Resilient Futures: Svitlana and Justyna’s road to success

Svitlana from Ukraine and Justyna from Poland were successful businesswomen in their home countries. But in Germany, they had to start from scratch.

The two women got to know each other through their participation in the IRC’s Resilient Futures program, which is supported by the Citi Foundation, and have been supporting each other on their path to self-employment ever since. Despite many challenges, they have not given up and keep supporting each other to realize their dreams.

Friendship as the foundation for new beginnings

Svitlana and Justyna often meet each other at their favorite Italian restaurant in Frankfurt city center, just a few streets away from where they met when they both participated in the Resilient Futures program.

The program supports women who have recently fled to, or arrived in Germany to rebuild their lives. It provides them with the tools to start their own business to get back on their feet.

“The chemistry between us was right from the start,” says Justyna about her friendship with Svitlana. They have different ambitions: Svitlana is bursting with creative ideas and dreams of success as an expert in artificial intelligence on social media.

Justyna ran a successful recruitment agency in Poland before moving to Germany. She wants to use her HR experience to recruit skilled workers from Poland for jobs in Germany. Despite their differing interests, they bond over the fact that they have both already overcome many challenges in their lives.

Meet Svitlana: A lawyer turned AI expert

When Svitlana fled Ukraine, she only had one bag with her. In her home country, she was a successful lawyer, but in Germany she had to build everything from scratch.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she discovered her passion for video production and social media, starting her first YouTube channel in 2020. But when the conflict forced her to flee her home in Ukraine, she had to leave her video equipment behind.

Instead of giving up, Svitlana became inventive: she began to work with artificial intelligence (AI) and recognized the potential of the new technology. Today, Svitlana creates creative videos with the help of AI, and is no longer reliant on expensive equipment. In her YouTube tutorials, she introduces her followers to the latest AI-tools and shows companies how to use AI to benefit their social media presence.

Svitlana firmly believes that she can start a successful company with this idea. Yet, when she shared her dream with others she was often met with skepticism. Many friends advised her to work as an employee rather than start her own business. ‘It wasn't nice to hear that others didn't believe in you when you wanted something so badly,’ Svitlana recalls. But she doesn't give up: ‘If someone tells me, “You can't do it”, I do everything I can to prove them wrong.’ At Resilient Futures, Svitlana has met people who believe in her vision and support her on her path to self-employment.

Svitlana records a new video for her social media channels.

Photo: Hannah Belina for the IRC

“I came to Germany with just one bag, no money, no family, nothing,” Svitlana explains. “The people I met on the course have become a kind of family to me. They were always friendly and supported me - as a woman, as a person, in everything. That had a huge impact on me. It gave me strength. When you see how successful other women around you are, you feel inspired and realize that you can be a part of that success as well.”

Meet Justyna: A entrepreneur fighting her way back into the business world

One of the women Svitlana met on the course was Justyna. Rebuilding life in Germany came with many obstacles for her, too. Justyna arrived in Germany from Poland eight years ago after a difficult divorce.

In Poland, she successfully ran her own company and recruited more than 4,000 workers for German construction companies. In Germany, she had to start from scratch and initially found herself in poorly paid jobs, washing dishes in restaurants or working in a factory.

As a single mother, she worked three jobs and simultaneously studied German. She finally regained confidence in her professional skills when she found a job as an HR administrator. But secretly, she had never given up her desire to run her own company again, and decided to register for the Resilient Futures program.

During the program, she learned how to develop business plans and pitched her ideas to investors. She also learnt how to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles for start-ups in Germany.

A month ago, she finally took the leap of faith and quit her job to focus fully on establishing her own company. With her business, Justyna thrives in recruiting nursing staff, hotel employees and construction workers from Poland for the German labor market.

Justyna in her garden, working at her laptop.

Justyna is currently looking for her own office space. Until then, she prefers to work in her garden.

Photo: Hannah Belina for the IRC

“I want to help people find a good job and help companies find the right employees,” says Justyna. “I believe that almost every application is good. You just have to recognize people's strengths and find out exactly where they fit in, because everyone can do something if the commitment is there.”

Resilient Futures: a stepping stone to self-employment

The Resilient Futures program was developed by IRC and the Citi Foundation for people like Justyna and Svitlana—entrepreneurs who have a great vision and a lot of courage, but have yet to gain a footing in their new home country.

The program offers comprehensive training, start-up capital and individual coaching to enable participants to set up and expand their own businesses. In Germany, the training is provided by Jumpp and AAU, two non-profit organizations in Frankfurt am Main and Nürnberg that support refugees and immigrants in setting up their own businesses in Germany.

Participants not only acquire important skills such as writing business plans, drawing up financial plans but also meet like-minded people and get the opportunity to start building a professional network.

“In my community, I rarely meet people who are entrepreneurs as well,” Justyna says. “During the program, I had a chance to meet people who have the same way of thinking and the same beliefs. We complement our skills to become stronger together.”

Mutual support

Svitlana and Justyna have realized that they can support each other's careers: Svitlana helps Justyna with the design of her website and her business cards. At the same time, Justyna helps Svitlana with legal and bureaucratic issues.

But their regular meetings are not only for professional, but also for emotional support. Both women have had moments when it seemed easier to give up and settle down as an employee rather than working towards self employment. It is in these moments, they encourage each other not to give up. “I never let Justyna get tired,” says Svitlana with a smile.

Looking to the future, the two women want to encourage others not to lose faith in their own skills, even after experiencing personal crisis and displacement.

“The message I want to pass on to all women is: Believe in yourself! It's about finding the right people to give you a little more motivation and show you what's possible. We are all strong. We just have to believe in ourselves, because anything is possible,” says Justyna.

Svitlana and Justyna believe in each other and support each other.

Photo: Hannah Belina for the IRC

Visions for the future

Justyna is planning to open her own office in Frankfurt soon, while Svitlana wants to start giving in-person AI workshops. Through the Resilient Futures program, the two have not only realized their professional dreams, but also built a strong friendship that helps them along the way.