“Created by Women,” the country’s first awards contest for women entrepreneurs, which was initiated by the French-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry or CCIFU, announced its winners in Kyiv on March 13.
The contest aims to support Ukrainian women’s entrepreneurship and honor women who have recently founded their own small- or medium-sized company in Ukraine. As part of the award, women entrepreneurs are provided with consulting services to help their businesses develop.
“They (women) have already achieved some goals, but maybe need some help in mentoring, checking the business plan, marketing communication advice, or just help in finding good contacts,” CCIFU Director Marie Bruant told the Kyiv Post.
Three winners were selected from 37 applicants from all over Ukraine, representing projects across a range of industries — from food and farming, to design, architecture, and education.
“I see amazing women in Ukraine,” said Bruant. “They’re very hard working, and not selfish. They think about their children, their families, and about the future of the next generation.”
The jury chose the finalists based on what business plan the candidate had drawn up, what goals they had set for the next three years, their financial plan, and a personal interview.
Healthy cookies
The first prize was awarded to Ruslana Rymarska, the founder of Smakuli, which produces gluten- and lactose-free cookies.
Rymarska started her business in December 2016 based on idea born from her family’s own needs — her kids are prone to allergies, and need to eat healthy food.
“I was so upset that there are almost no such products in Ukraine, and people have to buy German or French cookies for Hr 100 (3.30 euros) per pack,” said Rymarska.
Just two years after Smakuli was launched, production has hit an average of 5,000–6,000 packs per month, with around 10 cookies in each pack.
Flavored with various ingredients — walnuts, raisins, candied fruit, and even carrot — Rymarska’s cookies now can be found in the Novus and Megamarket supermarket chains, as well as in the Ukrainian children’s supermarkets Epic and Antoshka.
The price was set at around 2.50 euros, which is lower than in Germany (4–5 euros) or Canada, where a similar pack of handmade cookies can cost up to $10.
But Rymarska also has plans to expand: her ambitious goal is to export to the United States, Canada and Scandinavian countries.
“But to get there, we need IFS (International Food Standard) certification. With the certification that we already have, we can export to the UAE, Israel and countries in the CIS region,” said Rymarska.
Ruslana Rymarska (L), the founder of Smakuli receives a trophy for the “Created by Women” entrepreneurship award on March 13 from Oksana Markarova (C), finance minister of Ukraine, Isabelle Dumont (C), the French ambassador in Ukraine and well known Ukrainian TV presenter Maria Efrosinina (R). (French-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce) (Lobanov Aleksandr)
From doctor to cheese maker
They say life begins at 40, and for Nataliia Oleksandrenko, who took second prize in the contest, this is absolutely true.
The mother of four, a doctor by profession, never imagined she would end up making cheese deep in the Ukrainian countryside.
But nevertheless it happened when she and her husband, also a doctor, decided to move from the city and live a more healthy life in the small village of Pidhaichyky in Lviv Oblast, some 600 kilometers to the west of Kyiv.
At first, the abrupt move was a disaster, completely disrupting her way of life, but after some time, things started to change for the better.
Oleksandrenko started to experiment with cheese making, inventing her own recipes by adding various ingredients like spices and grains, and medicinal plants such as nettles, elderberries and fenugreek. She became fascinated by the process, and at the same time realized that here was to a chance to help people to become healthier.
The biggest fear Oleksandrenko had to overcome at first was starting to sell her cheese, for example, at fairs.
“I was burdened by a lot of shame. How could I, a doctor, sell something? It was hard to overcome this barrier until people said that it was honest work, fair, and nothing to be ashamed of,” said Oleksandrenko.
That barrier overcome, Oleksandrenko’s company, called “Arnika +VBO” began to grow, and now produces 14 types of young cheese (matured for less than four weeks), in volumes of around 200–300 kilograms per month. But since these cheeses have a very short shelf life of from seven to 10 days, and does not contain any preservatives or stabilizers, it can’t be bought in supermarkets.
Oleksandrenko sells it by herself, at fairs, and just to couple of restaurants in Lviv and Kyiv.
The price of the young cheese made by Oleksandrenko is Hr 250 ($9.20) per kilogram.
While she occasionally had doubts that cheese making was the right road for her, Oleksandrenko was repeatedly inspired by feedback from others. Once, while she was selling her cheese at a local fair, some Italians came and tasted her product.
“I was as worried as a schoolgirl, because I’ve never been to Italy. But they tasted and said it was ricotta, and they called another one mozzarella fumigator, and I almost fell down as I didn’t know the exact names of these varieties. They bought it and told me that my ricotta was even tastier than their own (Italian) one,” said Oleksandrenko.
Babysss
Third prize in the contest went to Oktiabryna Lisovska and her Babysss project, which she says is an “absolutely socially-oriented” project to promote the nurturing of healthy children.
Babysss, in which the three esses stand for “smart space solution,” is a movable module that can be installed in offices or public spaces where mothers can breastfeed children in comfort and privacy.
“I faced the fact that young mothers, previously used to leading an active lifestyle, can find themselves isolated when they give birth to a child, and this actually leads to very negative consequences, such as depression,” said Lisovska.
The project was born as a response to a social need in Ukraine, where very few public places are suitable for breastfeeding.
“There are no friendly places for babies and their mothers at all, these conditions are just not created,” said Lisovska.
The module comes into three types — mini, standard and exclusive — and can be installed in shopping malls, offices, train stations, airports and other public places. The first two modules are already available, while the third is still in development. The smallest model, the Babysss mini, costs just Hr 150,000, or $5,500.
“There is a diaper changing table, an ergonomic seat for mom, a shelf for a breast pump, a power socket, and a desk — when a mom pumps breast milk, it’s not a three-minute process,” said Lisovska.
Lisovska still often receives inquiries about how to charge for the use of the modules, but she always say they should be available to mothers for free.
“Human rights cannot be sold for money. This is a fundamental right of the child. It is our gift from nature to give children health, immunity and a solid emotional background,” she said.
Lisovska expects to get orders mainly from international companies and Ukrainian state companies. For export, the priority markets are in Kazakhstan and the UAE.
“The UAE has European approaches and they support gender equality programs,” said Lisovska.
At the same time, the Ukrainian owners of large shopping malls are not lining up to buy the Babysss module, as Lisovska insists it be free of charge to use.
“In Ukraine, if a businessman doesn’t see that it’s required by law, he’s not going to get such a module. This really shows a lack of entrepreneurial vision,” said Lisovska.
Ukraine-France Employment Fair
When: April 20, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Ukrainian House (2 Khreshchatyk Street, Kyiv)
What: Organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, the event will include such companies as Credit Agricole, Sanofi, Auchan, Egis, Euralis, Jeantet, Lactalis, Servier, Malteurop, Mazars, UKRSIBBANK, Verallia, Bel among others.
For more details go to: https://www.ccifu.com.ua/
Admission: Free
