Our Team
Reed Cohen
Co-Founder, Vice President
Reed Cohen is a Master of Public Administration candidate at Columbia SIPA. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Tufts University. He spent his early career as a marketing and branding strategy consultant at a small, boutique firm in New York. As a consultant, Reed worked on an array of projects from developing product marketing strategies and strategic narratives for clients’ brands to leveraging concepts in consumer psychology to perform brand analyses in trademark infringement lawsuits. Reed decided to pursue an MPA to help him transition from the private to the public sector and chose to attend SIPA specifically to study international security policy in response to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
While studying the tools and practices of war termination, he sought more immediate opportunities to begin helping Ukraine and ultimately volunteered to become a Mentor with MentorUkraine. As he continued to follow the war and hear from survivors about the brutality of the Russian army firsthand, he became determined to do more for Ukraine. After meeting Tanya and learning about the depth and breadth of the incredible work she had been doing for her nation through MentorUkraine and beyond, Reed was inspired to leverage his previous work experience and help launch Brave Generation, where he now serves as Vice President.
Tanya Kotelnykova
Co-Founder, President
Tanya Kotelnykova is the President and Executive Director of Brave Generation. Her lived experience through two wars, the Donbas occupation in 2014, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, motivates her to aid youth suffering the ongoing consequences of full scale invasion. Tanya is a student in Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies at Yale University. She holds an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and received her B.A. in Law at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Tanya’s main area of research is Russian academic propaganda in the occupied Ukrainian territory since 2014, the right to self-determination, and secession in the 21st century.
Tanya was born and raised in a small industrial city – Horlivka – in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. In 2014, she fled her hometown after the occupation by Russian-backed separatists began. Eight years later, the full-scale invasion forced her to flee Ukraine. As a recipient of Columbia’s Scholarship for Displaced Students, Tanya went from hiding in bomb shelters in Kyiv to pursuing higher education in a safe environment. During her time at Columbia, she received various distinctions for academic excellence, an invitation to speak with Columbia University’s President, and the Davis Fellowship, among other honors. Her commitment to academia is intertwined with an acknowledgment of privilege, as many Ukrainians have been unable to safely continue their studies.
Thus, upon arrival at Columbia University in Fall 2022, Tanya founded MentorUkraine to connect her peers at Columbia with Ukrainian students to motivate and assist them with applying to U.S. universities. Mentors can now be found at over a dozen universities across the globe, and Mentees have been awarded nearly $5.1 million in scholarships as of August 2023. As the mentorship program grew, she co-founded Brave Generation to further support her peers in rebuilding their lives and continuing their education. Tanya believes Ukraine’s young people will play an integral role in post-war reconstruction and the prevention of future conflict.
Mariia Hodovanets
Mentorship Development Coordinator
Mariia Hodovanets is an exceptionally driven individual with a remarkable talent for leadership and management. Her dedication to sustainability has propelled her to create a revolutionary biodegradable material, resulting in her victory in numerous international competitions. With a visionary perspective on ecological matters, Mariia is determined to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable economy in Ukraine. Drawing from her strong scientific background, she has also founded InnovateUkraine, a platform designed to empower STEM-oriented youth.
Volunteering has become an integral part of Mariia's life journey. She initiated her volunteer efforts by participating in local educational events, youth organizations, and fundraising auctions. Over time, her commitment has evolved to create new opportunities for the Brave Generation team. Through her roles in development, communication, and various initiatives, Mariia generously shares her wealth of experiences and knowledge with the emerging brave generations.
Brave Generation's influence transcends the boundaries of the United States and Ukraine, thanks in large part to Mariia's tireless efforts. Through her strategic collaborations, both within Ukraine and internationally, we have expanded our ambitious community and extended our mission's reach through various media platforms. Despite the ongoing war, Mariia's determination to make a positive impact remains unwavering. She firmly recognizes the pivotal role of young leaders in shaping global change and is committed to creating opportunities that unite the younger generation for the future rejuvenation of Ukraine.
Cole Bond
Director of Finance
Cole Bond graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University in 2019, where he studied International Relations with concentrations in International Finance and Chinese. His undergraduate studies focused heavily on the intersection of international security and the global economy, with particular focus on multilateral financial institutions, capital flows, and trade. While at Tufts, Cole was an analyst, project manager, and later Executive Board Member of the Tufts Consulting Collective, and a member of the Tufts Debate Society.
Following graduation, Cole joined the Emerging Markets sales and trading desk at Credit Suisse, where he facilitated market making activities across a number of different asset classes originating from the emerging economies in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In 2021, Cole joined Marathon Asset Management’s Emerging Markets team as an Associate and Investment Analyst, where he specializes in trading, portfolio construction, and investing within the Emerging Markets fixed income space.
Cole joined Brave Generation with the desire to directly apply his background, and aid wherever possible in the development of young Ukrainians who will be crucial for the future of the country.
Julie Dobkin
Director of Communications
Julie Dobkin is the Director of Communications at Brave Generation. During her current doctoral studies in Columbia University’s department of Biological Sciences, as well throughout her previous employment at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and her undergraduate degree at Northeastern University, Julie has been committed to academic outreach and mentorship. As a child of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Belarus, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was devastating and personal for her, and she was immediately motivated to find a way to support Ukrainian youth impacted by the war. In this pursuit, Julie joined Brave Generation.
At Brave Generation, Julie is dedicated to empowering young Ukrainians, recognizing them as the drivers of Ukraine’s future. As the Director of Communications, Julie hopes to capture and relay the tenacity and resilience that is the beating heart of both Brave Generation and each Ukrainian student it supports.
Arsenii Litus
School of Youth Empowerment and Post-War Reconstruction Development Manager
Arsenii Litus, a dynamic force of youth and business savvy, embarked on his corporate journey at 16 with a transformative product management internship at L'Oréal. This led to a branding role at SoftServe, Ukraine's largest IT company. Despite the demanding corporate life, he completed an International Business bachelor's degree in a remarkable three years at Ukrainian-American Concordia University. Currently pursuing a Management degree at the University of Alberta, Arsenii is a standout presence. As the co-founding president of the "Bulls" business club and Minister of External Affairs at the Alberta Youth Parliament, he has forged an impressive academic profile.
Beyond academia, Arsenii co-founded "Ya – Iskustvo," a digital marketplace promoting Ukrainian art. He actively engaged with AIESEC's Account Management team and volunteered with organizations like the Ukrainian Volunteering Service and the Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Passionate about business, Arsenii led diverse teams at over 10 hackathons, securing numerous 1st-place victories on the national stage. Having navigated a relocation from Donetsk, he intimately understands the challenges faced by Ukrainian youth. Arsenii believes in investing in the younger generation for Ukraine's post-war revitalization. Aligned with this vision, he sees "Brave Generation" as the perfect conduit to contribute to a brighter future for his homeland.
Reed Cohen
Co-Founder, Vice President
Reed Cohen is a Master of Public Administration candidate at Columbia SIPA. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Tufts University. He spent his early career as a marketing and branding strategy consultant at a small, boutique firm in New York. As a consultant, Reed worked on an array of projects from developing product marketing strategies and strategic narratives for clients’ brands to leveraging concepts in consumer psychology to perform brand analyses in trademark infringement lawsuits. Reed decided to pursue an MPA to help him transition from the private to the public sector and chose to attend SIPA specifically to study international security policy in response to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
While studying the tools and practices of war termination, he sought more immediate opportunities to begin helping Ukraine and ultimately volunteered to become a Mentor with MentorUkraine. As he continued to follow the war and hear from survivors about the brutality of the Russian army firsthand, he became determined to do more for Ukraine. After meeting Tanya and learning about the depth and breadth of the incredible work she had been doing for her nation through MentorUkraine and beyond, Reed was inspired to leverage his previous work experience and help launch Brave Generation, where he now serves as Vice President.
President, Executive director
Co-Founder, President
Tanya Kotelnykova is the President and Executive Director of Brave Generation. Her lived experience through two wars, the Donbas occupation in 2014, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, motivates her to aid youth suffering the ongoing consequences of full scale invasion. Tanya is a student in Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies at Yale University. She holds an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and received her B.A. in Law at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Tanya’s main area of research is Russian academic propaganda in the occupied Ukrainian territory since 2014, the right to self-determination, and secession in the 21st century.
