W4UA Summit 2024

Mark Kehaya is a founding Partner of UAF, LLC.  He has over 34 years of investment and operating experience.  In 2002, Mr. Kehaya co-founded Meriturn Partners, LLC, a lower/middle-market private-equity firm focused on investing in control positions of distressed companies.  Meriturn completed 10 transactions and invested over $150 million of debt and equity capital.  In 2010, Mr. Kehaya was asked by the Board of Alliance One International, Inc (AOI) to help lead the turnaround (as Chairman & CEO) of the $2 billion revenue agricultural processing and trading company.   AOI had extensive operations in Eastern Europe, Africa, S. America and Asia.  As part of its operations, AOI contracted with over 200,000 farmers and provided such farmers with inputs to improve their yield and incomes.  Early in his career, Mr. Kehaya was responsible for building a tobacco-processing factory in Eastern Europe.  Mr. Kehaya has served on the board of several private companies including Chairman of Dunn Paper (a Meriturn Partners’ portfolio company), and Wayne Farms, a leading vertically integrated poultry company (#6 in the United States).

Liana Khorovytska is CORE Ukraine Country Director, where she actively cultivates high-level partnerships, engages with national government and local authorities, and collaborated closely with UN agencies, international partners, and other key stakeholders. With extensive experience in humanitarian support and invaluable local knowledge, Liana’s voice has been critical in informing donors of the often-shifting priorities in Ukraine, focusing on emergency demand-driven response in the East and South and long-term support in the West of the country. Liana holds a Master in International Law from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Kateryna Savytska is a psychotherapist with over 7 years of practical experience. Since the outbreak of the full scale invasion, she has concluded more than 3.000 hours of psychological assistance to Ukrainian refugees. As a member and representative of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine, she specializes in helping people affected by war and studies the impact of collective traumas on family structures.

Nazarii Volianskyi is an expert in communications and public relations, with a focus on government relations, strategic communication, and investment promotion. In 2023, he was appointed as Head of the International Relations and Communications Department at UkraineInvest, where he developed strategies to raise the agency’s profile in European and US markets, and attracted private capital for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. He has worked closely with global media outlets, securing more than 500 international media contacts, and coordinated campaigns to promote investment in Ukraine.

Previously, Volianskyi served as Director of Corporate Communications at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he elevated the chamber’s brand domestically and internationally. With over 10 years of experience in journalism, he has worked as an editor for leading Ukrainian TV channels and created the English-language project Spotlight Ukraine to highlight the country’s wartime economic situation.

Volianskyi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Ivan Franko National University and is pursuing a PhD at the same institution. He has also completed a Foreign Direct Investment program at the Moller Institute, Cambridge.

 

Contact

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazarii-volianskyi/” target=”_blank” title=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazarii-volianskyi/”>https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazarii-volianskyi/”>https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazarii-volianskyi/”>https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazarii-volianskyi/

 

Andrew J. Futey is the President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest umbrella organization representing over 2 million Ukrainian-Americans. He also serves as Vice-President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) having been re-elected in October 2023. In June 2002, the government of Ukraine appointed him as Honorary Consul of Ukraine for the states of Ohio and Kentucky, a position he currently serves.

Professionally, Futey is President of Andrew J. Futey & Associates, a public policy firm and brings more than 30 years of extensive government and campaign experience. He provides public policy and government relations consulting, strategic planning, public affairs and campaign development strategies at the international, federal, state and local levels

In September 2023, he was awarded the Order of Merit, Second Degree, by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was also awarded in August 2021, the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In August 2018, he was awarded the Order of Merit by President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine for his personal significant contribution to advancing the image of Ukraine and to strengthening the U.S.-Ukraine bilateral relations.

Vsevolod Borovets is the Chair of Ukraine’s National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Technical Working Group, the largest of its kind globally and historically, encompassing over 350 professional organisations. With more than a decade of experience in managing mental health systems, Vsevolod’s work focuses on the intersection of mental health and conflict-affected populations, which is also the subject of his ongoing dissertation research. A medical doctor specialising in psychiatry, he has led various MHPSS initiatives across Ukraine in collaboration with major donors like USAID, FCDO, and ECHO for organisations such as Chemonics International, the International Medical Corps, and the Danish Refugee Council.”

Anna Zorya is a Ukrainian law-qualified attorney-at-law and a partner in the corporate department of Rymarz Zdort Maruta.

A specialist in corporate law and M&A, she has worked on transactions for clients from various sectors, including agriculture, TMT, IT and real estate. She has provided comprehensive support for M&A transactions, including due diligence, transaction structuring, preparation of transactional documents, developing an effective corporate structure, and corporate support of company activities.

She graduated from the Faculty of Law of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 2001 and completed a course of professional education of Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL). She qualified as an attorney-at-law in 2019. Prior to joining the law firm, she worked as a corporate and M&A partner at one of the leading Ukrainian law firms.

She is ranked as a well-regarded practitioner by such directories as IFLR 1000 (2019-2020), Who’s Who Legal (2019-2021), Chambers Global (2019-2021), The Legal 500 (2019-2021), and Best Lawyers (2019-2021, 2022).

