ukrainian-entrepreneur
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Kostyantyn Makarov’s $100,000 change of course
Kostyantyn Rozenshtraus-Makarov took SendPulse to New York and learned how expensive a reluctant customer can be. His path from Chernihiv programmer to software co-founder runs through Brazil, shared offices and a habit of reconsidering the plan.
Daria Leshchenko learned to answer everyone. Then she learned to let go.
A student’s support job became a global business. Along the way, the SupportYourApp co-founder had to learn when to step in, when to step back, and when to leave the walls to the artists.
Pavel Pavlenko’s business begins after the sale
Before he co-founded HelpCrunch, Pavel Pavlenko worked in customer support. His career has become an argument for paying attention to what happens after someone buys - and, sometimes, after someone says no.
Sasha Strozhemin and the business of being ready
An early enterprise bid helped Trinetix grow beyond augmented reality. For Oleksandr (Sasha) Strozhemin, the work since has been making new technology useful to people with complicated jobs.
Sergiy Milman and the price of not knowing
Unpaid invoices sent Sergiy Milman looking for better questions. With YouControl and YC World, the Ukrainian founder turned that search into a business that follows corporate connections across borders.
Nazar Gulyk and the art of handing over the wheel
He brought startup teams together to build Empat, kept the business moving through war, and then handed over the CEO role. For Nazar Gulyk, the next chapter begins with the people he puts in the room.
Kirill Bigai Learned the Most Valuable Word in Business: Again
A bad restaurant menu, a failed first startup and months without a salary taught the Preply co-founder how to build by correction. Fourteen years later, his language marketplace is worth $1.2 billion - and he still insists the future of learning needs a human voice.
Alex Shevchenko Built a Second Draft Into the Internet
He began by catching copied essays. Then he helped turn the anxiety of a blinking cursor into a product used around the world. Now Grammarly's co-founder is working on a larger question: what should software do before we ask?
Vlad Yatsenko Built the Machine - Then Stepped Away From the Keyboard
He began by writing code on paper, helped turn a travel card into a global financial platform, and spent a decade making complexity disappear. In 2026, Revolut's quiet technical co-founder chose a different kind of control: letting go.
The Plan Was Boston. Then History Changed the Destination.
Roman Nykulyshyn spent years turning ideas into products, campaigns and enterprise sales. In February 2022, the Ukrainian entrepreneur traded a planned move to Boston for service in his country's armed forces - and discovered that practical judgment travels farther than any job title.