Tanya was born and raised in a small industrial city – Horlivka – in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. In 2014, she fled her hometown after the occupation by Russian-backed separatists began. Eight years later, the full-scale invasion forced her to flee Ukraine. As a recipient of Columbia’s Scholarship for Displaced Students, Tanya went from hiding in bomb shelters in Kyiv to pursuing higher education in a safe environment. During her time at Columbia, she received various distinctions for academic excellence, an invitation to speak with Columbia University’s President, and the Davis Fellowship, among other honors. Her commitment to academia is intertwined with an acknowledgment of privilege, as many Ukrainians have been unable to safely continue their studies.
Thus, upon arrival at Columbia University in Fall 2022, Tanya founded MentorUkraine to connect her peers at Columbia with Ukrainian students to motivate and assist them with applying to U.S. universities. Mentors can now be found at over a dozen universities across the globe, and Mentees have been awarded nearly $5.1 million in scholarships as of August 2023. As the mentorship program grew, she co-founded Brave Generation to further support her peers in rebuilding their lives and continuing their education. Tanya believes Ukraine’s young people will play an integral role in post-war reconstruction and the prevention of future conflict.
Mariia Hodovanets
Mentorship Development Coordinator
Mariia Hodovanets is an exceptionally driven individual with a remarkable talent for leadership and management. Her dedication to sustainability has propelled her to create a revolutionary biodegradable material, resulting in her victory in numerous international competitions. With a visionary perspective on ecological matters, Mariia is determined to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable economy in Ukraine. Drawing from her strong scientific background, she has also founded InnovateUkraine, a platform designed to empower STEM-oriented youth.
Volunteering has become an integral part of Mariia's life journey. She initiated her volunteer efforts by participating in local educational events, youth organizations, and fundraising auctions. Over time, her commitment has evolved to create new opportunities for the Brave Generation team. Through her roles in development, communication, and various initiatives, Mariia generously shares her wealth of experiences and knowledge with the emerging brave generations.
Brave Generation's influence transcends the boundaries of the United States and Ukraine, thanks in large part to Mariia's tireless efforts. Through her strategic collaborations, both within Ukraine and internationally, we have expanded our ambitious community and extended our mission's reach through various media platforms. Despite the ongoing war, Mariia's determination to make a positive impact remains unwavering. She firmly recognizes the pivotal role of young leaders in shaping global change and is committed to creating opportunities that unite the younger generation for the future rejuvenation of Ukraine.
Cole Bond
Director of Finance
Cole Bond graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University in 2019, where he studied International Relations with concentrations in International Finance and Chinese. His undergraduate studies focused heavily on the intersection of international security and the global economy, with particular focus on multilateral financial institutions, capital flows, and trade. While at Tufts, Cole was an analyst, project manager, and later Executive Board Member of the Tufts Consulting Collective, and a member of the Tufts Debate Society.
Following graduation, Cole joined the Emerging Markets sales and trading desk at Credit Suisse, where he facilitated market making activities across a number of different asset classes originating from the emerging economies in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In 2021, Cole joined Marathon Asset Management’s Emerging Markets team as an Associate and Investment Analyst, where he specializes in trading, portfolio construction, and investing within the Emerging Markets fixed income space.
Cole joined Brave Generation with the desire to directly apply his background, and aid wherever possible in the development of young Ukrainians who will be crucial for the future of the country.
Julie Dobkin
Director of Communications
Julie Dobkin is the Director of Communications at Brave Generation. During her current doctoral studies in Columbia University’s department of Biological Sciences, as well throughout her previous employment at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and her undergraduate degree at Northeastern University, Julie has been committed to academic outreach and mentorship. As a child of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Belarus, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was devastating and personal for her, and she was immediately motivated to find a way to support Ukrainian youth impacted by the war. In this pursuit, Julie joined Brave Generation.
At Brave Generation, Julie is dedicated to empowering young Ukrainians, recognizing them as the drivers of Ukraine’s future. As the Director of Communications, Julie hopes to capture and relay the tenacity and resilience that is the beating heart of both Brave Generation and each Ukrainian student it supports.
Arsenii Litus
School of Youth Empowerment and Post-War Reconstruction Development Manager
Arsenii Litus, a dynamic force of youth and business savvy, embarked on his corporate journey at 16 with a transformative product management internship at L'Oréal. This led to a branding role at SoftServe, Ukraine's largest IT company. Despite the demanding corporate life, he completed an International Business bachelor's degree in a remarkable three years at Ukrainian-American Concordia University. Currently pursuing a Management degree at the University of Alberta, Arsenii is a standout presence. As the co-founding president of the "Bulls" business club and Minister of External Affairs at the Alberta Youth Parliament, he has forged an impressive academic profile.
Beyond academia, Arsenii co-founded "Ya – Iskustvo," a digital marketplace promoting Ukrainian art. He actively engaged with AIESEC's Account Management team and volunteered with organizations like the Ukrainian Volunteering Service and the Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Passionate about business, Arsenii led diverse teams at over 10 hackathons, securing numerous 1st-place victories on the national stage. Having navigated a relocation from Donetsk, he intimately understands the challenges faced by Ukrainian youth. Arsenii believes in investing in the younger generation for Ukraine's post-war revitalization. Aligned with this vision, he sees "Brave Generation" as the perfect conduit to contribute to a brighter future for his homeland.
Board of Directors
Karen B. Redlener, MS
Co-Founder, Children's Health Fund & Ukraine Children’s Action Project
Karen Redlener has dedicated her career to enhancing the well-being of children facing extreme adversity, such as poverty, natural disasters, and war. Her journey began as a VISTA volunteer in rural east Arkansas, where she initiated child development and social services in a local health center and trained community staff to sustain these programs.
In 1987, she co-founded the Children’s Health Fund (CHF) with her husband, pediatrician Irwin Redlener, and singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Karen actively contributed to shaping and implementing CHF’s mission to offer comprehensive health care for impoverished children. Notably, she played a pivotal role in designing CHF’s renowned mobile pediatric clinic, serving New York's homeless pediatric population. This prototype led to over 50 CHF mobile clinics operating in under-resourced urban and rural areas across the U.S.
Karen's significant contribution includes leading CHF’s Healthy and Ready to Learn (HRL) program, ensuring that health conditions don't hinder learning for children facing adversity. Her innovative approach to integrating education and health care has had a profound impact in New York City and beyond.
From 1990 to 2016, alongside her roles at CHF, Karen served as the executive director of the NY Flagship Program (Bronx Health Collective) at Montefiore Health System. From 2015 to 2023, she played a crucial role as a member of the NYC Board of Health, guiding the agency through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Karen, alongside her husband, co-founded the Ukraine Children’s Action Project, a non-profit addressing the urgent educational and mental health needs of displaced and traumatized Ukrainian children. She also serves on the board of Brave Generation, a non-profit supporting college-bound Ukrainian students.
Marika Olsen
Director of Communications, Marketing at Columbia University Global Centers
In her 25+ year communication and media career, Marika Olsen has managed global, cross-functional teams that varied in size, scope and geography, including a 4-person CNN documentary team, a staff of 55 for a Central Asian media project, and working collaboratively as an election outreach advisor to the Iraq government.
She is an award-winning long form TV producer who has covered some of the biggest issues of our time and whose work has given her the opportunity to live in Atlanta, Tashkent, Miami, Baghdad, Ramallah, Silicon Valley and now Manhattan. (From CNN to Google to Columbia.) In each, her core passion has been creating memorable collateral with an emphasis on authentic storytelling.
In her avatar life, she’s a staff writer for a satire show, so any opportunity to write humor IRL or InRealJob thrills her, both for internal as well as external communication.
Louis Bickford
Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and NYU, the founder of Memria
Louis Bickford has been working in the field of international human rights for over 20 years. From 2012-2017, Bickford managed the global human rights program at the Ford Foundation. Prior to that, at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), he was a founding staff member (2001) and a member of the Senior Management team (through 2010).
