UA4USA 2025: Ukrainian-American Business Forum
September 26, 2025 • The Diamond • 150 N Michigan Ave 35th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601
ABOUT THE FORUM
The first major U.S. forum spotlighting how Ukrainian-founded companies are powering the American economy - creating jobs, paying taxes, driving innovation, and strengthening communities.
Special Presentation
The Economic Contribution of Ukrainian Businesses in the U.S.
A landmark, data-driven report by the ISE Group measuring economic footprint of Ukrainian-rounded and diaspora-led businesses in the U.S.
Why Attend?
• Early access to exclusive data
• Network with top leaders
• Shape post-war recovery
• Learn from diaspora founders
• Join targeted roundtables
Strategic Value of Participation
"UA4USA is a platform for measurable impact - where diaspora leadership meets public policy, private capital, and real outcomes"
Our Speakers
Alexander Romanishyn
Co‑Founder / Think Tank & Ecosystem Builder, ISE Group
Alexander Romanishyn is a policymaker and economist, former Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, and Board Member at Think Tank and Ecosystem Builder ISE Group. His expertise in public policy, corporate finance, digital transformation and resilience has been instrumental in shaping economic, innovation and digital strategies, as well as in the recovery efforts of Ukraine. In the private sector he delivered M&A transactions with EY, Midland Group UK, and Volwest Group. He holds an M.A. in Finance and a B.A. in Economics & Business from NaUKMA.
Vitaliy Kutnyy
President & CEO, Selfreliance Federal Credit Union
Born in Ternopil, Ukraine, Vitaliy Kutnyy immigrated to the U.S. in 2002 and began at Selfreliance Federal Credit Union as a part‑time teller. Over the years he advanced through roles including Account Representative, Executive Vice President & CFO, before becoming President & CEO in 2019. He holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business and is a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois. Under his leadership, the credit union has expanded significantly. Vitaliy is deeply engaged in service to the Ukrainian‑American community and ensures Selfreliance’s programs (including its foundation) contribute actively to its members and diaspora.
Basil V. Chochla
Founder, The Bee Dance CPAs
Basil V. Chochla is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and specializes in international tax strategy, cross‑border compliance, and fractional CFO leadership. He serves immigrant entrepreneurs, global founders, and mission‑driven businesses, bringing both technical expertise and cultural sensitivity to his work. Basil founded The Bee Dance CPAs, a firm that goes beyond compliance—helping clients build financial ecosystems aligned with their values, roots, and long‑term mission. His perspective is shaped by his ancestral heritage in the Carpathian highlands.
Brian K. Atterberry
Board Vice President International Trade Club of Chicago (ITCC).
Brian currently serves as Board Vice President of the International Trade Club of Chicago (ITCC) and as President & Founder of Green Umbrella Solutions, a business consulting firm located in Chicago.
Brian is a senior executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning sales, marketing, strategic development and implementation, warehousing and distribution, managed freight, ocean and air freight operations, contract negotiations, and comprehensive supply chain management solutions. For the past thirteen years, he has served as President of Armada’s McDonald’s Operating Company and became an invested Partner after his first year at Armada. Previously, he spent twenty-one years at UPS, where he held roles in operations, logistics, enterprise sales, product development, and marketing. Notably, he was selected to contribute to a strategic partnership service agreement between UPS and the USPS, facilitating the establishment of a final mile delivery service with the USPS.
Dr. Vlada Nakhlis
Doctor of Optometry, Owner of the EyeSee Optometry Clinic
Dr. Vlada Nakhlis has over 20 years of experience in optometry, specializing in ocular surface diseases and in myopia control for children. She owns and operates Eye See in Lincolnshire, IL, and Des Plaines Eye Care Center. She provides comprehensive eye care including pediatric care, glaucoma treatment, dry eye therapy, urgent care, and specialty contact lenses. A graduate of Illinois College of Optometry, originally from Ukraine, Dr. Nakhlis is known for her patient‑centric, personalized approach, ensuring care is accessible and culturally sensitive.
