Founders’ Dialogue

Andriy has 23 years of experience working in Ukrainian and international service companies. He started his tech career as a system administrator, then worked as a PHP and Java developer, and later became a project manager. Since 2017, he has led EPAM’s office in the western region of Ukraine, which now employs over 3,000 specialists. In 2022, Andriy was actively involved in BCP activities, as Lviv and the western office became the main hub for evacuating over 5,000 EPAM specialists and their families.

Andriy is also responsible for the deployment and development of EPAM’s delivery office in Greece, where, since 2022, the company has been steadily strengthening its position in the tech market.

His main expertise includes managing large projects and teams, scaling processes, developing OKR-based strategies, and implementing effective solutions. In addition, he focuses on assessing and improving performance, motivating and developing talent, training, and attracting and retaining specialists.

Roman is one of the founders of the IT service consultancy Ralabs. He and a friend founded the company in 2016 while both were developers. Ralabs’ team consists of 80 full-time professionals and many part-time contractors.

Roman shares experience in:
– Stages of building a software company (service business, outsourcing, startup, or consultancy)
– Strategy and strategic planning (business growth)
– Operational tasks across departments (Business Development, Delivery, Human Resources, Recruitment, etc.) or cross-department (KPIs/metrics, team performance, etc.)
– Idea validation, startup validation, or generating a business idea
– BCP planning, structuring, and budgeting.

Aleksandr has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, progressing from Software Engineer to Managing Partner at Intelliarts. Since 2017, he has been actively involved in company development as a co‑CEO, gaining practical experience building new functions from scratch (Business Development, Marketing, Sales, R&D) as well as transforming existing functions (HR and Recruitment).

Intelliarts is characterized by the absence of a classic managerial hierarchy, so Aleksandr is ready to offer practical strategies for building flat organizational structures.

He shares expertise in:
– Building a “teal organization” with a people-first approach
– Transformation management and executive leadership focused on sustainable company growth, boosting motivation and employee engagement, and ensuring long-term retention of company specialists.
– Creating and organizing new functional departments
– Developing and implementing overall company strategy, as well as aligned strategies for Business Development, Marketing, Sales, R&D, HR, and Recruitment.
– Building effective delivery and non-delivery agile teams

Halyna leads the HR function at YouScan, a successful Ukrainian product tech company ranked among the Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces by Newsweek in 2024. The company serves clients in over 50 countries. She develops effective HR processes and manages specialists working across 14 countries, ensuring high team engagement.

Halyna has a technical background and extensive experience in HR and recruitment, having worked in both fast-growing startups and large international corporations. In addition to her main responsibilities, she actively participates in the professional community as a mentor, speaker, and volunteer. She is open to discussing HR cases and finding effective solutions for team and business development.

Her areas of expertise include recruitment, team management, HR process automation, internal communications, corporate culture development, employer branding, leader and manager support, and implementing reward and training systems.

Serhiy is Chief Financial Officer at Yalantis. He oversees financial planning, risk management, developing investment strategies, and efficient management of the company’s cash flows. He ensures capital stability and manages financial operations.

As a mentor, he can help with:
– Developing the company’s financial strategy
– Cost optimization and profitability improvement
– Managing cash flows and liquidity
– Investment strategy development and capital raising
– Building financial models and forecasting
– Setting up financial processes and reporting according to international standards

Nelia is CEO and co-founder of RNRS Solutions, a recruitment company that helps tech businesses, startups, and international organizations build strong and productive teams.

Under her leadership, RNRS Solutions has closed over 600 positions in 60+ countries, helping businesses grow by connecting them with the right professionals – from engineers to C-level specialists.

Her experience in international recruitment and as well as expertise in building hiring strategies and scaling teams, allows her to create systematic solutions that deliver results. Before founding RNRS Solutions, she managed global hiring processes for one of Ukraine’s leading companies, covering 160+ countries and the full recruitment cycle – from strategy development to cost optimization.