He later worked at RFK Human Rights as a member of the Executive Leadership team, and as the director of the European Office. He has consulted with various national and international institutions including the United Nations and various philanthropic foundations in every world region. He has a PhD from McGill University and an MA from the New School, both in Political Science. He is currently the Founder and CEO of MEMRIA, a social enterprise which develops partnerships with organizations to collect, analyze, and circulate narrative accounts of past violence with the aim of strengthening human rights.
Joel Beckman
Co-Founder, Greenbriar Equity Group; Co-Chair, Friends of JCC Budapest
Joel Beckman co-founded Greenbriar Equity Group, a private investment firm, in 1999. Before that, he was a Managing Director and Partner at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Beckman received his JD from Yale Law School and his BA from the University of Rochester, where he is a Senior Trustee.
Joel Beckman is currently a board member of Westchester Jewish Community Services, co-chair of Friends of JCC Budapest and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law. He previously served as a director of the UJA-Federation of New York, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, the Chordoma Foundation, SteppingStone Day School and several other philanthropic organizations.
Fumiko Sasaki
Professor at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University
Fumiko Sasaki is a distinguished professor in the field of international relations, boasting an impressive 25-year tenure. Holding an M.A and Ph.D. from the prestigious School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, her academic foundation is unparalleled. Dr. Sasaki's impact on education is felt at esteemed institutions like Columbia University, where she imparts knowledge in courses such as East Asian Security, International Relations Theory for Global Policy Making, and Society, Politics, and Sustainable Environment. Notably, Sasaki's expertise extends beyond traditional academia. As an adjunct lecturer at SAIS and a fellow of the Reischauer Center for Asian Studies, she bridges academia and real-world challenges. Driven by her passion for equity, she spearheaded Distance Education Africa (DEA), simultaneously serving as a Director and volunteer teacher, facilitating education for underserved populations across Africa. Innovation and social change drive Dr. Sasaki's endeavors. She holds the role of executive director at the Japan Institute for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (JSIE), orchestrating workshops, seminars, and forums to galvanize social innovation and entrepreneurship in Japan. Her commitment to positive impact reaches far and wide, presently focusing on aiding abandoned children in Indonesia
Iuliia Mendel
Former press secretary of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration from 2019 to 2021, journalist
Iuliia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist, political commentator, and opinion writer for The Washington Post. Her work has been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times, Politico Europe, VICE, The Evening Standard, World Affairs Journal, Kyivpost, Spiegel Online, and CNBC. Following several years as a television journalist and a fellowship with the World Press Institute in Minnesota, Mendel served as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press secretary from June 2019 to July 2021. Her book, 'The Fight of Our Lives,' published in 2022, delves into Ukrainian politics, the Russian war against Ukraine, and her experiences working with President Zelenskyy. Currently, Mendel joins the University of Michigan as the WCEE Distinguished Fellow and a Knight-Wallace Fellow.
Lili Bivings
Contributing Editor at the Kyiv Independent
Liliane Bivings is the business editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked at the Kyiv Post as a staff writer covering business news and then as business editor. Liliane holds a master’s degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian affairs with a focus on Ukrainian studies at Columbia University. From 2017-2020 she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, after which she interned with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.
Karen B. Redlener, MS
Co-Founder, Children's Health Fund & Ukraine Children’s Action Project
Karen Redlener has dedicated her career to enhancing the well-being of children facing extreme adversity, such as poverty, natural disasters, and war. Her journey began as a VISTA volunteer in rural east Arkansas, where she initiated child development and social services in a local health center and trained community staff to sustain these programs.
In 1987, she co-founded the Children’s Health Fund (CHF) with her husband, pediatrician Irwin Redlener, and singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Karen actively contributed to shaping and implementing CHF’s mission to offer comprehensive health care for impoverished children. Notably, she played a pivotal role in designing CHF’s renowned mobile pediatric clinic, serving New York's homeless pediatric population. This prototype led to over 50 CHF mobile clinics operating in under-resourced urban and rural areas across the U.S.
Karen's significant contribution includes leading CHF’s Healthy and Ready to Learn (HRL) program, ensuring that health conditions don't hinder learning for children facing adversity. Her innovative approach to integrating education and health care has had a profound impact in New York City and beyond.
From 1990 to 2016, alongside her roles at CHF, Karen served as the executive director of the NY Flagship Program (Bronx Health Collective) at Montefiore Health System. From 2015 to 2023, she played a crucial role as a member of the NYC Board of Health, guiding the agency through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Karen, alongside her husband, co-founded the Ukraine Children’s Action Project, a non-profit addressing the urgent educational and mental health needs of displaced and traumatized Ukrainian children. She also serves on the board of Brave Generation, a non-profit supporting college-bound Ukrainian students.
Marika Olsen
Director of Communications, Marketing at Columbia University Global Centers
In her 25+ year communication and media career, Marika Olsen has managed global, cross-functional teams that varied in size, scope and geography, including a 4-person CNN documentary team, a staff of 55 for a Central Asian media project, and working collaboratively as an election outreach advisor to the Iraq government.
She is an award-winning long form TV producer who has covered some of the biggest issues of our time and whose work has given her the opportunity to live in Atlanta, Tashkent, Miami, Baghdad, Ramallah, Silicon Valley and now Manhattan. (From CNN to Google to Columbia.) In each, her core passion has been creating memorable collateral with an emphasis on authentic storytelling.
In her avatar life, she’s a staff writer for a satire show, so any opportunity to write humor IRL or InRealJob thrills her, both for internal as well as external communication.
Iuliia Mendel
Former press secretary of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration from 2019 to 2021, journalist
Iuliia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist, political commentator, and opinion writer for The Washington Post. Her work has been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times, Politico Europe, VICE, The Evening Standard, World Affairs Journal, Kyivpost, Spiegel Online, and CNBC. Following several years as a television journalist and a fellowship with the World Press Institute in Minnesota, Mendel served as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press secretary from June 2019 to July 2021. Her book, 'The Fight of Our Lives,' published in 2022, delves into Ukrainian politics, the Russian war against Ukraine, and her experiences working with President Zelenskyy. Currently, Mendel joins the University of Michigan as the WCEE Distinguished Fellow and a Knight-Wallace Fellow.
Joel Beckman
Co-Founder, Greenbriar Equity Group; Co-Chair, Friends of JCC Budapest
Joel Beckman co-founded Greenbriar Equity Group, a private investment firm, in 1999. Before that, he was a Managing Director and Partner at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Beckman received his JD from Yale Law School and his BA from the University of Rochester, where he is a Senior Trustee.
Joel Beckman is currently a board member of Westchester Jewish Community Services, co-chair of Friends of JCC Budapest and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law. He previously served as a director of the UJA-Federation of New York, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, the Chordoma Foundation, SteppingStone Day School and several other philanthropic organizations.
Fumiko Sasaki
Professor at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University
Fumiko Sasaki is a distinguished professor in the field of international relations, boasting an impressive 25-year tenure. Holding an M.A and Ph.D. from the prestigious School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, her academic foundation is unparalleled. Dr. Sasaki's impact on education is felt at esteemed institutions like Columbia University, where she imparts knowledge in courses such as East Asian Security, International Relations Theory for Global Policy Making, and Society, Politics, and Sustainable Environment. Notably, Sasaki's expertise extends beyond traditional academia. As an adjunct lecturer at SAIS and a fellow of the Reischauer Center for Asian Studies, she bridges academia and real-world challenges. Driven by her passion for equity, she spearheaded Distance Education Africa (DEA), simultaneously serving as a Director and volunteer teacher, facilitating education for underserved populations across Africa. Innovation and social change drive Dr. Sasaki's endeavors. She holds the role of executive director at the Japan Institute for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (JSIE), orchestrating workshops, seminars, and forums to galvanize social innovation and entrepreneurship in Japan. Her commitment to positive impact reaches far and wide, presently focusing on aiding abandoned children in Indonesia.
Louis Bickford
Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and NYU, the founder of Memria
Louis Bickford has been working in the field of international human rights for over 20 years. From 2012-2017, Bickford managed the global human rights program at the Ford Foundation. Prior to that, at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), he was a founding staff member (2001) and a member of the Senior Management team (through 2010).
