Ukrainian tech founders are among the participants of an executive education program this year organized by Endeavor, a global entrepreneurship mentorship network, for the first time.
The program is set to begin in August and feature six-day intensive programs in collaboration with Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB and MIT Sloan, with professors such as William Kerr (Harvard), Huggy Rao (Stanford) and Gary Gensler (MIT), among others.
“The programs connect entrepreneurs from Endeavor’s global network in more than 45 countries, now including a Ukrainian cohort for the very first time,” reads a press release by Endeavor.
Endeavor lists some of the Ukrainian participants as:
- Anton Pavlovskyi – Founder & CEO, Headway Inc.
- Dmytro Dubilet – Co-founder, Fintech Farm & monobank
- Roman Prokofiev – Co-founder, Jooble
- Oleksandr Kosovan – Founder & CEO, MacPaw
- Dima Shvets – Co-founder, Reface & Mirai
- Anton Borzov – Partner, STRATMINDS; first designer at WhatsApp
- Valentyn Hrytsenko – CMO, Ajax Systems
- Olga Shapovalova – CEO, AddMile by Headway Inc.
Some of the companies listed are among the top startups in Ukraine.
The press release describes the programs as a way to give Ukrainian founders the skills, connections and perspective to grow their businesses and strengthen the country’s startup scene, even during wartime.
“Ukrainian entrepreneurs are not only navigating the challenges of wartime but also competing in global markets. Access to the world’s top business schools provides more than academic insight, it creates links to international investors, partners, and ecosystems,” the press release says.
“It helps establish role models who inspire the next generation, and it accelerates the adoption of world-class leadership, innovation, and scaling practices into Ukraine’s startup and tech landscape,” it adds.
Pavlovsky, CEO and founder of Ukrainian EdTech startup Headway, describes the Endeavor program as “a meeting of two worlds” between the old and the new.
“This trip feels like a meeting of two worlds – the modern, tech-driven approach and the rich tradition of classical education,” he said, according to the press release.
Vitalii Laptenok, chair of the Endeavor Ukraine Board, describes this year’s participation of Ukrainian tech founders as a way to accelerate the growth of the country’s tech scene.
“If more of our founders can learn from world-class experts, it will significantly accelerate the growth of Ukrainian companies,” he said.
“I’m excited it’s already happening.”
Ukraine has been one of the major tech hubs in Eastern Europe. Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country had witnessed an emerging tech scene that produced numerous notable startups with more than 50 venture capital (VC) funds to boost.
Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine’s tech sector remains active – though growth has slowed slightly, according to a tech outlet report – with some companies pivoting to defense technology in response to rising demand.