Volodymyr –Vova– was our first employee at Iris.ai. A complete superstar. Like Iryna, who is nearing full term with her first pregnancy. Or Denis, who fathered a baby, his first born, only a few months ago. Yevhenii has just joined us, but I am sure that, with time, he will prove to be not less talented and a wonderful team member too.
Vova is in his town in Western Ukraine, close to his family, working through his front end code as diligently as ever. Maybe, who knows, as a welcome distraction from the present horror faced in his country. In addition to that, he is also finding the time to help with the coordination of local emergency shelter and relief efforts.
Iryna, after some initial hesitation, has managed to find her way to Bucharest, in Romania. To a place were she can find security amongst family friends, at least for a temporary period of time. And where, hopefully, she will very soon be joined by her spouse, currently working on board a vessel in the middle of the Atlantic.
Denis is in a small village outside Odessa, taking care of his wife, baby, and elderly and sick father-in-law. Amidst all that, he also manages to find time to collaborate with his tech-savvy countrymen in the –David-against-Goliath– cyber defence and counterattack of Ukraine and its people facing the savage Russian invasion.
Still based in downtown Odessa, Yevhenii attempts to remain calm and take it a day at a time.
We try to support them from the company's side, working to put in place an option for accommodation in Sofia, transportation arrangements, and Bulgarian visas, for those of our employees and their immediate families wanting and able to leave the country.
A lot is at stake in Ukraine. But most important of all, many lives like those of our beloved colleagues. Lives full of individual colour, brightness, dreams and aspirations. We must stand united with them –all of us– in this their time of great need!!!
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