SAN FRANCISCO, California – Preceded by a pre-party with a vyshyvanka dress code, the one-day UTGem conference started on Sept. 18. More than 600 are expected to attend, among whom are Ukrainian and American investors, large technology companies, and startups of different stages.
The main goal of Ukrainian Tech Gem is to showcase the Ukrainian tech business ecosystem. That includes not only major outsourcing software developers, but also research and development departments of big companies like Samsung, as well as venture funds, accelerators and startups, said the European Business Association’s Information Technology Committee Coordinator Kostiantyn Vasyuk. “Our goal is to show prospective clients that they can work with Ukraine,” he added.
The event organizers’ message is that despite the tough political situation, Ukraine still remains an outsourcing and research and development destination.
This, however, does not mean that the topic of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine is not addressed here.
One of the special guests of the event is Ruslana Lyzhychko, a famous Ukrainian singer and EuroMaidan Revolution activist, who helped to run a charity auction for internally displaced people in Ukraine at the pre-party, raising some $2,000. She is also on the media panel of the conference to talk about the information war in relation to Ukraine.
Speaking at the pre-party, Lyzhychko said that now is the time when Ukraine begins its stabilization as a country, which makes IT professionals a very valuable asset.
“Now the time begins when your projects can be implemented,” she added, addressing the attendees.
Andrii Degeler is the Kyiv Post’s information technology reporting fellow. Degeler has been covering the IT business in Ukraine and internationally since 2009. His fellowship is sponsored by AVentures Capital, Ciklum, FISON and SoftServe. He can be reached on Twitter (@shlema) or [email protected].
