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| ISSUE 13 - AUGUST 10, 2018 |
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Focusing on Pending Ukraine-Related Action on Capitol Hill
Members of the Friends of Ukraine Network (FOUN), the Ukrainian-American community, the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and other supporters of Ukraine met on August 7 to discuss pending and future legislative action on Capitol Hill regarding Ukraine.
Participants included Amb. Alelxander Vershbow (Atlantic Council), Paula Dobriansky (former Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs), Amb. Roman Popadiuk (USUF Board Chairman), Amb. John Herbst (Atlantic Council), Mike Fitzpatrick (former Member of Congress), Herman Pirchner (American Foreign Policy Council), Nadia K. McConnell (USUF President), Robert A. McConnell (USUF Co-Founder), Michael Sawkiw (UCCA/UNIS), Mykola Hryckowian (CUSUR), Marianna Zajac (UNWLA), Orest Deychakiwsky (former Helsinki Commission policy advisor) and Adrian Karmazyn (USUF).
Among proposed legislation relating to Ukraine are resolutions that were introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate commemorating the upcoming 85th anniversary of the Holodomor (Stalin's genocidal famine) in Ukraine.
Photo: (From left) Orest Deychakiwsky, Paula Dobriansky, Herman Pirchner and John Herbst at a meeting of FOUN and others at the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, discussing Ukraine-related legislation on Capitol Hill. (Credit: Adrian Karmazyn)
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U.S. CONGRESS - LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
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Rabbi Bleich Visits USUF
During his recent travels to Washington, Yaakov Dov Bleich, the Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and All of Ukraine, visited the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF) in order to share his views about Jewish life in Ukraine and the current situation in the country.
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Participating in the discussion on August 2nd were Ambassadors Roman Popadiuk and Temuri Yakobashvili (USUF Board Members), Nadia K. McConnell (USUF President), Gene Fishell (State Department), Mark Levin (National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry), Michael Sawkiw (UCCA/UNIS) and Adrian Karmazyn (USUF).
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Rabbi Bleich currently serves as the chairperson of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, an ecumenical association encompassing most of Ukraine's religious communities.
Photo: Yaakov Dov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and All of Ukraine (L), with Amb. Roman Popadiuk at the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. [Photo by Adrian Karmazyn].
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THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN FOR USUF!
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THE U.S.-UKRAINE FOUNDATION'S PROGRAMS
SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE
THEY DEPEND ON YOUR GENEROSITY
- THE
2018 ANNUAL CAMPAIGN ENDS AUGUST 31 -
Your generous support for the
Foundation's work is requested at this critical time in Ukraine's history. A gift at this time will enable us to continue the critically-needed work that we have been doing, such as:
- Providing support through grants, humanitarian aid, educational stipends
- Advocating the need for more U.S. support for Ukraine
- Serving as a central, convenient location in Washington for numerous meetings and discussions by "policy-makers" regarding the current situation in Ukraine. The USUF office serves an expanding audience by also disseminating information through media interviews, the Update newsletter, websites, and social media networks in support of a democratic Ukraine
- Supporting economic development efforts to "build peace and prosperity" in Ukraine
- Administering people-to-people exchanges for "emerging leaders" of Ukraine. Through professional and cultural programming in local communities throughout the U.S., USUF impacts the future leaders of Ukraine.
We are very privileged to have the interest, financial support and volunteerism of so many individuals and organizations throughout our 27 year history. For example, 384 donors contributed $429,437 in private gifts for our programs in 2017, along with many volunteers donating over $250,000 in in-kind, service work. You can learn more about our operations and programs from our public reports:
To continue and grow our 2018 program support for Ukraine, we seek your generosity in making a contribution today to help the People of Ukraine. Our
Annual Giving Campaign ends August 31 so you will want your gift to be credited for this fiscal year.
It's easy to join our efforts and support the
Foundation ... just give online by:
You can also contribute by mailing your check to the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, 1090 Vermont Avenue NW - Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005-4905.
The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
All donations are tax deductible as provided by U.S. law.
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Macron Says Discussed Hunger-Striking Sentsov's Plight With Putin
French President Emmanuel Macron's office says he discussed the plight of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who has been on a hunger strike in a Russian prison for nearly three months, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The [French] president...conveyed to President Putin his concerns, given that the health of Mr. Sentsov seems to have worsened dangerously and the importance that Russia urgently finds a humanitarian solution to the situation," an August 10 statement from Macron's office said.