He later worked at RFK Human Rights as a member of the Executive Leadership team, and as the director of the European Office. He has consulted with various national and international institutions including the United Nations and various philanthropic foundations in every world region. He has a PhD from McGill University and an MA from the New School, both in Political Science. He is currently the Founder and CEO of MEMRIA, a social enterprise which develops partnerships with organizations to collect, analyze, and circulate narrative accounts of past violence with the aim of strengthening human rights.
Lili Bivings
Contributing Editor at the Kyiv Independent
Liliane Bivings is the business editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked at the Kyiv Post as a staff writer covering business news and then as business editor. Liliane holds a master’s degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian affairs with a focus on Ukrainian studies at Columbia University. From 2017-2020 she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, after which she interned with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.
Volunteers
Kerry McElroy
Dr. Kerry McElroy is an international tutor and admissions specialist with her company, Anglia Education and Language Consulting. Anglia works with youth and adults in fourteen countries around the world on private tutoring, admissions consulting at all educational levels, business English, and business writing. Anglia is especially committed to partnering with Ukrainian students of promise for assistance with their academic applications. Dr. McElroy has run webinars on admissions processes and strategies for Ukrainian international students with Brave Generation/Teach Ukraine.
Dr. McElroy is also an investigative journalist and contributing writer with the Kyiv Post, with a special focus on Russian war crimes and misinformation campaigns, embassies, women's issues in the war, art and culture, and protest. Finally, she is an academic and writer with over sixty publications in scholarly and journalistic publications alike. Dr. McElroy holds masters' degrees in European Studies and Literary and Cultural Studies from Columbia and Carnegie Mellon Universities, and a PhD in Humanities from Concordia University Montreal.
Yulia Bahrina
Yuliia Bahrina is a highly skilled communicator with a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Her journey into the world of psychology began with a fascination for unraveling the complexities of the human mind and understanding animal behavior. She was drawn to the intricate processes triggered by actions, light, and other stimuli. Yuliia's life took an unexpected turn when she relocated to Germany in the midst of Russia’s full-scale invasion, exposing her to the harsh realities of war. Undeterred by these challenges, she excelled in academic tests, swiftly learning a new language, navigated bureaucratic hurdles, and set her sights on pursuing higher education in Germany.
In May 2023, Yuliia embarked on her journey with the MentorUkraine program. By August of the same year, she transitioned into a volunteer role, enticed by the prospect of learning from individuals who had graduated from prestigious institutions in the United States and Canada. This path allowed her to tap into their wealth of knowledge and draw from their personal experiences.
Yuliia's decision to volunteer perfectly aligned with her aspiration to discover her own happiness while assisting others in finding contentment in their lives. She views Brave Generation as an ideal starting point to gain insights into the mechanics of such initiatives, understand how they operate, and relish the experience of connecting with new people—something she values deeply.
Mariia Tsybulieva
Communications Manager at MentorUkraine
Mariia Tsybulieva's journey with Brave Generation began as a Mentee, and this was a transformative experience for her. Recognizing the power of such opportunities, she decided to give back and make a difference. Volunteering as a tutor, Mariia developed a deep understanding of the significance of education, especially for young individuals in war-affected regions where access to quality education can be challenging. Her passion for empowering Ukrainian youth and ensuring their representation in all aspects of life perfectly aligns with Brave Generation's mission. Inspired by this shared vision, Mariia joined the team as a volunteer, opening doors to even more opportunities to positively impact the lives of young Ukrainians. As Mariia pursues her studies in psychology, she highly values Brave Generation's holistic approach, which not only emphasizes education and mentoring but also offers therapy sessions for those facing emotional challenges and trauma, particularly during times of war. She believes that by providing psychological support, Brave Generation equips young people with the tools they need to overcome adversity and thrive in the face of adversity.
Anastasia Panchenko
Anastasia Panchenko, a 16-year-old hailing from Kyiv, Ukraine, faced an agonizing decision on February 24th—to stay in Ukraine or leave behind her home and family. At the tender age of 15, Anastasia embarked on a remarkable journey to New York, determined to shape a brighter future for herself. Currently, Anastasia is a diligent high school student, ardently applying to colleges with the hope of securing a promising future. In her pursuit of self-reliance and the desire to support Ukraine's cause, she took on various jobs in the bustling city of New York.
Back in Ukraine, theater held a special place in Anastasia's heart. However, her arrival in New York transformed it into a potent tool for shedding light on the enduring pain and struggles faced by Ukrainians. Anastasia, along with nine fellow Ukrainian children, participated in a poignant performance at the 4th Street Theater Workshop, titled "Are We There Yet?" This moving performance drew inspiration from their personal experiences of the ongoing war in Ukraine and aimed to gather essential donations for their homeland. This profound experience ignited Anastasia's unwavering determination and motivation to champion the causes of her family, her people, and her homeland. Her aspirations include completing college to actively contribute to the reconstruction of her beloved country. Anastasia firmly believes that the fate of Ukraine rests in the hands of her generation, and she is committed to uniting, planning, and working toward a brighter and more promising future for Ukraine.
Inna Saakian
Inna Saakian holds a bachelor's degree with honors from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and is currently pursuing studies in business and entrepreneurship. This academic pursuit aligns with her vision of not only achieving personal goals but also actively contributing to the economic recovery of Ukraine through the establishment of international business partnerships and the enhancement of the well-being of its people.
In addition to her academic interests, Inna has a passion for psychology and is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian youth. Her commitment to self-improvement and her desire to make a positive impact led her to join Brave Generation, where she fulfills her mission by connecting young individuals with essential psychological support. From an early age, Inna has actively participated in various youth-oriented events and organizations, including some she organized herself. She has a history of volunteering in her university's charity committee, involvement in student self-government, and experience in the insurance industry. As a freelancer, she began developing her own business before the onset of the war.
Inna firmly believes that each individual has the power to shape their own life, and despite facing challenges, she remains dedicated to personal development and sets ambitious goals. Currently, she is expanding her skill set by delving into web design and is already mastering her fifth language. Her dreams revolve around a beautiful and prosperous future for Ukraine, which she wholeheartedly believes will become a reality. In pursuit of this vision, Inna actively contributes to her homeland's development by collaborating with a circle of like-minded, talented, and ambitious individuals who share her mission.
Igor Klymenko
Igor Klymenko is a young leader who started his research career in 2014. In 2020, after years of studying systemic military problems in Ukraine, he became an inventor, utilizing his own previous research. He created an innovative drone technology for detecting UXOs. The developed device received over 15 awards and was featured in over 50 publications worldwide. Furthermore, in 2022, Igor received the award for the Special Achievements of Youth in Kyiv from Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He was chosen as the best student amongst 150 countries and 7500 applicants according to the Global Student Prize. Recently, he had the privilege to speak about war and education in Ukraine at one of the largest world summits.
Igor believes that it is significant in such a challenging time to support youth and young adults in Ukraine. Since high school, he tutored students in Mathematics. Now, he continues supporting youth by assisting in their research with his personal knowledge and via networking. He believes that connecting Ukrainian students with US professors is a change-making idea, as it will broaden horizons and benefit both in collaborations.
Juliet Tkachenko
Yuliia Tkachenko is a Communications Manager for Brave Generation’s nascent InnovateUkraine program, responsible for finding, networking, and negotiating with partners and organizing and hosting events. Having attended various science programs, she gained invaluable insights into conducting genuine research. Furthermore, it is important to note that she is an active volunteer at Khan Academy. Yuliia herself has experienced what it is like to have an idea but struggle to find professional help to make it come true. Since 2021, Yuliia has conducted two pieces of research in physics and even helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces with her projects during the full-scale invasion. She is a winner of multiple national and international science and engineering competitions. Therefore, Yuliia understands the importance of having access to resources and professional advising to help bring ideas to life, which is why she is committed to providing this same opportunity to other young Ukrainian researchers.
Elina Tkachuk
Elina Tkachuk works as a social media and promotion expert who creates the engaging posts you see on Brave Generation's social media platforms. She started her career at the programming club, where she gained her solid technical skills and learned how visuals can help her communicate ideas to a wider audience.
Elina is also a compassionate person who cares about her surroundings. She participated in Technovation Girl Ukraine‘23, a competition that challenges girls to solve real-world problems with technology. She created a prototype for an app that helps people with diabetes.She believes that the world will be much better if everyone takes care of the people around them.
