In the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the co-founders of two companies, Andrey Klen and Alex Neskin, rallied to help their employees relocate. Klen, who runs the design firm O0 and Petcube, a laser-toy maker, worked with Neskin to assist over half of their 50 employees in moving, mostly to western Ukraine and some to Europe. After a bomb struck near Klen’s home in Kyiv, he had to evacuate to Lviv, but bombs continued to fall there as well. To support their employees and the Ukrainian defense, Petcube has become a fully remote company and is paying full salaries, has made over 1.5 million hryvnia ($50,500) in donations, and continues to donate monthly.
The Spend With Ukraine campaign was launched two weeks later, featuring more than 100 Ukrainian brands from various industries. All of the companies approached by O0 to join the campaign were eager to participate, as the sense of unity in times of crisis is strong in Ukraine. Despite the challenges of the situation, Klen and Neskin were able to quickly launch the campaign using methods similar to starting a new startup. They used a well-made YouTube video, as well as forums like ProductHunt and Y Combinator, to spread the word. Their message is simple: spending with Ukraine supports the economy and helps the country.