"President Putin committed to respond and to quickly publish information on Mr. Sentsov's health," it added ...
Sanctions push last Western hotel chain out of Crimea
By
Anton Zverev
,
Olga Sichkar, Reuters, Aug 3, 2018
MOSCOW/SEVASTOPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - U.S. firm Best Western Hotels & Resorts, the last Western hotel chain still in Crimea, has pulled out because of sanctions imposed after Russia annexed the region from Ukraine, two hotel employees said.
"The Best Western Sevastopol Hotel", a Soviet-era building on the quayside in the port of Sevastopol was one of the few visible signs of an international business presence left since the 2014 annexation. Other major brands, among them McDonald's Corp and Radisson Hotels have already quit Crimea ... CLICK to read more
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Creating an Exciting, New Business & Social Opportunity in Ivano-Frankivsk:
Promprylad.Renovation
Promprylad.Renovation is an innovation center creating new opportunities at the intersection of four spheres of region development - informal education, contemporary art, new economics, and urbanism. It has already become a place where 16 different functions operate - business, educational, cultural and social.
Among them a children center, robotics lab, urban and multimedia labs, co-working and conference hall, bar, contemporary art gallery and art workshop, local business offices, dance school, barber school, city council investment policy office, offices of NGOs. It comprises a social-business model, where premises are rented at both commercial and social rent.
All social functions inside this ecosystem raise grants or self-funding to finish reconstruction and buy equipment. They need to sustain themselves to pay a discounted rent, so they have both free and commercial educational and cultural programs.
All this is possible due to the unique organizational and fundraising model.
An organisational model is designed to balance two influential branches - business and social. The innovation center is managed by an LTD which itself is owned by a Corporate Investment Fund and a Charity Foundation.
The Charity Foundation (see above, Charitable Organization "Promprylad") consists of five founding partners - NGOs and organizations responsible for social impact implementation. They are trusted local and international organizations working voluntarily to ensure that 51% of Promprylad.Renovation profits will be invested in ecosystem development and local operators. The Foundation is also responsible for grants and other fundraising aimed for innovations and reconstructions.
The Corporate Investment Fund is responsible for the financial sustainability of the project and can influence business decisions in the project. It owns 49% of shares and consists of SMEs, big businesses alongside individual private investors. The shares are sold starting from $500 so that even a local citizen can invest in the regional development. First CIF investors will raise funds for the buy out of the plant.
Both owners will have supervisory boards consisted of volunteer experts controlling the vision and goal implementation on a larger scale.
The center develops with the help of crowd-investing through which both ordinary people and businesses of all sizes can equally buy shares to revitalize the plant. Starting from September the crowd-investing campaign will be launched to collect the first $4.5 million.
We thus invite all three sectors - business, civil society, and city council to co-create in a synergy in this system, help to build development strategy of the center, and invest in the future of the region.
To summarize why this an exciting developmental project in Ukraine:
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16 different functions work on the pilot floor - urban lab, children centers, dance school, art gallery, barber school, art workshop, coworking, IT and business offices, city council department, conference hall and a bar.
If you are interested in business or investment opportunities, or want to get more details about the project, please contact:
Iana Boitsova, CCO
Tetyana Vasylyk, manager of partner relations,
+380938568029
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BIO NEWS
USDA announces opening of biorefinery loan guarantee program ...
In Washington, the USDA announced the solicitation of applications for funds available under the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program
to provide guaranteed loans to fund the development, construction, and retrofitting of commercial scale biorefineries using eligible technology and of Biobased product manufacturing facilities that use technologically new commercial scale processing and manufacturing equipment. The Biofuels Digest, Aug 10, 2018
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Odesa continues to present investment opportunities for foreign investors,
regardless of the size of their budget. According to an agent in Kyiv who brokers international mergers and acquisitions, container terminals, transportation hubs and warehouses are for sale throughout Ukraine's south-eastern Odessa region. In one such example, a 50 percent equity stake in a large container terminal is currently up for sale to an international investor for USD $3.2 million. From: Ukraine Business Journal, UBJ.am - Monday, July 16
Ukraine needs investors in the animal feed industry, government sources report.
