• by Dave Morgan , Featured Contributor, September 19, 2024

As readers of my column know, I am a big supporter of Ukraine and the freedom war it is fighting for all of us. I believe that the United States, all of the countries around the world, and businesses and individuals everywhere need to help Ukraine repel the horrific, unjustified full-scale Russian invasion.

We need to work together to stop the bombing of its cities, civilians and infrastructure. We need to help Ukraine recover the tens of thousands of its children whom Russia unspeakably kidnapped and removed from their Ukraine homeland and took back to Russia like spoils of war.

Working together on technology is a great bridge to Ukraine. Ukraine has one of the largest and strongest technology workforces in the world, graduating hundreds of thousands of engineers every year from more than 25 of the worlds’ best technology universities, and is a rapidly emerging technology giant in the world. Building partnerships with technology companies and technology workers in Ukraine is a win-win for everyone. It is great business. It is great for Ukraine and for humanity.

Ukraine’s tech showcase -- IT Arena -- happens next week in Lviv. I’m really excited to once again be speaking at IT Arena in Lviv next week, a three-day event attended by more than 3,000 technologists, investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Much of the best of Ukraine will be on display, and the networking will be incredible. My own company now has more than 20 employees in the country, and they are unbelievably talented colleagues.

You can help. Everyone in our industry can help. You can learn about Ukraine and what is happening. I suggest that you start by following the posts of historian Timothy Snyder. You can care. Stand up for what is right. Make your voice heard, whether in conversations, meetings or in discussions with politicians. It matters.

You can partner. There are many great technology outsourcing firms operating in Ukraine. I can personally vouch for DataArt and Sigma Software, firms that I know well. You can join trade organizations that support your Ukraine peers. Lviv IT Cluster operates IT Arena and provides amazing support to technology companies throughout the country. You can join IAB Ukraine, which has been amazing at supporting the works of digital advertising and ad-tech companies in Ukraine. You can directly support local nonprofits. United 24 is one of the most important and best known.

You can visit. Visiting Ukraine helps you understand it in ways that you never could from a distance. The people are incredible. Their resilience is palpable. They are awe-inspiring and uplifting.

Next week's trip to the IT Arena in Lviv and then Kyiv will be my sixth trip to Ukraine in the past 15 months. If anyone is interested in learning more about visiting the country, please reach out to me.

Ukraine is fighting on the front line of a war for all of us, protecting freedom, democracy and the rule of law from tyranny and autocracy. We must help, now more than ever.