Ostap Korkuna | Director / Co-Chairman
I was born and raised in Lviv, Ukraine. I graduated from Lviv National University with a master’s degree in applied math and, soon after that, moved to California in 2009 to become a software engineer at Meta (then Facebook). Though I live in the US, I still try to visit Ukraine often to maintain the many social and professional ties I’ve built with my homeland over the years. In 2014, I became one of the founding members of Nova Ukraine because I strongly believe that no matter where we are geographically, we can still find ways to effectively help Ukraine when the country and its people need us.
Mikola (Nick) Bilogorskiy | Co-Chairman
I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Today, I’m a computer security software executive in Silicon Valley. I co-founded Nova Ukraine in 2014 to give the young people in our diaspora a voice and as a simple way to help Ukraine. I love giving back and feeling connected to my roots in Ukraine. At Nova Ukraine, I coordinate corporate relations.
Michael Simbirsky | Director
I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where I studied mathematics. In the mid-1990s, I moved to Israel before finally settling in California as a software engineer. I joined Nova Ukraine in 2014 to assist internally displaced persons. Before the war, I coordinated educational projects, the project “Help to wounded soldiers,” and others. I am now coordinating financial planning for Nova Ukraine’s broad humanitarian efforts.
Rodion Yaryy | Director
I grew up in Odesa, Ukraine, before moving to the US to pursue my education. After graduating from San Jose State Univerity, I worked as a software engineer for several tech companies in San Francisco. During the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, I joined Nova Ukraine as a volunteer and later as a board member. I am involved in bringing new technology solutions to our organization to bring technological scale to our humanitarian efforts. I volunteer to help Ukrainians in the hardest of times, because I believe that together we can rebuild Ukraine as a more prosperous and democratic nation.
Dr. Igor L Markov | Director
I grew up in Kyiv, and moved to the US for graduate school (UCLA). Having worked at Google, today I’m a research scientist at Meta (Facebook) focusing on AI platforms. As a former professor at the University of Michigan and a visiting professor at Stanford, I’ve co-authored five books, over 200 peer-reviewed publications and supervised 12 Ph.D. degrees. At Nova Ukraine, I curated the COVID-19 response and advertising efforts, oversaw publicity materials and other projects. As of 2022, I am involved in media efforts, medical supplies, support of volunteers in Ukraine, and help scaling up Nova Ukraine as new volunteers are joining daily.
Iryna Bilokin | Director
A Nova Ukraine co-founder, Iryna was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. Having worked for the International Organization for Migration, Iryna has extensive experience in capacity building in migration management as well as in migrant and refugee programs of direct assistance, institutional reforms, and education. With her passion for art, Iryna’s focus in recent years has been on art education for vulnerable children and on the promotion of Ukrainian culture at large.
Larisa Nadukhovskaya | Director
I grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine, and moved to the US in the early 1990s. I studied medicine in the US and trained at LA county-USC Emergency Medicine program. After moving to the Bay Area, I trained residents at UCSF-San Francisco General Hospital ER, served as director and chairwoman in private hospital settings, and served on Emergency Medical Care Committee for San Mateo county. In 2022, I joined Nova Ukraine as a medical team lead and later as a board member. Now I coordinate providing critically needed medical aid to Ukraine, focusing on interventions that improve health care and help save patients’ lives in Ukraine.
Sergey Kishchenko | Director
I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and moved to California in 2013 to join Google, where I currently hold the software engineer position on the AI Research team. After the 2014 invasion started, I joined Nova Ukraine as a volunteer. In 2022, I led the newly formed Ground Ops team and coordinated the evacuation efforts, procurements, and delivery of critical supplies. I joined the board of directors of Nova Ukraine with a strong commitment to build peaceful, hospitable, free Ukraine.
Josh Pickering | Director
I am American, born and raised in the Midwest. I am a twice-deployed Navy veteran and Stanford MD/MBA student with a military and civilian background in crisis response. Since February, I have worked closely with Nova Ukraine, delivering medical supplies in the initial Seattle plane to the MOH in Lviv, the Pioneer and Koret Foundation grants, and working closely with the medical team to direct domestic and intra-europe supply logistics and deployment. I continue to work with Nova Ukraine because I believe the organization is uniquely well-positioned and effective in supporting the Ukrainian people in their struggle against the Russian invasion.
Milena Naymark | Director Emerita
I was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. In 1991, I left for the US, where I lived in New York, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2005. I co-founded Nova Ukraine in 2014 and served as CFO until 2022. I hope to make a difference for Ukraine as our organization develops and becomes stronger through our joint humanitarian efforts with other US-based Ukrainian nonprofits. I chiefly contribute to our efforts in the fields of education and raising awareness.