The government plans to attract more investment in this area as they move ahead with the privatisation of many leading producers. They are especially interested in investment from the United States and the European Union, according to recent statements from President Petro Poroshenko's office. At a recent conference in Washington DC, attended by American agro executives and senior officials from the Ukrainian government, a list was presented of 345 companies in the sector that could soon be subject to privatisation. 50 of these businesses are leading producers of animal feed here in Ukraine.
From: Ukraine Business Journal, UBJ.am - Tuesday, July 24
OTHER BUSINESS NEWS
Ukraine's Dwindling Coffers Are Making Central Bankers Fret,
By Volodymyr Verbyany and Daryna Krasnolutska, Bloomberg,
August 8, 2018
Ukraine's government coffers are running low and the central bank is worried.
The Finance Ministry's account for paying pensions and public-sector salaries has plunged to its lowest in more than four years as budget revenue fails to meet the plan. Deficit goals remain intact and financing should be on the way from Eurobond sales and foreign aid. But help won't arrive until differences with the International Monetary Fund are settled.
CLICK to read more
Ukraine's two largest e-commerce companies - Rozetka and EVO - plan to merge.
Pending approval of the Antimonopoly Committee, Rozekta will buy Nasper's share of EVO, which maintain six shopping sites in Ukraine. Nasper will remain in the Ukraine e-commerce market with OLX, the nation's largest classified online market. Vladislav Chechetkin, owner of Rozetka, writes on his Facebook page that ownership shares of EVO will be converted into shares of the new combined company. He predicted that the company will benefit from Rozetka's advanced logistics and delivery system. Chechetkin wrote: "The synergy of the logistics infrastructure, IT infrastructure and cooperation with tens of thousands of entrepreneurs will allow us to build one of the most useful companies in the life of every Ukrainian." Ukraine Business Journal, UBJ.am - Thursday, Aug 9
Ukraine and the United States will join forces to prevent construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline,
President Petro Poroshenko's press service has reported. "Our coordination is very important in preventing the construction of the Nord Stream 2, as a project that not only threatens the energy sphere of Ukraine and Europe, but also directly concerns geopolitical security," the presidential press service quoted Poroshenko as saying. Ukraine Business Journal, UBJ.am - Thursday, July 26
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News from the Ukrainian-American Environmental Association ...
UKRAINIAN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY and ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS HEADLINES
6930 Carroll Avenue, #340; Takoma Park, MD 20912 ...
301-270-6477 x.6
Austrian Wind Energy Company O.W. WIND.KG and the Kherson Regional State Administration Have Signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to Build Wind Farms in Kherson Region: UkrInform, August 7, 2018
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/2513430-austrian-company-to-build-wind-farms-in-kherson-region.html
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Solar Projects Keep Growing Under Net Metering in Ukraine - Cumulative Installed PV Capacity Reached 90-MW at the End of June with ~27 MW Deployed in the Second Quarter Alone: PV Magazine, by Emiliano Bellini, August 7, 2018
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/08/07/solar-projects-under-net-metering-keep-growing-in-ukraine
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In the Last Seven Months, Sales of Electric Vehicles in Ukraine Have Grown 64% to 2,490 Cars: UkraNews.com, August 7, 2018
https://ukranews.com/en/news/577437-electric-vehicles-sales-in-ukraine-up-64-to-2490-cars-in-7m
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Turkish Company Guris Holding Co. Inc. Begins Construction of the 32.4-MW "Ovid-1" Wind Power Plant in the Ovidiopolsky District in the Odesa Oblast; ItWill Be Followed by the 50.4-MW "Ovid-2" Plant: Ukrainian Energy, August 7, 2018
http://ua-energy.org/uk/posts/v-odeskii-oblasti-pochaly-budivnytstvo-pershoi-vitroelektrostantsii (in Ukrainian) and
http://solargis.com/maps-and-gis-data/download/ukraine
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Businessman Khmelnytsky's UFuture Invests $18 Million to Build 18-MW Solar Plant in the Kherson Region:
Open for Business, August 3, 2018
