On October 13, 2026, the Kyiv restaurant Veranda on the River hosted the business brunch 'Business Energy: Resilience and Development,' organized by the 'FIRST BUSINESS BIZ' publication. According to RBC-Ukraine, the event gathered company owners, top managers, investors, media representatives, and experts to discuss how Ukrainian entrepreneurship continues to function, invest, and create jobs under martial law. The general partner was the 'We Are Ukraine+' TV channel, the water partner was AQUA Myrhorod, the gift partner was BROCARD, and informational support was provided by a number of national media outlets, notably RBC-Ukraine.
Opening: Doing Business as an Act of Courage
Opening the brunch, co-founder of the organizer Victoria Steinberg emphasized that in current realities, doing business in Ukraine is an act of courage driven by staff shortages, energy risks, and economic uncertainty. According to her, entrepreneurs face war, changing markets, and consumer sentiment daily, yet Ukrainian business continues to work, invest, support people, and seek new development opportunities. Organizers Victoria Steinberg and Yuriy Atanov ultimately outlined the main goal of the brunch: creating an effective space for partnerships.
People and Corporate Culture
In the human resources panel, Veranda/Fenix restaurants HRD Kateryna Tyuri focused on the transformation of corporate culture. Amid migration and the personnel crisis, she assessed that preserving human capital has become the main task for companies, requiring new approaches to internal communications and employee motivation.
CSR: From One-Time Charity to Strategy
A panel discussion on corporate social responsibility featuring representatives from NOVUS, AXOR INDUSTRY, the 'Apteka 9-1-1' chain, and KNUBA was dedicated to shifting the focus from systemic aid to business strategy. Participants noted the importance of moving from isolated charitable initiatives to systematic work involving specific goals, accountability, and performance evaluation.
Investment and Capital Preservation
The investment panel featuring representatives from UNIVER, TOLOKA.VC, 'Tvoye Kolo,' and 'Nova Poshta' focused on capital preservation. Experts analyzed the profitability and risks of government bonds (OVGZ), real estate, the land market, reinvesting in one's own business, and venture projects amid inflation.
Technological Autonomy and Digitalization
The issues of technological autonomy were highlighted by GenCode Diagnostics CEO Oleksandr Vlasishen: using genetic research as an example, he demonstrated the benefits of localizing laboratory infrastructure in Ukraine, which shortens timelines and reduces dependence on foreign partners. In the digitalization block, CPO Medoc TTN Volodymyr Novikov presented solutions for automating document flow and optimizing operating expenses, which he stated is critical amid resource shortages.
Legal Security and Reputation
The legal security block featuring lawyers from ALERTES JSC, Shchennikova & Partners, and Fedorova LawFirm focused on protecting business interests in the legal field. The concluding panel with representatives from AB InBev Efes Ukraine, the 'We Are Ukraine' TV channels, and Mind UA discussed preserving brand trust: how to maintain the trust of customers, partners, and employees, adapt communications to changes in the information environment, and respond to reputational challenges based on consistency, transparency, and brand accountability to the audience. An important part of the brunch was professional networking, during which participants exchanged practical experience and established new business contacts.