 

Richard Walawender is a senior partner at the international law firm “Miller Canfield”. He specializes in corporate law and leads the firm’s international practice. He represents many Polish and foreign clients doing business in the U.S. and many companies doing business in Poland and other countries. His practice specialties include mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial law, export controls, financing, real estate development, start-ups, international transactions and joint ventures.

He acts as general counsel to domestic and international companies, and has been the lead attorney on numerous multinational M&A transactions for clients, including companies in the automotive, manufacturing and defense industries, as well as for technology start-up companies and investors. He frequently advises clients and lectures on outbound and inbound investment structuring and strategies, international joint ventures and strategic alliances, as well as FCPA, CFIUS, CTA, export controls, and other cross-border issues.

He co-founded the firm’s three Polish offices in 1991 and its affiliation in Ukraine. Since 2018, he also has been serving as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Detroit. Richard received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Michigan School of Law.

 

 

Bethany Waggoner is CORE Director of Global Program Development, leading efforts to design and resource programming that empowers communities in and beyond crisis to respond to the devastating impacts of climate change, inequality in health access, and humanitarian emergencies. With a decade of experience in the international development sector working in Latin America and the Middle East, Bethany brings a background in business development, program management, and reporting to inform CORE’s program design and resource mobilization strategies for country programs in Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti, and the United States. Bethany has a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in The City of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Winthrop University.

Eveline Buchatskiy has 10+ years of experience working with fast-growing startups. She is the founding Managing Partner at D3, a seed stage fund dedicated to defense startups that Dare to Defend Democracy. The fund has a portfolio of hardware and software technologies currently in use in the battlefield by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Eveline was part of the leadership team at Ukrainian unicorn tech company airSlate, CEO for ultracapacitor startup APCT, and media company Ekonomika. Prior to entering the startup world, Eveline had a decade of chemical engineering experience with a global leader in industrial gases. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley, an MS in Engineering from University at Buffalo, and an MBA from INSEAD.

Brock D. Bierman is President and CEO of Ukraine Focus, a Washington, DC based 501c3 humanitarian organization committed to working directly with communities across Ukraine to meet urgent assistance needs through direct cooperation and collaboration with Ukrainian local, state and federal authorities.

Prior to helping found Ukraine Focus, Bierman established the Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Light Up Ukraine and Playgrounds4Peace programs. Bierman has personally organized and led 13 missions to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion to deliver urgently needed humanitarian supplies to communities across Ukraine.

A recognized leader, Bierman has served two Presidents, most recently as the Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21, 2017, by unanimous consent. Bierman also served three terms in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, where he cultivated strong bipartisan support, received public recognition for extraordinary ethical integrity and accountability, and delivered responsive constituent services.

Bierman remains a dedicated community leader, with an extensive history of service to various boards and commissions. A native of Rhode Island, Bierman received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

David Brooks leads Global Empowerment Mission’s partnerships with UN Clusters in Ukraine and some of the UN agencies like International Organization for Migration (IOM). This includes data sharing, coordination and co-planning within clusters. Prior to working with GEM, David has worked in rapid aid deployment to Hurricanes Irma, Maria, Michael, the Haiti Earthquake, Afghan Refugee Camp construction, and in various roles at 5 Olympic Games including starting off as an assistant to the Ukrainian team at the Atlanta Olympics.

 

Clara M. Martins is a legal and compliance expert with significant experience in high finance, international business development, and investment opportunities between Latin America and Ukraine. As a key representative of the Brazil Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and a founder of the Ukraine-Latam Initiative, Clara has been instrumental in fostering cross-border partnerships and driving business growth between these regions. With her deep understanding of international markets, she provides valuable insights into navigating complex economic environments. Additionally, she is the founder of BRAVA – Brazilian Volunteering Aid, recognized for its humanitarian work in Ukraine.

Dina Wild is a Coordinator of EduHub in Chicago in the Refugee Resettlement Initiative (RRI) at the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH), helping Ukrainian immigrants to maintain their lives through education. Also, she is Founder and Director of the Diagonal Solutions, LLC where she manages Diagonal Math School or middle school level to university level students from Ukraine studying across the world.

She started her career in education in the East of Ukraine when launched Diagonal Tutor Centers for local students from preschool to high school levels, a business that helped more than 500 students to prepare and enter the Universities in Ukraine and abroad. As a part of the Board she collaborated with Fundacja Central European Academy Studies and Certifications supporting access to higher education all over Europe for Ukrainian students.

Later, Dina worked as a Head of Educational and Certification Center in Kozyavkin International Rehabilitation Clinic for children with cerebral palsy in Truskavets, Lviv Region, Ukraine, organizing special courses of Kozyavkin Rehabilitation Method for doctors from Middle East countries.

At the moment Dina is an active member of the Ukrainian community in Chicago and is involved in many events and projects that help to learn more about Ukrainian culture and history, also in advocacy and representation.