https://open4business.com.ua/businessman-khmelnytskys-ufuture-invests-18-mln-in-building-18-mw-solar-plant and
http://uprom.info/en/news/energy/video-group-ufuture-poboodvala-sonyachnu-elektrostantsiyu-potuzhnistyu-18-mvt-v-hersonskoyi-oblast
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A Total of 4,660 Ukrainian Households Have Installed Solar Panels With a Total Capacity of 90-MW - 1,107 Homes Switched to Solar Power in the 2nd Quarter, Twice as Many as in the First Quarter: UkrInform, August 2, 2018
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/2510243-energy-efficiency-agency-4660-private-households-installed-solar-panels.html and
https://open4business.com.ua/households-double-installation-of-roof-solar-stations-in-ukraine-in-q2
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Ukrainian Town of Slavutych Cuts Energy Consumption by Almost a Quarter Thanks to EU Project:
European Union Neighbors, August 2, 2018
https://www.euneighbours.eu/en/east/stay-informed/news/ukrainian-town-slavutych-cuts-energy-consumption-almost-quarter-thanks-eu
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Construction of Two Small Solar Power Stations Has Been Completed in the Odessa Region:
Ukraine Industrial Portal, by Maxim Ovcharenko, August 2, 2018
http://uprom.info/en/news/energy/v-odeskiy-oblasti-zavershili-budivnitstvo-dvoh-sonyachnih-elektrostantsiy
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In the First Half of 2018, Production of "Green" Electricity in Ukraine Has Increased by 38% - Wind Farms, Solar Power Plants, and Biomass and Biogas Stations Generated 1,226 Billion kWh: Ukrainian Energy, August 01, 2018
http://ua-energy.org/uk/posts/v-ukraini-na-38-vyroslo-vyrobnytstvo-zelenoi-elektroenerhii (in Ukrainian)
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Aiming to Attract a Tesla Electric Vehicle Factory for Europe to Ukraine, Rada Urged to Adopt a Bill With a 15-Year Strategy for Developing the Industry: Ukraine Business News, July 31, 2018
https://www.ubn.news/tuesday-july-31
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In the First Half of 2018, the Illegal Felling of Trees in the Lviv Region Has Decreased by 39% as 973 Hectares of Forest Crops Are Planted in a Reforestation Effort: Ukraine Industrial Portal, by Maxim Ovcharenko, July 31, 2018
http://uprom.info/en/news/other/za-pidsumkami-pershogo-pivrichchya-nezakonna-virubka-lisu-u-lvivskiy-oblast-zmenshil-na-39 and
http://uprom.info/en/news/other/vidvorennya-lisiv-u-lvivskiy-oblast-posadzheno-973-lisovih-kultur
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United Nations Publishes Ukraine's Long-Term (till 2050) Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, July 30, 2018
https://unfccc.int/node/181275
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Why Ukraine is reappearing on US investors' radar screens
By Andy Hunder, President at American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine
Appearing in the newsletter of
UGTI
When I was an eight-year-old boy growing up in London in the late 1970s, my schoolteacher asked our class to show on the map where in Britain our parents were born. When it was my turn, I walked to the other side of the blackboard where the world map hung and proudly exclaimed that my parents came from Ukraine.
But when everyone looked at the map, I was horrified to discover that the country I had so excitedly announced wasn't there; instead, there was just a colossal landmass identified as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. I tried to convince the class that such a country really did exist, but I didn't have much luck: it simply wasn't on the map.
That was my first attempt at promoting Ukraine in public, and it wasn't a great success.
These days, I make a living advocating for businesses in Ukraine, and I'm still running into barriers. As in my London classroom, many American and international investors haven't yet detected Ukraine on their radar screens.
That's not necessarily surprising. For many years, the country was mismanaged by a small cohort of greedy oligarchs and their cronies, and it became internationally recognized as a haven of corruption and vested interests, a terrain inhospitable to foreign investors ... CLICK to read more
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CEO Anton Mischenko discusses the growth of the company, YouTeam, which has offices in Lviv, London and Mountain View, Calif.
The Best Engineers are NOT Freelancers
YouTeam's vetting process combines careful selection of partners with leveraging their own recruitment & screening capabilities. The result is that your risk of hiring the wrong person is almost eliminated!
