The selection has finished for the second cohort of the educational program for Ukrainian entrepreneurs Stanford Ignite Ukraine. CfE Accelerator UCU has chosen 42 Ukrainian owners of small and middle-sized businesses out of 892 applicants. Study will start in March: they’ll spend one week at Ukrainian Catholic University, four weeks online, and three weeks live at one of the best business schools in the world, the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The organizers will cover the cost of tuition and room and board near campus.

The first cohort of Stanford Ignite Ukraine

The Stanford Ignite Ukraine program was created to give participants a unique experience which combines deep study, practicum, and immersion in the innovative environment of Silicon Valley. In addition to the theoretical bloc, the participants will work in teams on real business projects which, at the end of the program, they will present to investors and entrepreneurs.

The participants will receive up-to-date management instruments which will help introduce changes and find systemic approaches to respond to the challenges which today face Ukrainian business. The goal of Stanford Ignite Ukraine is to provide opportunities for the development of Ukrainian business and its integration into the world economy. Upon completion of the program, participants will be able to use the skills acquired and practical experience to realize ambitious ideas and transform their businesses.

The program received applications from various cities and regions of Ukraine, in particular Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa, Vinnytsya, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Lutsk, Zhytomyr, and Ivano-Frankivsk. The majority of them were from service companies (69% of all applications) and 31% from production companies. 47% of applicants have more than 10 years of business experience and the average age of the applicants is 38.

First cohort of Stanford Ignite Ukraine

An important selection criterion was the motivation and plans of the entrepreneurs on how to improve their businesses, expand them, release new products/services, introduce innovations, attract investors, or enter new markets.

A list of the 42 businesspeople chosen for the Stanford Ignite Ukraine program:

  1. Ihor Smetana – owner of LUMINAL, a company involved in design and projects for commercial, architectural, and landscape illumination
  2. Serhiy Ratovskyi – co-owner of a Ukrainian factory of steel products, which develops and produces metal constructions of various levels of complexity and also then installs them
  3. Mykola Maksymenko – co-founder and CTO of HAIQU, a startup in quantum computing which develops cutting-edge technologies for future quantum applications
  4. Mariya Havrylyuk – co-founder of Gunia Project, a brand of exclusive items created on the basis of traditional ethnic cultures
  5. Taras Skorupskyi – co-founder of Dmytruk, a company which prepares meat snacks (pork)
  6. Mariya Polyakova – co-owner of INCHKYIV, one of the largest and best pharmaceutical marketing agencies in Ukraine
  7. Oleksandr Demus – producer of agricultural technology DEMUS
  8. Vadym Hryshyn – co-owner of Sneco, which makes snacks
  9. Vyacheslav Mokhov – owner of RalcoTechnic, a company which plans efficient energy refrigeration systems for industry, agriculture, and commerce
  10. Yevheniya Todurova – founder of BAKERSTREET Bakery
  11. Roman Kvashenko – owner of KR Ingredients, one of the largest producers of ingredients for the food industry
  12. Nazar Hembara – CEO of BotsCrew, a global leader for the development of chatbots for AI, which help small and middle-size business provide an exceptional experience of serving clients in their markets
  13. Taras Borshchovskyi – founder of MetaliX, which prepares internal zone constructions and doors from steel and glass
  14. Mykola Hordiychuk – founder of the agricultural company PAPAS
  15. Arsen Shlapak – co-founder of the network of cafes KREDENS
  16. Oleksandr Yefremov – owner of Kitsoft, a company which develops and introduces digital technologies for government institutions and commercial organizations
  17. Vadym Synzheretskyi – CEO and co-founder of BUKI, a global EdTech marketplace for local and online tutors
  18. Kyrylo Shyyanov – co-owner of the company obJerky, maker of snacks
  19. Khrystyna Shabat – co-founder of the daycare center Little Birds: A place for kids
  20. Vitaliy Melnyk– founder of TAD, a company which produces special technologies
  21. Dmytro Sofyna – co-founder of Winstars.AI, a research center to develop AI
  22. Viktor Kruhlov – founder of the Ranok Press, a leader in the national market of educational, children’s, and methodological literature
  23. Pavlo Zayats – founder of the pet store Petslike
  24. Oleh Khardin – founder of the company Premier Socks, one of the leaders in the Ukrainian market
  25. Yevhen Mordvinov – co-founder of Tsex Drycleaners
  26. Volodymyr Nerubenko – co-founder of TerraLab, a company which optimizes processes in medical laboratories
  27. Bohdan Dumenko – owner of KIDIGO, maker of playgrounds
  28. Svyatoslav Amelin – founder of Mebelok, a marketplace for furniture sales
  29. Oleksiy Kolchanov – co-founder of Meetty Chocolate candy-makers
  30. Vladyslava Zatsarynna – co-owner of DOU, Ukraine’s largest online portal for IT specialists
  31. Denys Kudryashov – co-founder of PaperBag, a company which was the first in Ukraine to automatically produce paper bags, one of the three leading producers
  32. Oleksa Hereha – co-owner of Palmet, a company that makes furniture
  33. Khrystyna Dereha – founder of the JUNGLE brand of leather accessories
  34. Denys Lohvynenko – founder of the creative digital agency Havas Digital Kyiv
  35. Petro Lyshak – co-owner of Pol Leather & Poelle, a group of companies that prepares leather accessories
  36. Oleksandr Kobetyak – co-owner of Nova Food, a company that prepares waffles and cookies
  37. Dmytro Yatsyna – founder of Patsany & Divchata Agency, which specializes in branding, communications strategies, and SMM
  38. Serhiy Velchev – co-founder of ECOFACTOR, a company that produces hardware and software for electric vehicle charging stations
  39. Yuliya Pyatnytska – co-founder of Bakehouse Bakery
  40. Yuliya Lisovska – partner in TIVOLI, a company that makes wooden chairs and tables
  41. Ihor Blystiv – director of the MSc in Marketing Management Program at the UCU Business School
  42. Artur Mikhno – co-owner of Work.ua, the largest job search website in Ukraine

The program Stanford Ignite Ukraine is being carried out by CfE Accelerator UCU and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, with the support of the Ministry of Economics of Ukraine, USAID’s  Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine, and Ukrainian Catholic University.

USAID’s Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine supports Ukrainian businesses with the goal of raising their competitiveness in Ukraine’s internal market and in international markets, helps build a transparent and simplified business climate, and also offers Ukrainian companies opportunities to take advantage of international trade.

Source: CfE Accelerator UCU