A conqueror of the poles and founder of Life Plan Academy and Kaminski Academy, organizations supporting mental resilience in children and adults. A mentor, entrepreneur, and discoverer of human potential. He has completed over 80 extreme expeditions. As the first person in the world, he reached both poles of the Earth within a single year without external assistance, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Among other achievements, he reached the poles with a disabled 15-year-old Jasiek Mela, proving that nothing is impossible. He inspires hundreds of thousands of people in Poland and around the world through books, films, podcasts, webinars, and coaching programs.

Graham Weihmiller is the CEO of Pioneer Equity Partners – a world-class investment firm focused on making equity investments into a handful of organizations that have the unique opportunity to transform their respective industries. Previously, Mr. Weihmiller was the CEO of BNI, the world’s largest referral networking organization with operations in 77 countries supporting over 325,000 businesses that recently generated over $24 billion USD in revenue from their membership in BNI in a 12-month period. Graham also serves as a Director of the BNI Foundation, which helps underprivileged children access educational opportunities throughout the world. Graham was previously the CEO of a 35-year-old homecare company with locations across the US, and worked in leadership roles with American Franchise Company, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Earlier in his career, he spent time at JP Morgan, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the White House in Washington, DC. Graham received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his BBA cum laude from The College of William & Mary. He has done extensive executive education with Harvard Business School in Boston, Mumbai, and online, and is a two-time participant in executive training from Johnson & Johnson’s Human Performance Institute. He is a Certified Franchise Executive, a Six Sigma Blackbelt, and a Certified Senior Advisor. He was elected to the board of the International Franchise Association (IFA) in 2020 and reelected for a second term in 2024. He is an active member of YPO and speaks frequently on entrepreneurship, franchising, and operational excellence. He has participated in seminars and panels at Harvard University, Stanford University and Georgetown University. In 2020, along with Dr. Ivan Misner and Robert Skrob, he wrote The Connector Effect, which became a best seller on Amazon. Originally from Virginia, Graham lives with his family in North Carolina. He is a three-time Ironman triathlete, a marathoner, and has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. He and his wife – a pediatric emergency room doctor – are active members of their church, enjoy movie time with their three children, playing with their two German Shepherds and two cats, camping trips in the Carolina mountains, and traveling throughout the world.

Roman Nikitov is a partner at ICU Ventures, the venture capital arm of ICU group, an independent multi-strategy investment firm that specialises in emerging and frontier markets.

ICU Ventures is one of Ukraine’s largest venture funds. Since 2018, the fund has made over 30 investments.

Roman is also a board member of the Ukrainian Venture Capital Association (UVCA) and the founder of the Polish-Ukrainian special situations fund – United Heritage.

Iuliia Markhel is a Ukrainian environmental activist with 22 years of experience. She is best known as the leader of “Let’s Do It Ukraine” and a founding member of the global movement “Let’s Do It World”, which organizes “World Cleanup Day” in 211 countries. Iuliia is also the founder of the youth organization “School Recycling World”, which has united over 500,000 students from all regions of Ukraine. As a researcher of ecological disasters in Ukraine, she was one of the first to discuss the impact of the war on the environment and the consequences of the Kakhovka HPP explosion on June 6, 2023. Iuliia has worked extensively in de-occupied and frontline areas, bringing her significant experience working with both adults and children affected by the war in Ukraine.

@Jmarkhel” target=”_blank” title=”https://www.instagram.com/jmarkhel/”>@Jmarkhel”>https://www.instagram.com/jmarkhel/”>@Jmarkhel

As a co-founder of MITS Capital LLC, Perry Boyle is working to bring capital to the Ukrainian defense industry. MITS Capital owns MITS Accelerator for Ukrainian defense tech startups and is the sponsor of MITS Lightning Fund, which invests in Seed to Series A rounds in Ukrainian defense companies.

Mr. Boyle is the Chair of The Board of Directors at The BOMA Project (BOMA.ngo),a nonprofit organization that empowers women, youth, and displaced persons in the drylands of Africa to overcome extreme poverty and climate change.

Prior to founding MITS Capital, Mr. Boyle spent 35 years in investment banking and asset management.  He co-founded Thomas Weisel Partners,, led global teams, and provided research and strategic insights to offer consulting services to investment banks, family offices, and asset management companies.  For fifteen years, he helped lead the growth of SAC/Point 72 as the head of long/short investing.

Mr. Boyle holds an MA in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, an MBA from Dartmouth College, an AB in Economics from Stanford, a PG Cert in Security Studies from King’s College London, and a CFA designation. He has lectured on investing and ethics at leading universities and participated in international security dialogues.

Kamil Czyż is a graduate of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow (European Relations) and the University of Rzeszów (English and Russian Philology); Head of the Department of the City Brand, Economic Cooperation and Tourism, responsible for international relations, investor service, tourist promotion.

Co-founder of various initiatives in the municipality, incl. Rzeszów is Us and International Aerospace Cities Network.

During the war crisis in Ukraine, responsible for overall cooperation with all international partners in Rzeszów, including UN agencies, NGOs, diplomats, media. Also in charge of the humanitarian aid distribution.

Participant of World Bank Housing and Urban Recovery Knowledge Exchange in Japan on Urban Crises.

Speaks fluent Polish, English and Russian.