Key areas of expertise:

• Building recruitment systems from scratch for global teams
• Scaling teams without compromising quality
• Optimizing recruiting costs
• Selecting key specialists for startups and tech companies

Arthur has 10 years of experience in EdTech, management, and talent hiring. In 2023, he founded Wiseboard – a platform that helps tech businesses overcome growth challenges, avoid costly mistakes, and save 2–3 years on their growth journey by engaging advisors in key areas.

In 2022, he launched Mentors in the Rear – a mentoring platform that brings together 600+ mentors, including founders and executives, who share their expertise and donate to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In 2021, Arthur launched 100 online courses at Projector Institute.

Arthur can help with the following areas:
– Business Strategy
– Delivery & Operations
– Business Development
– Marketing
– Sales
– Service Development
– HR / Recruiting
– Venture Building
– Product Management
– M&A

Ihor is a serial tech entrepreneur, CEO, and co-founder of Scimus. The company helps clients streamline business processes, improve operational efficiency, and increase margins – driving sustainable profitability through tailor-made technology solutions.

Ihor brings hands-on experience in building, scaling, and transforming service-driven companies. He understands how to establish processes at every stage of company development and is motivated to share his insights to help peers avoid common pitfalls he encountered throughout his career.

Viktor is CEO and co-founder of the tech company Sombra. Formerly a programmer. A graduate of Lviv Polytechnic National University in Computer Science. Also studied at the UCU Business School.

Igor has over 30 years of experience in international sales. He started his career in the 1990s as a lecturer at Kharkiv State University.

Since 2017, he has successfully worked in the tech industry, leading sales teams in global companies, consulting corporations, and helping build effective business structures.

His expertise includes sales strategy development and practical implementation at various engagement levels, the psychology of tech sales, and lead generation strategies.

Volodymyr is a serial tech entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience working in the tech industry, progressing from Junior Software Engineer to owner of CodeLions and technical co-owner of the startup Feedcoyote | Techstars 23′.

His main responsibilities include company strategy and growth, marketing, sales, partnerships, and hiring key players.

In the early 2000s, Dmytro completed specialized courses in management and negotiations. He opened his first business in 2003 in the advertising sector. Between 2003 and 2014, he launched around 20 different projects – from event organization to advertising and information newspapers, and internet portals.

In 2015, he founded the Grodas tech company. A year later, he became CEO of the Konotop IT Cluster. He actively participates in social and public projects. 

Dmytro is ready to provide consulting on management, marketing, and negotiation issues.

Kostyantyn has significant managerial experience in banking and finance. Ten years ago, he founded Simply Contact, an outsourcing company for customer support. As CEO, Kostyantyn has led the company to industry leadership, currently employing over 600 people across 5 offices in Ukraine and Poland. 

Recognized with awards, Simply Contact serves a diverse range of clients, including SMEs, startups, and large enterprises such as Wizz Air, Bolt, Metro Cash & Carry, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Roman studied Applied Mathematics and Informatics at LNU. He began his career as a programmer in 2011. In 2014–2015, he began freelancing/consulting and then moved to New York, USA.

In 2016, he founded ORIL. Today, the company has 50+ specialists and provides full-cycle product development (web and mobile applications): strategy and design, development, release, scaling, and expansion. The main market is the USA.

Anastasia graduated from Kyiv International University and business schools at Oxford and Harvard. She has extensive experience in management, building effective processes, and team scaling. She contributed to the creation of PeopleForce – a large international HRM product. She regularly speaks at industry conferences, including Disrupt HR and the International IT HR Forum. 

Since 2020, she has hosted Ukraine’s first HR podcast, PeopleCast, conducting over 20 episodes with leading Ukrainian and international business and HR experts. She also leads webinars in HR and business management.