Elina’s dream is to explore the world and study Computer Science abroad. When she joined Brave Generation to learn more about fulfilling her dream, she immediately realized that Brave Generation is not only about education in Europe and the USA but also about fostering personal growth and self-discovery among young people. Elina hopes that her posts will not only share the ideas and the mission of Brave Generation but also attract more people to participate in the project so they can grow as much as she did and help others.
Now more than ever, it is important not to give up and move on, and create more opportunities for our brave and new generation.
Anastasiia Dolia
Anastasiia Dolia is an extremely devoted individual with a commitment to direct her passion toward the prosperity of Ukraine. She is a final year high school student from Sumska oblast in Ukraine, where she has consistently illuminated her local community by showcasing research projects at national Olympiads and various platforms. Although the war in Ukraine compelled Anastasiia to temporarily leave, it turned out to be a pivotal moment that reinforced her connection to her homeland, where she could make the most significant impact.
Since April 2023, Anastasiia has been an active member of the MentorUkraine program, a significant milestone in her growth journey. Throughout the year, she actively engaged in various competitions, volunteering opportunities, and programs, with each experience further fueling her inspiration, particularly in the realm of STEM. Anastasiia's achievements consistently align with the aspiration to contribute to the bright future of Ukraine as she remains resolute in her desire to study technology at an American college.
Motivated by a profound sense of social responsibility, Anastasiia shatters the stereotype that a lack of opportunities determines one's path to success. Anastasiia’s passion for technology and volunteering guided her to the Brave Generation team, where she believes every piece of knowledge and skill has a chance to be applied for a greater purpose.
Kerry McElroy
Dr. Kerry McElroy is an international tutor and admissions specialist with her company, Anglia Education and Language Consulting. Anglia works with youth and adults in fourteen countries around the world on private tutoring, admissions consulting at all educational levels, business English, and business writing. Anglia is especially committed to partnering with Ukrainian students of promise for assistance with their academic applications. Dr. McElroy has run webinars on admissions processes and strategies for Ukrainian international students with Brave Generation/Teach Ukraine.
Dr. McElroy is also an investigative journalist and contributing writer with the Kyiv Post, with a special focus on Russian war crimes and misinformation campaigns, embassies, women's issues in the war, art and culture, and protest. Finally, she is an academic and writer with over sixty publications in scholarly and journalistic publications alike. Dr. McElroy holds masters' degrees in European Studies and Literary and Cultural Studies from Columbia and Carnegie Mellon Universities, and a PhD in Humanities from Concordia University Montreal.
Yulia Bahrina
Yuliia Bahrina is a highly skilled communicator with a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Her journey into the world of psychology began with a fascination for unraveling the complexities of the human mind and understanding animal behavior. She was drawn to the intricate processes triggered by actions, light, and other stimuli. Yuliia's life took an unexpected turn when she relocated to Germany in the midst of Russia’s full-scale invasion, exposing her to the harsh realities of war. Undeterred by these challenges, she excelled in academic tests, swiftly learning a new language, navigated bureaucratic hurdles, and set her sights on pursuing higher education in Germany.
In May 2023, Yuliia embarked on her journey with the MentorUkraine program. By August of the same year, she transitioned into a volunteer role, enticed by the prospect of learning from individuals who had graduated from prestigious institutions in the United States and Canada. This path allowed her to tap into their wealth of knowledge and draw from their personal experiences.
Yuliia's decision to volunteer perfectly aligned with her aspiration to discover her own happiness while assisting others in finding contentment in their lives. She views Brave Generation as an ideal starting point to gain insights into the mechanics of such initiatives, understand how they operate, and relish the experience of connecting with new people—something she values deeply.
Mariia Tsybulieva
Mariia Tsybulieva's journey with Brave Generation began as a Mentee, and this was a transformative experience for her. Recognizing the power of such opportunities, she decided to give back and make a difference. Volunteering as a tutor, Mariia developed a deep understanding of the significance of education, especially for young individuals in war-affected regions where access to quality education can be challenging. Her passion for empowering Ukrainian youth and ensuring their representation in all aspects of life perfectly aligns with Brave Generation's mission. Inspired by this shared vision, Mariia joined the team as a volunteer, opening doors to even more opportunities to positively impact the lives of young Ukrainians. As Mariia pursues her studies in psychology, she highly values Brave Generation's holistic approach, which not only emphasizes education and mentoring but also offers therapy sessions for those facing emotional challenges and trauma, particularly during times of war. She believes that by providing psychological support, Brave Generation equips young people with the tools they need to overcome adversity and thrive in the face of adversity.
Anastasia Panchenko
Anastasia Panchenko, a 16-year-old hailing from Kyiv, Ukraine, faced an agonizing decision on February 24th—to stay in Ukraine or leave behind her home and family. At the tender age of 15, Anastasia embarked on a remarkable journey to New York, determined to shape a brighter future for herself. Currently, Anastasia is a diligent high school student, ardently applying to colleges with the hope of securing a promising future. In her pursuit of self-reliance and the desire to support Ukraine's cause, she took on various jobs in the bustling city of New York.
Back in Ukraine, theater held a special place in Anastasia's heart. However, her arrival in New York transformed it into a potent tool for shedding light on the enduring pain and struggles faced by Ukrainians. Anastasia, along with nine fellow Ukrainian children, participated in a poignant performance at the 4th Street Theater Workshop, titled "Are We There Yet?" This moving performance drew inspiration from their personal experiences of the ongoing war in Ukraine and aimed to gather essential donations for their homeland. This profound experience ignited Anastasia's unwavering determination and motivation to champion the causes of her family, her people, and her homeland. Her aspirations include completing college to actively contribute to the reconstruction of her beloved country. Anastasia firmly believes that the fate of Ukraine rests in the hands of her generation, and she is committed to uniting, planning, and working toward a brighter and more promising future for Ukraine.
Inna Saakian
Inna Saakian holds a bachelor's degree with honors from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and is currently pursuing studies in business and entrepreneurship. This academic pursuit aligns with her vision of not only achieving personal goals but also actively contributing to the economic recovery of Ukraine through the establishment of international business partnerships and the enhancement of the well-being of its people.
In addition to her academic interests, Inna has a passion for psychology and is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian youth. Her commitment to self-improvement and her desire to make a positive impact led her to join Brave Generation, where she fulfills her mission by connecting young individuals with essential psychological support. From an early age, Inna has actively participated in various youth-oriented events and organizations, including some she organized herself. She has a history of volunteering in her university's charity committee, involvement in student self-government, and experience in the insurance industry. As a freelancer, she began developing her own business before the onset of the war.
Inna firmly believes that each individual has the power to shape their own life, and despite facing challenges, she remains dedicated to personal development and sets ambitious goals. Currently, she is expanding her skill set by delving into web design and is already mastering her fifth language. Her dreams revolve around a beautiful and prosperous future for Ukraine, which she wholeheartedly believes will become a reality. In pursuit of this vision, Inna actively contributes to her homeland's development by collaborating with a circle of like-minded, talented, and ambitious individuals who share her mission.
Igor Klymenko
Igor Klymenko is a young leader who started his research career in 2014. In 2020, after years of studying systemic military problems in Ukraine, he became an inventor, utilizing his own previous research. He created an innovative drone technology for detecting UXOs. The developed device received over 15 awards and was featured in over 50 publications worldwide. Furthermore, in 2022, Igor received the award for the Special Achievements of Youth in Kyiv from Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He was chosen as the best student amongst 150 countries and 7500 applicants according to the Global Student Prize. Recently, he had the privilege to speak about war and education in Ukraine at one of the largest world summits.
Igor believes that it is significant in such a challenging time to support youth and young adults in Ukraine. Since high school, he tutored students in Mathematics. Now, he continues supporting youth by assisting in their research with his personal knowledge and via networking. He believes that connecting Ukrainian students with US professors is a change-making idea, as it will broaden horizons and benefit both in collaborations.
