On Tuesday 02 September, UCL School of Management welcomed this year’s participants of the Next Generation of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs Lecture Series to our home in One Canada Square. Now in its third edition, the Lecture Series supports aspiring and early-stage Ukrainian entrepreneurs—especially those affected by the war—to develop ventures that drive impact, resilience, and recovery in Ukraine and beyond.
The evening was opened by Davide Ravasi, Director of UCL School of Management, who welcomed the supporting attendees and highlighted the success of the lecture series which has officially broken its record and attracted over 400 applications this year alone.
Nataliia Hrytsiuk, Lecture Series Lead, spoke about the uniqueness and philosophy behind its teachings, emphasising the importance of entrepreneurial thinking and its ability to significantly impact societies.
We then welcomed a panel discussion consisting of alumni from the first and second edition, who shared their success stories and words of experience and expertise to new participants.
Kostiantyn Sokolianskyi, Founder & CEO of ORMUND LTD:
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Kostiantyn recounted receiving an investment offer and securing his first client at the Lecture Series Pitch Day. Upon reflection, Kostiantyn felt that taking on external investment at such an early stage risked creating conflicts with client priorities and chose to grow the company independently. Today, he manages a team of eight freelancers.
Iryna Garmashova, Co-Founder & Partner of Agrodrone
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Iryna explained that together with her team they built an MVP of their project and secured their first orders, while the course gave her a deep understanding of investment.
Valeriya Kuzmenko, Head of Marketing and Expansion at Paranoidlab
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Valeriya noted that the recognition she gained through winning the concluding pitch day competition led to an invitation to join a competitor’s company as a co-founder.
Anastasiia Oliinyk, CEO of Offer Land
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Anastasiia also dived into her entrepreneurial journey. After the Lecture Series, she became a mentor for the next cohort, and now her team is developing a new product designed to help candidates succeed in job interviews. The product has already been tested by more than 100 clients.
The evening concluded with a networking session, inviting attendees to join and celebrate past accomplishments while congratulating this year's participants who are just starting their journey. For many Ukrainians in London, this series has become a true place of strength and support, and as a School, we hope to inspire many more entrepreneurs to grow and develop their professional skills.
We would like to thank Pierre-Jean Hanard, School Lead for Entrepreneurship, Nataliia Hrytsiuk and all the supporters of this lecture series. Their ongoing support has helped the series to grow and ensure that more opportunities are made available to the Ukrainian entrepreneurship community.
Join us this December for the concluding ceremony and the annual Ukraine Lecture Series Pitch Day.
Selected finalists will pitch their business idea infront of a panel of expert judges, with the chance to receive funding to develop and grow their start-up.
