many radio and TV programs including foreign ones – German ZDF and Arab Al Jazzer. Winner of many honors and awards for his activities and work, including from the Polish Tourist Organization, Vienna’s CIFFT and Germany’s DLG. He has led EU projects in the arms sectors, and served as the right-hand press attaché of the Polish Embassy in the US. Author of projects promoting active tourism in Poland and the world. Since 2017, he has been associated with Ukraine and Kiev.

Svitlana Pozdnysheva is a piano, organ, harpsicord player, solo organ player in Lviv Organ Hall. She studied in Lviv State Music College and in Lviv National Music Academy. Here formed the main sphere of her creative interests – turning listeners’ attention to the little known piano and organ repertoire. One can notice two core lines here. The first one – making the works of the Ukrainian artists more popular. The second line was represented by the rarely played compositions of ХХ-ХХІ centuries, thus the interpretation was closely connected with the research, seeking and educational activities. In 2017 she finished assistance-apprenticeship in the class of the associate professor Dovhan P.V. She started to study organ playing in the class of Ivan Dukhnych, improved her skills on the master-classes by Lorenzo Ghielmi (Utery), Maria Erdman (Warsaw), Ulla Krigul (Lviv). She took part in multiple projects of Lviv Philharmonic Hall as a member of ensembles and orchestras. She performed concerts in many cities of Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany, participated in different festivals, such as ‘Dzenzelivka Classical Week’, ‘LiudkevychFest’, ‘Pizzicato&Cantabile’, ‘Bach Contemporary’, Lviv International Organ Festival, Warsaw Organ Festival, Lublin Organ Festival, Stalowa Wola Organ Festival.

Małgorzata Kutycka is a paramedic, crisis management specialist, English translator, first aid instructor at Rescue Centre. A longtime member of the Medical Rescue Group in Polish Red Cross, within which she helped the victims of the flood in 1997, organising collections of food and cloths for the poorest inhabitants of Wrocław and organising summer and winter camps for children. Also a longtime member of Intervention Group in Water Woluntary Rescue Organization in Wrocław, on behalf of which she helped the victims of the flood in Wrocław in 2010. Currently, she cooperates with the Polish Rescue Organization as an advisor to the board. Passionate cyclist, traveler and linguist. For over a dozen years, she educated herself in the field of first aid and medical rescue. Regional manager for training in southern Poland at Centrum Ratownictwa. A true Renaissance woman – she dives, climbs the mountains, skis and rides a bike. She gained her knowledge and experience at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus and in Plymouth, Great Britain. True lover of black coffee and plant-based cuisine.

Natalya Petrenko, head of Shulgynka municipality, is the citizen of Ukraine. She was born on 25th of January 1980. She has higher education and is not a member of any political party. Ms Petrenko lives in Shulgynka village of Starobilsk district in Luhansk region.

Anna Abramczyk-Abichou is a results-driven sales professional with over 15 years of international experience in cargo aviation, insurance and travel sector. A graduate of the Faculty of Urbanity and Spatial Management of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and post-graduate studies in management organized by the Warsaw School of Economics. She gained strong working backgrounds in the following groups: IAG Cargo, Allianz Worldwide Partners and Itaka. She is passionate about expanding and maintaining strong client relationships that generate repeat business. Currently Anna in LS Airport Services S.A. is responsible for the development of new business with entities such as airlines, forwarding and customs agencies in area of Warsaw & Katowice LS Cargo Terminal. Anna supports the day to day execution of projects and their key accounts, analyzing customer’s requirements and implement value-adding solutions that could lead to conversion.

Iryna is a sociologist, certified art coach, graduate of the National Technical University of Ukraine Kyiv Polytechnic University, long-time director of a printing company in Kyiv. Over the past years, she has repeatedly provided organizational and linguistic support to Polish companies and institutions during events promoting Polish business in Ukraine. Since the Russian Federation invaded her country, she has been actively involved in humanitarian relief efforts. She co-organizes support for the residents of Kiev, Bucza, Irpin, in the Borodzianka region, as well as the school in Hostomel. She has provided assistance in evacuating people from Ukraine to Poland and other European countries. She provides consultations and art therapy classes for Ukrainians in Poland.