Juliet Tkachenko
Yuliia Tkachenko is a Communications Manager for Brave Generation’s nascent InnovateUkraine program, responsible for finding, networking, and negotiating with partners and organizing and hosting events. Having attended various science programs, she gained invaluable insights into conducting genuine research. Furthermore, it is important to note that she is an active volunteer at Khan Academy. Yuliia herself has experienced what it is like to have an idea but struggle to find professional help to make it come true. Since 2021, Yuliia has conducted two pieces of research in physics and even helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces with her projects during the full-scale invasion. She is a winner of multiple national and international science and engineering competitions. Therefore, Yuliia understands the importance of having access to resources and professional advising to help bring ideas to life, which is why she is committed to providing this same opportunity to other young Ukrainian researchers.
Elina Tkachuk
Elina Tkachuk works as a social media and promotion expert who creates the engaging posts you see on Brave Generation's social media platforms. She started her career at the programming club, where she gained her solid technical skills and learned how visuals can help her communicate ideas to a wider audience.
Elina is also a compassionate person who cares about her surroundings. She participated in Technovation Girl Ukraine‘23, a competition that challenges girls to solve real-world problems with technology. She created a prototype for an app that helps people with diabetes.She believes that the world will be much better if everyone takes care of the people around them.
Elina’s dream is to explore the world and study Computer Science abroad. When she joined Brave Generation to learn more about fulfilling her dream, she immediately realized that Brave Generation is not only about education in Europe and the USA but also about fostering personal growth and self-discovery among young people. Elina hopes that her posts will not only share the ideas and the mission of Brave Generation but also attract more people to participate in the project so they can grow as much as she did and help others.
Now more than ever, it is important not to give up and move on, and create more opportunities for our brave and new generation.
Anastasiia Dolia
Anastasiia Dolia is an extremely devoted individual with a commitment to direct her passion toward the prosperity of Ukraine. She is a final year high school student from Sumska oblast in Ukraine, where she has consistently illuminated her local community by showcasing research projects at national Olympiads and various platforms. Although the war in Ukraine compelled Anastasiia to temporarily leave, it turned out to be a pivotal moment that reinforced her connection to her homeland, where she could make the most significant impact.
Since April 2023, Anastasiia has been an active member of the MentorUkraine program, a significant milestone in her growth journey. Throughout the year, she actively engaged in various competitions, volunteering opportunities, and programs, with each experience further fueling her inspiration, particularly in the realm of STEM. Anastasiia's achievements consistently align with the aspiration to contribute to the bright future of Ukraine as she remains resolute in her desire to study technology at an American college.
Motivated by a profound sense of social responsibility, Anastasiia shatters the stereotype that a lack of opportunities determines one's path to success. Anastasiia’s passion for technology and volunteering guided her to the Brave Generation team, where she believes every piece of knowledge and skill has a chance to be applied for a greater purpose.
Our Team
Reed Cohen
Co-Founder, Vice President
Reed Cohen is a Master of Public Administration candidate at Columbia SIPA. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Tufts University. He spent his early career as a marketing and branding strategy consultant at a small, boutique firm in New York. As a consultant, Reed worked on an array of projects from developing product marketing strategies and strategic narratives for clients’ brands to leveraging concepts in consumer psychology to perform brand analyses in trademark infringement lawsuits. Reed decided to pursue an MPA to help him transition from the private to the public sector and chose to attend SIPA specifically to study international security policy in response to Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine.
While studying the tools and practices of war termination, he sought more immediate opportunities to begin helping Ukraine and ultimately volunteered to become a Mentor with MentorUkraine. As he continued to follow the war and hear from survivors about the brutality of the Russian army firsthand, he became determined to do more for Ukraine. After meeting Tanya and learning about the depth and breadth of the incredible work she had been doing for her nation through MentorUkraine and beyond, Reed was inspired to leverage his previous work experience and help launch Brave Generation, where he now serves as Vice President.
President, Executive director
Co-Founder, President
Tanya Kotelnykova is the President and Executive Director of Brave Generation. Her lived experience through two wars, the Donbas occupation in 2014, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, motivates her to aid youth suffering the ongoing consequences of full scale invasion. Tanya is a student in Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies at Yale University. She holds an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University and received her B.A. in Law at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Tanya’s main area of research is Russian academic propaganda in the occupied Ukrainian territory since 2014, the right to self-determination, and secession in the 21st century.
Tanya was born and raised in a small industrial city – Horlivka – in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. In 2014, she fled her hometown after the occupation by Russian-backed separatists began. Eight years later, the full-scale invasion forced her to flee Ukraine. As a recipient of Columbia’s Scholarship for Displaced Students, Tanya went from hiding in bomb shelters in Kyiv to pursuing higher education in a safe environment. During her time at Columbia, she received various distinctions for academic excellence, an invitation to speak with Columbia University’s President, and the Davis Fellowship, among other honors. Her commitment to academia is intertwined with an acknowledgment of privilege, as many Ukrainians have been unable to safely continue their studies.
Thus, upon arrival at Columbia University in Fall 2022, Tanya founded MentorUkraine to connect her peers at Columbia with Ukrainian students to motivate and assist them with applying to U.S. universities. Mentors can now be found at over a dozen universities across the globe, and Mentees have been awarded nearly $5.1 million in scholarships as of August 2023. As the mentorship program grew, she co-founded Brave Generation to further support her peers in rebuilding their lives and continuing their education. Tanya believes Ukraine’s young people will play an integral role in post-war reconstruction and the prevention of future conflict.
Mariia Hodovanets
Mentorship Development Coordinator
Mariia Hodovanets is an exceptionally driven individual with a remarkable talent for leadership and management. Her dedication to sustainability has propelled her to create a revolutionary biodegradable material, resulting in her victory in numerous international competitions. With a visionary perspective on ecological matters, Mariia is determined to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable economy in Ukraine. Drawing from her strong scientific background, she has also founded InnovateUkraine, a platform designed to empower STEM-oriented youth.
Volunteering has become an integral part of Mariia's life journey. She initiated her volunteer efforts by participating in local educational events, youth organizations, and fundraising auctions. Over time, her commitment has evolved to create new opportunities for the Brave Generation team. Through her roles in development, communication, and various initiatives, Mariia generously shares her wealth of experiences and knowledge with the emerging brave generations.
Brave Generation's influence transcends the boundaries of the United States and Ukraine, thanks in large part to Mariia's tireless efforts. Through her strategic collaborations, both within Ukraine and internationally, we have expanded our ambitious community and extended our mission's reach through various media platforms. Despite the ongoing war, Mariia's determination to make a positive impact remains unwavering. She firmly recognizes the pivotal role of young leaders in shaping global change and is committed to creating opportunities that unite the younger generation for the future rejuvenation of Ukraine.
Cole Bond
Director of Finance
Cole Bond graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University in 2019, where he studied International Relations with concentrations in International Finance and Chinese. His undergraduate studies focused heavily on the intersection of international security and the global economy, with particular focus on multilateral financial institutions, capital flows, and trade. While at Tufts, Cole was an analyst, project manager, and later Executive Board Member of the Tufts Consulting Collective, and a member of the Tufts Debate Society.
Following graduation, Cole joined the Emerging Markets sales and trading desk at Credit Suisse, where he facilitated market making activities across a number of different asset classes originating from the emerging economies in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In 2021, Cole joined Marathon Asset Management’s Emerging Markets team as an Associate and Investment Analyst, where he specializes in trading, portfolio construction, and investing within the Emerging Markets fixed income space.
Cole joined Brave Generation with the desire to directly apply his background, and aid wherever possible in the development of young Ukrainians who will be crucial for the future of the country.
Julie Dobkin
Director of Communications
Julie Dobkin is the Director of Communications at Brave Generation. During her current doctoral studies in Columbia University’s department of Biological Sciences, as well throughout her previous employment at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and her undergraduate degree at Northeastern University, Julie has been committed to academic outreach and mentorship. As a child of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Belarus, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was devastating and personal for her, and she was immediately motivated to find a way to support Ukrainian youth impacted by the war. In this pursuit, Julie joined Brave Generation.
At Brave Generation, Julie is dedicated to empowering young Ukrainians, recognizing them as the drivers of Ukraine’s future. As the Director of Communications, Julie hopes to capture and relay the tenacity and resilience that is the beating heart of both Brave Generation and each Ukrainian student it supports.
