So far away, yet so close to home. Ukrainian tech impacts Baltimore and the entire world. We can all make a difference from wherever we are.
“Our developers in Ukraine are meeting tight deadlines while bombs are being dropped on their families. It is frightening, unfathomable, and remarkable.”
Tracey Halvorsen and Greg Dvorkin, founders of MarTech startup Return, met last week with Ukrainian development firm Xenoss to review beta updates to their upcoming pilot. The teams have continued daily work together, even as Xenoss moves forward with long-existing emergency plans for staff safety and relocation.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the US tech industry is stepping up to support the roughly 200,000 software developers who work remotely for companies in the U.S. and Europe. We encourage our Baltimore colleagues to share efforts to support their Ukrainian teams. Here are a few shared with us this week:
- Dozens of companies are posting job ads for tech roles on Remote Ukraine, set up to help firms around the world hire Ukrainians.
- The Ukraine Strong Tech Vendor Coalition is inviting technology vendors to support Ukraine through cash contributions to a curated list of charitable organizations.
- Ukrainian-American IT company, KLIK Solutions, with offices in Locust Point and Kyiv, has collected and distributed hundreds of supplies from Baltimore friends and colleagues for their teams and families in Ukraine.
- From rescue missions aiding Ukrainians to escape war-torn cities to offering translation services once they cross borders and helping them to start new lives and find jobs in Europe, Ukraine’s tech industry is banding together to save and support the victims of Russia’s invasion.
- Tech firms with Ukrainian teams are providing financial support for workers and arranging for travel or housing for those fleeing the escalating conflict.
- 252 of San Francisco-based tech company JustAnswer’s approximately 1,000 employees are based in offices throughout Lviv, Uzhgorod, and Kyiv. The company’s non-Ukrainian employees receive a daily update encouraging donations to the Ukrainian army and volunteer organizations through the business group Lviv IT Cluster. As of Tuesday, the donation page surpassed its $100,000 goal.
- Get smart about Ukraine’s tech industry and its efforts to relocate employees and continue delivering for clients.