Exporting Amid Geo-Political Turmoil: Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has wreaked devastation to that country, but life has not stopped. Join us for this GLOBALReach program where we will delve into the intricacies of exporting to a country in a conflict.  

There is a great deal of energy, supplies, and work that continues to support the war effort from across the world. Hear from our lineup of expert speakers who will share their experiences of doing business in Ukraine. Topics will range from economic benefits for Ohio companies, to understanding risk, to first-hand knowledge of working with Ukraine, and everything in-between.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has identified agribusiness, education, medical equipment, oil and gas equipment, safety & security, and infrastructure as high-value market opportunities in Ukraine. If your business is aligned with any of these sectors, this program can give you the insights you need to explore the potential in Ukraine.

featured speakers

Topic: Ukraine before and after the war
FEATURING: Anastasia Lakhtikova, PhD, Independent Scholar
Anastasia Lakhtikova is a native of Donetsk, Ukraine, and has called Ohio home for the last 12 years. She is an intercultural communications scholar, educator, translator, linguist, and passionate supporter of Cleveland's Ukraine refugee community. She is credited with publishing multiple articles on the topics of translation and bilingualism in peer-reviewed academic journals.

TOPIC: Business operations in wartime I
FEATURING: Rick Finsterbusch, CEO of JANZ Corporation, Major (ret) U.S. Army
Rick Finsterbusch is the CEO of JANZ corporation which supplies medical equipment, services, and solutions to the US government. His path began in the military where he retired as a U.S. Army Major. He continued his relationship with the military by providing medical equipment in several capacities, which led to his current position at JANZ. Rick also organizes and hosts the annual International Healthcare Summit in Kyiv - a platform for current relevant knowledge exchange.

TOPIC: Business operations in wartime II
FEATURING: Steve Kleiman, Project Manager, Pacific Wrecks
Steve Kleiman is an Ohio native rooted in the Los Angeles startup community. He created a volunteer team when war broke out in Ukraine and spent over a year in theater. Steve has vast experience operating in hardship zones such as North Korea, Iraq, Papua New Guinea, and Lebanon. He is UAF military credentialed and advises Ukrainian entities on transparency / accountability / auditing and international standards compliance.

TOPIC: Procurement of medical supplies and Medic Training Project
FEATURING: Taras Mahlay, MD
Dr. Taras Mahlay was an internist at University Hospitals of Cleveland for over 30 years. Since the 1990s, Dr. Mahlay has been involved in international physician exchange programs and sending humanitarian aid to low and middle-income countries. With the full-scale Russian invasion into Ukraine, Dr. Mahlay now dedicates all his efforts to helping the casualties of war. His focus is on the procurement of medical supplies, transporting them directly to medical facilities in Ukraine, and promoting the Medic Training Project in collaboration with Frontline Medical.

Cleveland State University 
Levin College of Public Affairs and Education
Ted Bonda Room, UR254

3-Day Global Business Bootcamp