Tetiana Krukenytska is a lawyer with 14 years of experience in the field of jurisprudence, attorney in the BA «West Law Group». I represent the interests of clients in courts of all judicial instances and authorities and local self-government bodies. Her work experience includes the following areas: registration and termination of legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, making changes to constituent documents, full legal support of the company’s activities, providing legal opinions on legal issues within the framework of the company’s activities (including regarding the employment procedure persons, current issues of the existence of labor relations), litigation work, development of draft contracts and their legal analysis, resolution of issues regarding payables and receivables, document preparation, drafting of procedural documents. She also provides support in economic, civil, and administrative cases, including providing legal assistance in challenging decisions, actions, and inaction of state bodies.

Vladyslava is working in the KSE Research Institute co-leading the project “Russia will pay” (damaged.in.ua) that is focused on collecting, evaluating, analyzing, and documenting information on the damages and losses caused to Ukrainian infrastructure and economy by Russian aggression. The project was launched in February 2022 by KSE together with the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Development of Local Communities, the Ministry of Infrustracture, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporary Occupied Territories, and 15 partner organization. KSE Institute regulary analyze and published information on the up-to-date level of damages caused to Ukrainian infrustructure and supports GoU and stakeholders with required analytical infrormation on the topic.

Hryhoriy Rudyuk is the head of the village Nova Borova since 1992 (with a short break). Since May 2002 till April 2006 he worked as a deputy head and chief of staff of the Volodar-Volyn District State Administration. He is a teacher according to his university diploma. . In 2002, he graduated from the Ukrainian Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine. From 2016 to the present, he is the deputy head and member of the board of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Communities. During the years of his leadership, Mr Rudyuk earned a good reputation among the locals in the whole region and beyond. Hryhoriy Rudyuk is socially engaged in solving issues related to the reform of local self-government in Ukraine.

Glyn started his career in 1982 as an Infantry Officer in the British Army specialising in reconnaissance and intelligence. After leaving the army he worked in criminal intelligence in the UK police, tackling organised crime. A Government secondment then took him to ICTY in The Hague where he worked as a military analyst/investigator on Bosnian-Serb leadership cases. A short move across town then took Glyn to Europol- the EU’s criminal intelligence agency- where he managed a number of intelligence-led investigations against cross-border organised crime groups. In 2012 Glyn set up his own consultancy business through which has subsequently worked equally on international organised crime and conflict-related crime. This has included capacity-building projects to introduce intelligence-led policing into developing countries, as well as a range of engagements with UN Commissions of Inquiry, International Tribunals and Investigative Mechanisms. Glyn has a B.Sc in Policing, an M.Sc in Criminology and an LLM in International Criminal Law. He also owns a pub in The Hague, the aptly named ‘Sherlock Holmes Bar’.

Oksana Savchuk was born in Cherniv village, Rohatyn district, Ivano-Frankivsk region. She is a graduate of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine. She was a Member of the Plast National Scout Organization of Ukraine. She worked in the children’s and youth plast center as the deputy director for educational work. In 2010 and 2015, was twice elected as the deputy of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council. She headed the standing deputy commission on spiritual revival, science, education, culture, youth policy and sports. In 2015, she became the Secretary of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council. In 2019, she was elected as a People’s Deputy of Ukraine from constituency No. 83 (Ivano-Frankivsk). She is a Member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, Chair of the Subcommittee on Road Safety and Transport Safety. She is a co-chair of one of the largest in the history of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine inter-factional deputy association “Values. Dignity. Family”. She is a member of the parliamentary group for inter-parliamentary relations with the Republic of Poland. She is also a co-founder and head of the Western region of the Ukrainian Women’s Democracy Network (UWDN) and the initiator of the creation of the “Safe Place” Center in Ivano-Frankivsk to help internally displaced persons.

Olena Ovcharenko is a team lead in the project “Municipal partnerships with Ukraine” (provided by Service Agency Communities in One World (SKEW), Engagement Global). She has long lasting experience in development cooperation and project management with governmental, non-governmental international organizations. There are currently 110 municipal relationships between German and Ukrainian towns and municipalities. Since 2015, the SKEW has provided support for relationships between German-Ukrainian municipalities through the project “Municipal partnerships with Ukraine” (“Kommunale Partnerschaften mit der Ukraine”). The SKEW enables them to exchange expertise, obtain information, gain qualifications and network, as well as offering them human and financial resources. The aim is to establish and cement structures for cooperation between German and Ukrainian municipalities, plan and implement development policy-related projects within the partnership, encourage and deepen discussion about development policy and commitment in German and Ukrainian municipalities, provide support with networking for relevant actors and promote sustainable development in the municipalities involved.