~ In Support of USUF's Economic Development Programming ~
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| JOIN A TRADE MISSION TO UKRAINE AND/OR KAZAKHSTAN |
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JOIN A CERTIFIED TRADE MISSION TO UKRAINE AND/OR KAZAKHSTAN
To indicate your interest in joining a Certified Trade Mission to Ukraine, October 29-30, 2018, write immediately to Michael Datsenko, mdatsenko@usubc.org.
To indicate your interest in joining a Certified Trade Mission to Kazakhstan, October 25-26, 2018, write immediately to Sarah (Frese) Nickel, sfrese@uskzba.org.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOW !!
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The New York Times Travel Show
January 25-27, 2019 at the Jacob K. Javits Center, NYC
The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation Plans to Represent Ukraine, again!
USUF represented Ukraine at the 2017 & 2018 New York Times Travel Shows.
Join us in 2019!
The 2019 New York Times Travel Show will be one of the most successful international celebration of travel, food and culture ever! Mark your calendars for the 2019 Travel Show, which will take place from January 25 - 27.
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Many of the past exhibitors and sponsors have already indicated they will be reserving their same space and more than 100 new organizations have expressed interest or already signed up to exhibit at the event. The 2018 Show was one of the most-highly attended Travel Show ever. The New York Times Travel Show, the largest of its kind in North America, is widely regarded as the "gateway show" for the world's travel destinations wishing to present to the U.S. market.
Note: The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation welcomes inquiries from travel agencies, hotels, airlines, restaurants, conference centers, etc., for trade show representation.
For more information: Contact us!
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~ World Premiere ~
Baba Babee Skazala
at the
Fall 2018 New Jersey Film Festival
New Brunswick, NJ - October 7, 2018 -
Baba Babee Skazala [Grandmother Told Grandmother], a documentary film by Verona, NJ resident, and first-time filmmaker,
Matej Silecky, will have its World Premiere at the Fall 2018 New Jersey Film Festival, Sunday October 7, 2018, 7 PM. The screening will be held at Voorhees Hall #105, 71 Hamilton Street/College Avenue Campus, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. It will be followed by a Q&A session with Matej and others involved in the production of the film (others TBA). Tickets are available in advance; details at
www.njfilmfest.com.
Baba Babee Skazala tells the little-known story of Ukrainian children torn from their homes in the crush between the Nazi and Soviet fronts in World War II. Spending their childhood as refugees in Europe, these inspiring individuals later immigrated to the United States, creating new homes and communities through their grit, faith and deep belief in the importance of preserving culture. It is Matej's first film, and is the culmination of over 35 oral history interviews uncovering the experiences of these survivors.
Other New Jerseyans who were part of the team include: Rutgers University professor,
Dr. Alexander Motyl, who provides historic background for the film; Cinematographer (select locations) and former Verona, NJ resident,
Evan Yee; Producer and long-time Verona resident,
Julie Parker. All the works selected for the festival were screened by a panel of 15 judges including media professionals, journalists, students, and academics. These judges selected the 22 Finalist/Official Selection films which will be publicly screened at our Festival. These were selected from over 507 works submitted by filmmakers from around the world.
Matej is the Founding Director of Kitsune Tale Productions, LLC, but is perhaps best known for being the Runner Up on
ITV's "Dancing On Ice" 2018, with his celebrity partner, Brooke Vincent of ITV's "Coronation Street." Matej earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from UC Berkeley and a minor in Theater, Dance & Performance Studies. He developed Baba Babee Skazala while at UC Berkeley, and is excited it is having its premiere in his home state.
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ABLC Global will be home to 17 distinctive Summits, Workshops and Forums and three organizations under one big tent. Dozens of international high-level delegations and the focus and energy of ABLC and its "Networking Like Crazy" focus on cooperation, collaboration, partnership, deal-making and trend-spotting.
The Speakers, the dates, the venue, and a special 2 for 1 opportunity to maximize ROI - perhaps the single broadest, most global event ever organized in the advanced bioeconomy -
all ready for you at The Digest online.
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Career Opportunities at the Victims of Communism Memorial
Foundation:
CLICK HERE
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The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation's new website has been created by Steven May, Jr. and his talented team associated with Ask the Egghead. Steven May Jr., aka lead egghead at Ask the Egghead, has over 25 years of career experience that spans multiple business models and sectors. If you need website support, Ask the Egghead!
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