Nauman Bhatti
Founder, Old Forge Advisors
Nauman Bhatti started out in finance via a summer internship with Merrill Lynch, then progressed through Global Treasury and Commercial Banking focusing on privately held family businesses in the transportation industry. Over time he saw the need for more holistic and personalized financial guidance for business owners. This led him to found Old Forge Advisors, a platform offering independent & comprehensive financial advice beyond transactional banking. He also serves on the Board of The Traffic Club of Chicago.
Tetiana Vorozhko
Advisor, Think Tank & Ecosystem Builder, ISE Group
Tatiana Vorozhko is officially joining the ISE Group as an advisor and The Reckoning Project as a writer on October 1. For the last over 18 years, she has worked at the Voice of America, and as the Supervisory Manager of the VOA Ukrainian Service for the last three. With over two decades of experience in journalism, media analysis, and international broadcasting, she has played a key role in shaping VOA’s content strategy, reporting, and personnel development.
Previously, she served as a Program Review Analyst, evaluating VOA Language Services against global media standards, and held various editorial and leadership roles at VOA Ukrainian, including hosting and producing flagship programs. Beyond VOA, she has worked as a media adviser for the OSCE in Ukraine, a journalist and producer for major Ukrainian outlets, and a fixer/producer for BBC during the Orange Revolution.
Roman Nikitov
Founder and General Partner at United Heritage, a leading Polish-Ukrainian Alternative Investment Fund dedicated to Ukraine’s post-war recovery. He is a top international professional with over 15 years of expertise in portfolio management, private equity, and cross-border transactions. Roman has led transformative projects, including the $1.5 billion restructuring of one of Ukraine’s largest agribusinesses and the management of a $1 billion distressed debt portfolio following the 2014 crisis. He has provided strategic advisory on major investments in Ukraine’s rail sector, overseeing recovery of the country’s largest railcar collateral under an EBRD facility. As co-manager of a $65 million venture capital fund, he invests in global SaaS and fintech ventures with Central and Eastern European ties. Earlier in his career, Roman contributed to Ukrainian IPOs on the London and Warsaw Stock Exchanges. He is committed to bridging institutional capital with impactful reconstruction efforts and fostering Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation.
Natalia Tkachenko-Horbachevska
CEO & Co‑Founder, Task Force
Natalia is CEO and co‑founder of Task Force, a language services company founded in 2011 with operations in Switzerland, the USA, Poland, and Ukraine. Under her leadership, Task Force has been recognized among the fastest‑growing language service providers globally (e.g. CSA Research rankings) and has earned top positions in Eastern Europe and worldwide rankings. In 2024 she was named “Humanitarian Influencer of the Language Industry” by Multilingual Magazine. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at the University of Geneva.
Vlad Skots
CEO, USKO Inc.; Founder & Head, Ukrainian American House
Vlad Skots is a US entrepreneur of Ukrainian origin. He is Chief Executive Officer of USKO Inc., a $150M global logistics & trade company, founder of Motion TMS (a platform transforming trucking operations), and developer/investor in manufacturing and real estate. He is also the founder and head of the Ukrainian American House, a non‑profit that connects diaspora, business, and policy, promoting U.S.–Ukraine relations and supporting cultural, educational, and humanitarian initiatives. Among his honors is Ukraine’s Order of Merit (III degree) recognizing his contributions to the country’s development.
Borys Trofimov
Senior Director, EY‑Parthenon
Borys Trofimov is a strategy consultant with nearly 13 years of experience. He helps Fortune 500 companies with high‑impact strategic initiatives across sectors including advanced manufacturing, agriculture, oil & gas, mining, government, and nonprofits. He holds degrees from the National University of Kyiv‑Mohyla Academy, the Kyiv School of Economics, and the University of Houston, plus certifications including PMP and CPIM. Borys is deeply committed to Ukraine’s recovery and economic prosperity, and serves on the board of Kyiv‑Mohyla Foundation of America.
Romina Bandura
Senior Fellow, Project on Prosperity & Development, CSIS
Romina Bandura is an economist with 25 years of experience in international development research, policy, and project management. Her research focuses include foreign aid, development finance, Ukraine’s recovery & reconstruction, digital transformation, financial inclusion, and the future of work. She also studies U.S. engagement in developing countries and improving multilateral development banking. Romina holds an MPA in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in Economics from Universidad Católica Argentina.