Aleksandra Kus ia a graduate of the AWF in Krakow. In the years 2009 – 2016 associated with the tourism industry. She worked mainly in the Balkan countries as a resident of travel agencies. She has been associated with the TSL industry since 2017, from the moment of employment at ECL Sp. z o.o. She took her first steps in forwarding and after 2 years she moved to the newly built sales department in the company. In 2019, thanks to the trust of Board members, she took the position of Sales Department Manager. She manages a 7-person team of account managers whose task is to acquire new customers and serve customers in various types of projects. Her branch specializes in organizing transports in a narrow direction to and from Ukraine. In February, at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, she faced new tasks of reorganizing her work and that of her co-workers. She has developed several large projects related to humanitarian transport to Ukraine. With her team, she works dynamically in developing cooperation with global companies and well-known brands. She does her work with passion, she is not afraid of new challenges and participation in various interesting projects. Her main principle is that every customer is valuable and deserves the highest level of service. In her private life, she is interested in traveling – she has already visited over 20 countries. She dreams of traveling to Istanbul and Jordan.

Marcin Ramotowski has over twenty years of experience in managing operations, sales and business development in international companies, mainly in the logistics industry, including leading global operators. From a long time, professional activity is focused on customs issues, starting from the organization of customs agency offices, through the implementation of operational procedures, to consultations and advice on legal regulations and international trade. Several years of work experience in Germany and Russia allowed to get to know the specifics of customs processes and regulations in Western Europe and the Euro-Asian Union. Graduated from Warsaw University with Master of International Relations and MBA at Warsaw University of Technology Business School.

Andrej Horvat is an economist with long lasting experience in the fields of Transformation Processes, Good Governance, Structural and Public Administration Reforms, Local Development Policy, and EU Integration. He obtained his PhD degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. From 1997, for more than 10 years, he used to work in different managerial positions of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. In 2006, he was appointed the State Secretary of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Growth and from October 2009 till October 2011 he was appointed State Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia responsible for development policies, especially dealing with areas with structural difficulties. He was consulting several governments, such as the Turkish Republic, the Hashemit Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Serbia. As of September 1st, 2017, Andrej Horvat is with the U-LEAD with Europe in Ukraine working as Deputy Programme Director. The Programme represents assistance of the European Union and its member states Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Sweden and Slovenia. The Overall Objective of U-LEAD is to contribute to the establishment of multi-level governance, which is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population.

Roman Matys is the President of the International Investment Office. He is an Ukrainian economist, public figure, business consultant, city & country development expert, human rights activist. He worked as Head of the Investment Department at the Lviv Regional State Administration (2016-2021). As a result of implementation strategy of Roman Matys “Lviv region – the factory of Europe”, in five years it was possible to launch several hundred enterprises in Lviv region, to create tens of thousands of jobs and to make certain industries, such as the automobile industry, dominant in the region.

Joanna Tymińska has 14 years experience in TSL sector. She is an expert in sales and marketing, specializing in the creation of complete logistic chains for LCL, FCL transport and oversized cargo and T&C’s of cooperation negotiator including partners and clients. She worked in international companies such as Pol-Agent Sp. z o.o., Allcom Sp. z o.o. and NTG Sp. z o.o., and in smaller domestic companies. She is university lecturer in Marketing and in Logistics. She has Master’s degree both in Law and in International Relations.

Tomasz Samul is the VP of Sales in the largest conference in CEE connecting startups with investors – Wolves Summit (Since December 2019) He manages the sales team and is responsible for digital marketing. In 2019, responsible for ticket sales and marketing for the largest conference for women in IT in Europe – Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit. In 2018 and 2019 as the Head of Marketing and PR at nazwa.pl he had the opportunity to create the domain and hosting market in Poland. Working directly with the board and the owner, he was responsible for sales in the digital channel. In the years 2007 – 2018, he co-owned the digital marketing agency Novem (exit in 2018). During this period, he developed an affiliate network from zero to 25,000 partners, responsible for Client Service and Sales, he ran teams cooperating with over 40 clients – including the largest Polish telecoms, insurance companies and banks. Master of Economics – he studied Marketing and Management with a specialization in e-business at the University of Economics in Katowice in 2001-2006.

Pavlo Kuzmenko has been the Mayor of Ohtyrka (Sumy Region) since 2020. He is a medical doctor by profession (orthopedist). Pavlo Kuzmenko has worked as the head of department of orthopedics and traumatology of Okhtyrka central district hospital in 2012-2020. For over 20 years he conducted complex operations on the patients with car accident traumas. With the beginning of Russian invasion, he combined the work of the mayor of the city 50 km from Russian-Ukrainian boarder with the duties of a surgeon of a local hospital, operating on patients with missile trauma. The biggest challenge for the community so far is the damage of the thermal power station which provides heat to the 80 % of the city.