Her mentoring areas include:
– Building processes at early-stage companies
– Auditing HR and recruitment processes
– Performance management
– Effective OKR implementation
– Providing feedback and fostering a continuous feedback culture
– Defining vision, mission, and values
– Basics of managerial accounting integrated with financial accounting

Andriy has nearly 25 years of experience in the tech business. He started as a software engineer, then became a project manager, and later co-founded Perfectial, a software development company. He was the CEO of Perfectial for over 11 years, growing the company to more than 500 employees before its acquisition by Avenga Group in 2021.

Here’s a list of skills Andriy can share with a mentee:

– Building a software development company from scratch

– Leading and monitoring internal and cross-department processes

– Adapting company structure to support international operations

– Developing a financial system to ensure stable cash flow and transparency for international audits

– Establishing marketing and business development departments

– Tailoring HR and recruitment processes to the company’s size and needs

– Implementing an engineering competency framework to guarantee service quality

– Mentoring and advancing talent

– Day-to-day company management

Volodymyr is a serial entrepreneur. In 2016, he sold the internet service provider company NetStart to Uarnet. In 2014, he founded Indeema Software, specializing in IoT solutions and working with companies such as Siemens, Schindler, Avnet, Microchip, and AVL. His main areas of responsibility include strategy, marketing, and sales.

Andriy has a strong technical background, having earned a degree and worked as a Full-stack Java engineer for about 12 years before joining Jappware. In the following years, he completed a second master’s degree in Technology Management at LvBS (UCU), shifting his mindset toward business. Currently, Andriy is driving Jappware into the future, focusing on services and continuous improvement to deliver high-quality solutions to clients. Today, the company has successfully established and operates departments for Recruiting, Delivery, Technology, and HR.

Yuriy is co-founder and CEO of Cieden – a digital product design agency. He has extensive experience in product development, managing design projects, and video content marketing. His journey in tech includes working in outsourcing and outstaffing, which allows him to provide valuable guidance to tech company founders.

Yuriy can share insights on:
– Developing and implementing product design and video content marketing strategies.
– Creating effective videos and podcasts to enhance brand awareness and attract clients.
– Production of high-quality content in the in-house video production studio.
– Collaborating with software developers, providing expertise in product design and development.
– Preparing and conducting case studies that demonstrate successes and challenges in product development and marketing.

As the founder of Rist Center and a university lecturer, Yuriy has gained a unique perspective on entrepreneurship, innovation, and community development. His experience is especially valuable for participants in the mentorship program, particularly founders of tech outsourcing and outstaffing companies.

Ostap began his career in 2012 as a frontend developer, which gave him a solid understanding of web fundamentals and engineering. In 2017, together with a partner, he founded wwwest solutions, a company specializing in web development. The company collaborates with major clients and well-known brands from around the world, generating annual revenue exceeding $1 million. Ostap completed leadership management courses at LvBS (UCU) and Berkeley’s Entrepreneurship in a Data-Driven World, equipping him with essential skills for business management and growth.

Ostap’s role as a mentor:
– Provides guidance in web technologies, specifically in frontend development.
– Offers advice on tech project management and business development.
– Shares experience working with international clients and global brands.
– Supports mentees in personal growth, including preparation for sports competitions and hobbies.

Possible consultation topics:
– Strategic planning in the tech industry.
– Developing leadership skills in the tech industry.
– Effective team and project management.
– Achieving work-life balance.

Maksym is the Founder and CEO of NerdySoft, a software development and consulting agency created by a team of Ukrainian engineers. The agency serves leading global companies in the FinTech and Banking sectors. With a strong engineering culture, NerdySoft helps clients build secure and scalable solutions that are loved by millions of users worldwide.

Andriy has over 15 years of experience in software development services companies of various sizes, with roles in delivery, account management, and sales. He has expertise in the software development services industry, company strategy, outsourcing, sales, business development, delivery, recruitment, and account management.

Valeriy is a seasoned finance professional with 12 years of experience in commercial banking and over 8 years in financial management within the tech industry. 

His expertise includes financial planning and analysis, scenario modeling, financial and managerial accounting, and financial business partnering.