Arsenii Litus
School of Youth Empowerment and Post-War Reconstruction Development Manager
Arsenii Litus, a dynamic force of youth and business savvy, embarked on his corporate journey at 16 with a transformative product management internship at L'Oréal. This led to a branding role at SoftServe, Ukraine's largest IT company. Despite the demanding corporate life, he completed an International Business bachelor's degree in a remarkable three years at Ukrainian-American Concordia University. Currently pursuing a Management degree at the University of Alberta, Arsenii is a standout presence. As the co-founding president of the "Bulls" business club and Minister of External Affairs at the Alberta Youth Parliament, he has forged an impressive academic profile.
Beyond academia, Arsenii co-founded "Ya – Iskustvo," a digital marketplace promoting Ukrainian art. He actively engaged with AIESEC's Account Management team and volunteered with organizations like the Ukrainian Volunteering Service and the Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Passionate about business, Arsenii led diverse teams at over 10 hackathons, securing numerous 1st-place victories on the national stage. Having navigated a relocation from Donetsk, he intimately understands the challenges faced by Ukrainian youth. Arsenii believes in investing in the younger generation for Ukraine's post-war revitalization. Aligned with this vision, he sees "Brave Generation" as the perfect conduit to contribute to a brighter future for his homeland.
Board of Directors
Karen B. Redlener, MS
Co-Founder, Children's Health Fund & Ukraine Children’s Action Project
Karen Redlener has dedicated her career to enhancing the well-being of children facing extreme adversity, such as poverty, natural disasters, and war. Her journey began as a VISTA volunteer in rural east Arkansas, where she initiated child development and social services in a local health center and trained community staff to sustain these programs.
In 1987, she co-founded the Children’s Health Fund (CHF) with her husband, pediatrician Irwin Redlener, and singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Karen actively contributed to shaping and implementing CHF’s mission to offer comprehensive health care for impoverished children. Notably, she played a pivotal role in designing CHF’s renowned mobile pediatric clinic, serving New York's homeless pediatric population. This prototype led to over 50 CHF mobile clinics operating in under-resourced urban and rural areas across the U.S.
Karen's significant contribution includes leading CHF’s Healthy and Ready to Learn (HRL) program, ensuring that health conditions don't hinder learning for children facing adversity. Her innovative approach to integrating education and health care has had a profound impact in New York City and beyond.
From 1990 to 2016, alongside her roles at CHF, Karen served as the executive director of the NY Flagship Program (Bronx Health Collective) at Montefiore Health System. From 2015 to 2023, she played a crucial role as a member of the NYC Board of Health, guiding the agency through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Karen, alongside her husband, co-founded the Ukraine Children’s Action Project, a non-profit addressing the urgent educational and mental health needs of displaced and traumatized Ukrainian children. She also serves on the board of Brave Generation, a non-profit supporting college-bound Ukrainian students.
Marika Olsen
Director of Communications, Marketing at Columbia University Global Centers
In her 25+ year communication and media career, Marika Olsen has managed global, cross-functional teams that varied in size, scope and geography, including a 4-person CNN documentary team, a staff of 55 for a Central Asian media project, and working collaboratively as an election outreach advisor to the Iraq government.
She is an award-winning long form TV producer who has covered some of the biggest issues of our time and whose work has given her the opportunity to live in Atlanta, Tashkent, Miami, Baghdad, Ramallah, Silicon Valley and now Manhattan. (From CNN to Google to Columbia.) In each, her core passion has been creating memorable collateral with an emphasis on authentic storytelling.
In her avatar life, she’s a staff writer for a satire show, so any opportunity to write humor IRL or InRealJob thrills her, both for internal as well as external communication.
Louis Bickford
Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and NYU, the founder of Memria
Louis Bickford has been working in the field of international human rights for over 20 years. From 2012-2017, Bickford managed the global human rights program at the Ford Foundation. Prior to that, at the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), he was a founding staff member (2001) and a member of the Senior Management team (through 2010).
He later worked at RFK Human Rights as a member of the Executive Leadership team, and as the director of the European Office. He has consulted with various national and international institutions including the United Nations and various philanthropic foundations in every world region. He has a PhD from McGill University and an MA from the New School, both in Political Science. He is currently the Founder and CEO of MEMRIA, a social enterprise which develops partnerships with organizations to collect, analyze, and circulate narrative accounts of past violence with the aim of strengthening human rights.
Iuliia Mendel
Former press secretary of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration from 2019 to 2021, journalist
Iuliia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist, political commentator, and opinion writer for The Washington Post. Her work has been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times, Politico Europe, VICE, The Evening Standard, World Affairs Journal, Kyivpost, Spiegel Online, and CNBC. Following several years as a television journalist and a fellowship with the World Press Institute in Minnesota, Mendel served as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press secretary from June 2019 to July 2021. Her book, 'The Fight of Our Lives,' published in 2022, delves into Ukrainian politics, the Russian war against Ukraine, and her experiences working with President Zelenskyy. Currently, Mendel joins the University of Michigan as the WCEE Distinguished Fellow and a Knight-Wallace Fellow.
Joel Beckman
Co-Founder, Greenbriar Equity Group; Co-Chair, Friends of JCC Budapest
Joel Beckman co-founded Greenbriar Equity Group, a private investment firm, in 1999. Before that, he was a Managing Director and Partner at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Beckman received his JD from Yale Law School and his BA from the University of Rochester, where he is a Senior Trustee.
Joel Beckman is currently a board member of Westchester Jewish Community Services, co-chair of Friends of JCC Budapest and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Yale Law School Center for the Study of Corporate Law. He previously served as a director of the UJA-Federation of New York, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, the Chordoma Foundation, SteppingStone Day School and several other philanthropic organizations.
Lili Bivings
Contributing Editor at the Kyiv Independent
Liliane Bivings is the business editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked at the Kyiv Post as a staff writer covering business news and then as business editor. Liliane holds a master’s degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian affairs with a focus on Ukrainian studies at Columbia University. From 2017-2020 she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, after which she interned with the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.
Fumiko Sasaki
Professor at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University
Fumiko Sasaki is a distinguished professor in the field of international relations, boasting an impressive 25-year tenure. Holding an M.A and Ph.D. from the prestigious School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, her academic foundation is unparalleled. Dr. Sasaki's impact on education is felt at esteemed institutions like Columbia University, where she imparts knowledge in courses such as East Asian Security, International Relations Theory for Global Policy Making, and Society, Politics, and Sustainable Environment. Notably, Sasaki's expertise extends beyond traditional academia. As an adjunct lecturer at SAIS and a fellow of the Reischauer Center for Asian Studies, she bridges academia and real-world challenges. Driven by her passion for equity, she spearheaded Distance Education Africa (DEA), simultaneously serving as a Director and volunteer teacher, facilitating education for underserved populations across Africa. Innovation and social change drive Dr. Sasaki's endeavors. She holds the role of executive director at the Japan Institute for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (JSIE), orchestrating workshops, seminars, and forums to galvanize social innovation and entrepreneurship in Japan. Her commitment to positive impact reaches far and wide, presently focusing on aiding abandoned children in Indonesia
Volunteers
Kerry McElroy
Dr. Kerry McElroy is an international tutor and admissions specialist with her company, Anglia Education and Language Consulting. Anglia works with youth and adults in fourteen countries around the world on private tutoring, admissions consulting at all educational levels, business English, and business writing. Anglia is especially committed to partnering with Ukrainian students of promise for assistance with their academic applications. Dr. McElroy has run webinars on admissions processes and strategies for Ukrainian international students with Brave Generation/Teach Ukraine.
Dr. McElroy is also an investigative journalist and contributing writer with the Kyiv Post, with a special focus on Russian war crimes and misinformation campaigns, embassies, women's issues in the war, art and culture, and protest. Finally, she is an academic and writer with over sixty publications in scholarly and journalistic publications alike. Dr. McElroy holds masters' degrees in European Studies and Literary and Cultural Studies from Columbia and Carnegie Mellon Universities, and a PhD in Humanities from Concordia University Montreal.