Dr. Amanda Sanders serves as the Global Psychosocial Support Advisor for HOPE worldwide, Ltd. She holds a Doctorate in Art Education focused on Art Therapy and Disaster Response, a Master of Science and Educational Specialist degree in Mental Health Counseling, and a Master of Science in Art Therapy. She volunteered with HOPE worldwide at an orphanage in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, which inspired her doctoral research on art therapy in response to disasters. She started working with HOPE worldwide in 2014, Dr. Sanders helped develop and implement HOPE worldwide’s first SPARK Academy, an American Red Cross grant funded arts-based resilience program for children affected by major disasters, as well as subsequent SPARK Academy programs across the United States. She currently provides support for HOPE worldwide’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

Maryna Baydyuk was born in Kyiv, Ukraine and studied at the National Medical University of Ukraine before coming to the US in 1997. She continued her studies at Hunter College, CUNY and then Georgetown University, where she received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology. After completing her postdoctoral studies at the National Institutes of Health, Maryna joined the faculty as a Research Professor at the Department of Biology at Georgetown University. Maryna’s research is focused on the mechanisms of function and repair in the central nervous system. Since 2014, Maryna has been a member of United Help Ukraine (UHU), a non-profit organization based in the Washington, DC area. She has served as a board member since 2017 and as a president since 2019. UHU provides the people of Ukraine with critical support that will enable them to survive in the face of adversity, defend, regain and rebuild their sovereign territory and thrive well into the future. Under Maryna’s leadership, UHU has provided over 40 million dollars in humanitarian, medical, and psychological assistance to those affected by the war. UHU is also focused on raising awareness and advocating for Ukraine to remain a free, democratic, and independent nation.

Bartłomiej Felczyński brings over 23 years of industry experience and is the Business Development Manager at Baltic Hub. Bartłomiej specializes in complex logistic solutions for global companies, multimodal European connectivity and Silk Road opportunities. Bartłomiej came to Baltic Hub (a member of PSA Group) from CEVA Logistics where he was rail product owner for Eueopean Region. Prior to join CEVA Logistics, Bartłomiej Felczyński worked at Kuehne+Nagel, Tiedada China, PCC Intermodal, Baltic Container Terminal, DB Cargo and Maersk.

Damian Soból was born on September 24, 1988 in Przemyśl. In 2009, after graduating from high school, I started studying International Relations at the PWSW university in Przemyśl. After graduation, due to the difficult financial situation of my family, I was forced to emigrate to the Netherlands, where I spent almost 10 years. After returning to the country, I opened my own construction business, which I run successively to this day. On February 24, 2022, the day the massive attack on Ukraine began, I volunteered at the railway station in Przemyśl to help women and children fleeing the war to our country. On March 2nd, I was hired by the organization World Central Kitchen in the USA as a translator, but due to my commitment to the project of feeding as many refugees as possible, I stayed Emergency relief coordinator and I am so to this day.

Yana Brovdiy is an Adviser in the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the broadest European association of local and regional governments that brings together associations from 40 European countries. She is responsible for the implementation of the project “Bridges of Trust: Rebuilding Ukraine through partnerships with the EU municipalities” which is supported by the U-LEAD with Europe. Before joining CEMR, she worked at the College of Europe, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and the European Committee of the Regions.

Anna Samsel is a psychologist and trainer with many years of experience in non-governmental organizations and business. A graduate of Psychology of Intercultural Relations at SWPS University and postgraduate group trainer studies at Laboratorium Psychoedukacji. She has been working in the Kulczyk Foundation for 5 years where she has been responsible for education, she thinks is a condition for many changes for the better in ourselves, as well as in the surrounding world. She sees the greatest potential for these changes in the social and emotional education of children that involves the cooperation of parents / carers and teachers. Since the beginning of the war, she has been responsible for the aid projects for women and children from Ukraine carried out by the Kulczyk Foundation.