Dmytro Savenkov
Co-founder, MeerLand Ukraine
Born in Mariupol in 1970, Dmytro Savenkov earned degrees in Economics & Management from Priazovsky State Technical University (Mariupol) and further specialized in Shipping Management at London City College. He built his career in freight forwarding and transportation, eventually founding MEERLAND UKRAINE (offices in Kyiv, Odessa, Mariupol) and in 2019 expanding into SAVA TRANSLOGIC in Poland. Since 2020, he is a co‑founder of the Good People Foundation, helping volunteers with logistics, documentation, and financial support of humanitarian aid deliveries. After the 2022 Russian invasion, he joined with others to support coordination of aid through the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw.
Fabrice Bonvoisin
Founded FB International LLC in 2002, a Chicago-based consulting firm specializing in international business development and marketing services across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with clients in manufacturing, biotech, and cleantech. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of H2 Power, where since 2019 he has led the development of a proprietary process that produces carbon-free hydrogen by reacting water with engineered aluminum powder—requiring no electricity and leveraging recycled materials—to enable practical clean hydrogen applications in transportation and distributed energy. Mr. Bonvoisin also serves as President of the International Trade Club of Chicago.
Alex Popovych
CEO and Founder, VISTA Transholding Inc
Oleksandr Popovych, MD/MBA, is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in leadership roles across multiple companies. As the CEO and Founder of Vista Trans Holding and Vs carriers inc since 2009 and 2011 respectively, Oleksandr has demonstrated expertise in leading successful businesses. Additionally, Oleksandr serves as President and Founder of A&IN / Assets & Investment group, LLC since 2007.
Oleg Komarnytskyy
Founder, KOMAR Real Estate Agency
Oleg Komarnytskyy is the founder and owner of KOMAR, one of Chicagoland’s fastest-growing real estate brokerages with over 125 agents and $500M in closed sales.
He is known for creating a collaborative, high-performance culture that helps agents thrive through training, mentorship, and innovation.
Eva Sigaev
President, UACCI / Director of Administration, Selfreliance Association
Eva serves as President of the Ukrainian American Chamber of Commerce, where she advocates for Ukrainian entrepreneurs, builds strong business networks, and promotes investment opportunities in the U.S. and beyond. She leads the Chamber’s mission to connect businesses of Ukrainian origin and amplify their impact on the American economy.
As Director of Administration at the Selfreliance Association, Eva oversees operational processes and initiatives that support Ukrainian families rebuilding their lives in the United States. She ensures that resources and services are delivered effectively to those who need them most.
Eva sees her calling in serving the Ukrainian community, which finds support, strength, and recognition through both the Chamber and the Association.
Angela Savenko
Angela has served as Executive Director of UACCI since 2024. Her mission is to connect Ukrainian-origin businesses across the United States and foster lasting partnerships. She also leads social media outreach for the Selfreliance Association, where she is dedicated to supporting Ukrainians who fled the war and are working to build their future in America.
Back in Ukraine, she built a career as a marketer with over 10 years of experience in marketing, social media, and client relations. She successfully developed communication strategies, managed brand promotion, and built strong partnerships with both local and international clients.
Olha Lykova
Immigration Legal Service Program Coordinator at Selfreliance Association / UACCI Project Manager.
Olha is the Immigration Legal Service Program Coordinator at Selfreliance Association, in Chicago, where she coordinates the program, handling clients’ applications and documentation for U.S. citizenship. She brings extensive experience in project management from her previous roles at Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company and the Ukrainian Corporate Governance Academy (UCGA) in Ukraine. Additionally, she has worked as an associate analyst over 4 years at HCM International, a Swiss‑based strategic advisory firm specializing in governance, risk, and finance.
Hear directly from Ukrainian-born founders who built thriving businesses in the U.S. - real stories of grit, growth, and game changing ideas.
Top Reasons to Attend
Exclusive Panel Discussions
High Impact Networking
Join a Powerful Community
Build Bridges with U.S. Leaders
Hear directly from Ukrainian-born founders who built thriving businesses in the U.S. - real stories of grit, growth, and game changing ideas.
Become a Sponsor
Our Sponsorship Packages
Platinum Sponsor
$3,000
Gold Sponsor
$1,500
Silver Sponsor
$1,000
Our Partners
