Dear all,  

Warm greetings from Generation Ukraine. We met with some of you in Lviv last December and others in New York City earlier this February. Those two Generation Ukraine launch events helped us define the essence of our community. Together, we shape a community of and for Ukrainian women where creativity and entrepreneurship can flourish, individual talent can blossom, and solid bonds and friendships are formed—a safe “space” to belong to. 

Throughout history, the best way to connect has been by sharing news. In the digital era, we call this a “newsletter,” and “Common Ground” will be ours. So, in this first one, I want to reintroduce you to a dear friend, Tania Rak, native of Mariupol, who I met on February 24, 2022, exactly two years ago. A day that I woke up earlier than usual, grabbed my phone, and read the sad news. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine had officially started. 

Back then, I worked for a non-profit with chapters in different countries, including Ukraine. When the war escalated, we took the mission to help our Ukraine-based acquittances escape the war zone. The name assigned to me to track was Tania Rak. A woman that, since then, I haven’t stopped admiring. But this is not an escaping-the-war story; all of you are familiar with such stories. You’ve experienced them yourselves, through dear ones and friends. 

Today is all about the strength, the talent, and the light I have witnessed in Tania during the two years I have been blessed to be her friend. This is the story of a girl who became a woman on the day she escaped war and started her life from zero in Warsaw. A journalist who grew to be a Communications professional. A daughter and granddaughter who turned into the protector of her family.  

Since the war started, Tania has attended conferences worldwide, giving speeches to raise awareness about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Fearless enough to address a crowd of hundreds in Miami that wanted the US to stop the aid to Ukraine. 

I have seen her being unstoppable in Prague, Lisbon, Warsaw, and Athens, fighting for her country by all means. She has worked with CNN, TechCrunch, FoxNews, to name a few. Her words have also been featured on Radio Free Europe, the BBC, Elle, Freedom Today, Liberatio, and Warsaw Enterprise Institute. 

At the same time, she has taken over roles in dynamic teams as a PR specialist and recently started her journey as the Chief Communications Officer at the global think tank We Are Innovation. She is a 27-year-old woman who rides life the best way she can, giving me hope that the sun shines brighter as long as we have these women. United, inspired, and active.  

Tania is one of the women who inspired us to curate this initiative, and today, we are proud to have her aboard our mission. If you stick around, you will hear, see, and meet her again at our following events. 

Till then, I invite you to connect with her through LinkedIn and Instagram to discover her resilience for yourself. 

This is all from me for now!