DVM Jakub Kotowicz is the co-founder and vice-president of the ADA Foundation in Przemyśl, which each year provides assistance to several hundred companion animals and about 1,000 individuals who are representatives of more than 100 species of non-domestic animals. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin and a graduate of the Leon Kozminski Academy in Warsaw, majoring in “Veterinary Practice Management”. He is currently a student in the course of specialization in veterinary surgery at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn and at the VASTA International School of Veterinary Anesthesiology. Popularizer of clinical issues in veterinary medicine, behavior, and specifics of companion and non-domestic animals in local, national, and sometimes international mass media. On a daily basis, he is a practicing clinician at the ADA Animal Clinic in Przemyśl, where he deals with internal medicine, surgery and animal anesthesiology.

Tetiana Palamarchuk is a lawyer by profession and has a Master of Laws degree.In 2014, she decided to channel her legal expertise towards creating a better business environment and protecting businesses. While working at different non-governmental organizations, She has co-authored a number of draft laws and contributed to their successful advocacy.For last 6 years, she has had the honor to be part of Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP) which is aimed at targeting liberalization of the government’s regulatory policy, introduction of market mechanisms in the national economy, and strengthening the SME sector in Ukraine. The Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs is the largest national business association of independent Ukrainian entrepreneurs, founded for the purpose of creating a favorable business environment in Ukraine and protecting interests of businesses. Today, SUP brings together more than 900 businesses of various sizes and industries from across Ukraine. One of the eligibility criteria for the SUP membership is absence of any links to political forces or oligarchic capital. Founded in 2016, SUP is now on a fast track growing as an influential institution. At SUP, she is the Deputy Executive Director in charge of business protection, consulting and support, establishing and streamlining cooperation with international partners.

Adrian Furman is the CEO of Grupa AF sp. z. o. o., the biggest Polish company employing specialists with disabilities, and the founder of Poland IT-Lab LLC in the USA. Both enterprises provide IT and business consulting services. Adrian Furman is extremely experienced in managing long-term digital communication projects and in employing new technologies. He has cooperated with such brands as TNT, TUI, KFC, FedEx, 4F and Asseco. He is also the head of AF Atlantic Trade sp. z o.o., a consultancy firm supporting Polish and American businesses in getting into new markets. The media call him Stephen Hawking of business. What the two gentlemen have in common is not only their disability, but also their strength of character. Hawking broke the barriers in science, Furman proved that every physical weakness can be turned into power – also in business. A member of the Accessibility Council which substantively supports the Accessibility Plus Program. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy. Its main goal is to make every public service or building available to all citizens, without any barriers and obstacles, no matter their age, health condition or kind of disability.

Paula Gierak is a graduate in Humanitarian Aid at University of Warsaw and International Security at European Academy of Diplomacy. She has experience in complex emergencies like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Dijibouti, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, where she has worked on various positions – Emergency Coordinator, Programme Coordinator and Field Coordinator. She has coordinated and managed numerous projects in different sectors like WASH, Livelihoods, Education or Health. She has established and managed partnerships with local NGOs with focus on capacity building. Currently, as a part of IMPACT’s regional response to crisis in Ukraine, oversees field-based assessment and research projects in Poland and Slovakia that provide independent information and analysis on humanitarian needs, trends and response, enabling evidence-based decision-making for humanitarian planning, programming and implementation.

Maciej Solski is a CEO of the Polish Rescue Organization. He is a co-founder of the largest training company in Poland in the field of first aid and qualified first aid – Centrum Ratownictwa. He is the Technical Director at Centrum Ratownictwa. For 14 years he has been involved in the education of citizens, by actively conducting first aid and qualified first aid courses as an instructor and lecturer. Became Basic Life Support (BLS) and AED instructor. For over 16 years, he worked as a medical rescuer in the Emergency Medical Service in Wrocław. Instructor of the Polish Society of Emergency Medicine. Member of the operational group of the Lower Silesian WOPR (Water Voluntary Emergency Service). Qualified first aid instructor in the training project of the Police Headquarters.

Lesya Khemrayeva from October 2021 to the present has been the Head of the All-Ukrainian platform “Youth Values” (Youth of the Non-government Organization “For Family Values”) where 87 implemented projects, 12 draft laws and a draft of the State Family Support Program were developed in the following areas: conducting informational and explanatory activities regarding martial law, recommendations on saving life; conducting volunteer activities; providing professional psychological assistance; providing humanitarian assistance to civilians and military personnel of the Armed Forces; helding together with the leading universities of Ukraine, Lithuania and Portugal The European Youth Forum “War in Ukraine: problems, lessons, opportunities”. From September 2021 to now Lesya has been the Chairman of the Committee on International Cooperation and European Integration of the Public Council under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.