Yulia Bahrina
Yuliia Bahrina is a highly skilled communicator with a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Her journey into the world of psychology began with a fascination for unraveling the complexities of the human mind and understanding animal behavior. She was drawn to the intricate processes triggered by actions, light, and other stimuli. Yuliia's life took an unexpected turn when she relocated to Germany in the midst of Russia’s full-scale invasion, exposing her to the harsh realities of war. Undeterred by these challenges, she excelled in academic tests, swiftly learning a new language, navigated bureaucratic hurdles, and set her sights on pursuing higher education in Germany.
In May 2023, Yuliia embarked on her journey with the MentorUkraine program. By August of the same year, she transitioned into a volunteer role, enticed by the prospect of learning from individuals who had graduated from prestigious institutions in the United States and Canada. This path allowed her to tap into their wealth of knowledge and draw from their personal experiences.
Yuliia's decision to volunteer perfectly aligned with her aspiration to discover her own happiness while assisting others in finding contentment in their lives. She views Brave Generation as an ideal starting point to gain insights into the mechanics of such initiatives, understand how they operate, and relish the experience of connecting with new people—something she values deeply.
Anastasia Panchenko
Anastasia Panchenko, a 16-year-old hailing from Kyiv, Ukraine, faced an agonizing decision on February 24th—to stay in Ukraine or leave behind her home and family. At the tender age of 15, Anastasia embarked on a remarkable journey to New York, determined to shape a brighter future for herself. Currently, Anastasia is a diligent high school student, ardently applying to colleges with the hope of securing a promising future. In her pursuit of self-reliance and the desire to support Ukraine's cause, she took on various jobs in the bustling city of New York.
Back in Ukraine, theater held a special place in Anastasia's heart. However, her arrival in New York transformed it into a potent tool for shedding light on the enduring pain and struggles faced by Ukrainians. Anastasia, along with nine fellow Ukrainian children, participated in a poignant performance at the 4th Street Theater Workshop, titled "Are We There Yet?" This moving performance drew inspiration from their personal experiences of the ongoing war in Ukraine and aimed to gather essential donations for their homeland. This profound experience ignited Anastasia's unwavering determination and motivation to champion the causes of her family, her people, and her homeland. Her aspirations include completing college to actively contribute to the reconstruction of her beloved country. Anastasia firmly believes that the fate of Ukraine rests in the hands of her generation, and she is committed to uniting, planning, and working toward a brighter and more promising future for Ukraine.
Mariia Tsybulieva
Communications Manager at MentorUkraine
Mariia Tsybulieva's journey with Brave Generation began as a Mentee, and this was a transformative experience for her. Recognizing the power of such opportunities, she decided to give back and make a difference. Volunteering as a tutor, Mariia developed a deep understanding of the significance of education, especially for young individuals in war-affected regions where access to quality education can be challenging. Her passion for empowering Ukrainian youth and ensuring their representation in all aspects of life perfectly aligns with Brave Generation's mission. Inspired by this shared vision, Mariia joined the team as a volunteer, opening doors to even more opportunities to positively impact the lives of young Ukrainians. As Mariia pursues her studies in psychology, she highly values Brave Generation's holistic approach, which not only emphasizes education and mentoring but also offers therapy sessions for those facing emotional challenges and trauma, particularly during times of war. She believes that by providing psychological support, Brave Generation equips young people with the tools they need to overcome adversity and thrive in the face of adversity.
Inna Saakian
Inna Saakian holds a bachelor's degree with honors from the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and is currently pursuing studies in business and entrepreneurship. This academic pursuit aligns with her vision of not only achieving personal goals but also actively contributing to the economic recovery of Ukraine through the establishment of international business partnerships and the enhancement of the well-being of its people.
In addition to her academic interests, Inna has a passion for psychology and is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian youth. Her commitment to self-improvement and her desire to make a positive impact led her to join Brave Generation, where she fulfills her mission by connecting young individuals with essential psychological support. From an early age, Inna has actively participated in various youth-oriented events and organizations, including some she organized herself. She has a history of volunteering in her university's charity committee, involvement in student self-government, and experience in the insurance industry. As a freelancer, she began developing her own business before the onset of the war.
Inna firmly believes that each individual has the power to shape their own life, and despite facing challenges, she remains dedicated to personal development and sets ambitious goals. Currently, she is expanding her skill set by delving into web design and is already mastering her fifth language. Her dreams revolve around a beautiful and prosperous future for Ukraine, which she wholeheartedly believes will become a reality. In pursuit of this vision, Inna actively contributes to her homeland's development by collaborating with a circle of like-minded, talented, and ambitious individuals who share her mission.
Igor Klymenko
Igor Klymenko is a young leader who started his research career in 2014. In 2020, after years of studying systemic military problems in Ukraine, he became an inventor, utilizing his own previous research. He created an innovative drone technology for detecting UXOs. The developed device received over 15 awards and was featured in over 50 publications worldwide. Furthermore, in 2022, Igor received the award for the Special Achievements of Youth in Kyiv from Mayor Vitali Klitschko. He was chosen as the best student amongst 150 countries and 7500 applicants according to the Global Student Prize. Recently, he had the privilege to speak about war and education in Ukraine at one of the largest world summits.
Igor believes that it is significant in such a challenging time to support youth and young adults in Ukraine. Since high school, he tutored students in Mathematics. Now, he continues supporting youth by assisting in their research with his personal knowledge and via networking. He believes that connecting Ukrainian students with US professors is a change-making idea, as it will broaden horizons and benefit both in collaborations.
Juliet Tkachenko
Yuliia Tkachenko is a Communications Manager for Brave Generation’s nascent InnovateUkraine program, responsible for finding, networking, and negotiating with partners and organizing and hosting events. Having attended various science programs, she gained invaluable insights into conducting genuine research. Furthermore, it is important to note that she is an active volunteer at Khan Academy. Yuliia herself has experienced what it is like to have an idea but struggle to find professional help to make it come true. Since 2021, Yuliia has conducted two pieces of research in physics and even helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces with her projects during the full-scale invasion. She is a winner of multiple national and international science and engineering competitions. Therefore, Yuliia understands the importance of having access to resources and professional advising to help bring ideas to life, which is why she is committed to providing this same opportunity to other young Ukrainian researchers.
Elina Tkachuk
Elina Tkachuk works as a social media and promotion expert who creates the engaging posts you see on Brave Generation's social media platforms. She started her career at the programming club, where she gained her solid technical skills and learned how visuals can help her communicate ideas to a wider audience.
Elina is also a compassionate person who cares about her surroundings. She participated in Technovation Girl Ukraine‘23, a competition that challenges girls to solve real-world problems with technology. She created a prototype for an app that helps people with diabetes.She believes that the world will be much better if everyone takes care of the people around them.
Elina’s dream is to explore the world and study Computer Science abroad. When she joined Brave Generation to learn more about fulfilling her dream, she immediately realized that Brave Generation is not only about education in Europe and the USA but also about fostering personal growth and self-discovery among young people. Elina hopes that her posts will not only share the ideas and the mission of Brave Generation but also attract more people to participate in the project so they can grow as much as she did and help others.
Now more than ever, it is important not to give up and move on, and create more opportunities for our brave and new generation.
Anastasiia Dolia
Anastasiia Dolia is an extremely devoted individual with a commitment to direct her passion toward the prosperity of Ukraine. She is a final year high school student from Sumska oblast in Ukraine, where she has consistently illuminated her local community by showcasing research projects at national Olympiads and various platforms. Although the war in Ukraine compelled Anastasiia to temporarily leave, it turned out to be a pivotal moment that reinforced her connection to her homeland, where she could make the most significant impact.
Since April 2023, Anastasiia has been an active member of the MentorUkraine program, a significant milestone in her growth journey. Throughout the year, she actively engaged in various competitions, volunteering opportunities, and programs, with each experience further fueling her inspiration, particularly in the realm of STEM. Anastasiia's achievements consistently align with the aspiration to contribute to the bright future of Ukraine as she remains resolute in her desire to study technology at an American college.
Motivated by a profound sense of social responsibility, Anastasiia shatters the stereotype that a lack of opportunities determines one's path to success. Anastasiia’s passion for technology and volunteering guided her to the Brave Generation team, where she believes every piece of knowledge and skill has a chance to be applied for a greater purpose.