On June 26, 2026, Forbes Ukraine brought together more than 700 entrepreneurs, investors, executives, business owners, and potential partners at the Entrepreneurs Forum 2026, held under the theme “Business Generator: Recharge Among Your Own.” Over two days, the event became a dynamic platform for discussing business transformation, leadership, innovation, international expansion, and the future of entrepreneurship in Ukraine.
For ELLEDGY Magazine, the forum represented far more than another business conference. It reflected the emergence of a new generation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs—leaders who are building resilient companies, embracing technology, and thinking beyond survival toward long-term global growth.
Beyond Survival: A New Mindset for Business
The central message of the forum was clear: Ukrainian business is entering a new stage of development.
While the past few years demanded resilience, adaptability, and crisis management, today’s entrepreneurs are increasingly focused on building scalable organizations, implementing efficient systems, and creating companies capable of thriving for decades.
This vision shaped every discussion throughout the forum.
One of the most memorable keynote speeches came from Vasyl Khmelnytskyi, founder of UNIT.City, who challenged entrepreneurs to rethink their relationship with their businesses.
“Never fall in love with your business. You can fall in love with your country, your wife, or your daughter—but your business deserves respect, not emotional attachment.”
According to Khmelnytskyi, successful entrepreneurs should create businesses that can evolve independently of their founders. Looking ahead to Ukraine’s post-war economy, he identified manufacturing, logistics, and residential real estate as sectors with the greatest long-term potential.
Scaling Starts with Strong Systems
The first day of the forum focused entirely on practical business tools and operational transformation.
Industry leaders shared actionable insights on:
- scaling businesses sustainably;
- integrating artificial intelligence into daily operations;
- automating business processes;
- building internationally competitive brands;
- expanding into global markets.
Among the featured speakers was Iryna Chechotkina, Co-owner and Co-CEO of Rozetka, who highlighted the enormous untapped potential of Ukraine’s e-commerce sector.
Despite significant wartime losses, including the destruction of several stores, Rozetka continues to see strong market opportunities. According to Chechotkina, marketplace ecosystems—not individual online stores—are becoming the dominant force in global retail thanks to convenience, customer trust, and integrated services.
Equally inspiring was the discussion featuring representatives from Megogo, Bakehouse, and Cher’17, who explored what it truly takes to build a beloved brand.
Their conclusion was unanimous:
A love brand cannot be created through one successful advertising campaign or a large marketing budget. It is built through years of consistency, exceptional customer experience, and unwavering product quality.
Sometimes the Biggest Bottleneck Is the Founder
One of the forum’s strongest messages came from Rostyslav Vovk, Co-founder of Kormotech.
Reflecting on the company’s own transformation, he acknowledged that business growth often stalls not because of the market—but because of the entrepreneur.
Only after redesigning the company’s management structure and embracing delegation was Kormotech able to unlock its next stage of growth.
This level of honesty became one of the defining characteristics of the forum. Rather than celebrating success alone, speakers openly discussed difficult decisions, leadership mistakes, and the realities of scaling modern businesses.
Day Two: Business Through the Lens of Human Stories
Instead of traditional keynote presentations, Forbes Ukraine introduced an innovative concept for the second day—a business theatre.
Successful founders of billion-hryvnia companies stepped onto the stage not to deliver presentations, but to share deeply personal conversations about leadership, failure, resilience, ambition, and purpose.
Each entrepreneur’s story was framed through a literary archetype inspired by classical authors, transforming business discussions into compelling narratives about personal growth.
The theatrical format made the conversations remarkably authentic, reminding the audience that behind every successful company stands a human story.
The Leaders Shaping Ukraine’s Future
Among the featured speakers was Ihor Nikonov, founder of KAN Development, who emphasized that developers should build lifestyles—not simply residential properties.
Fashion entrepreneur Lilia Litkovska, founder of LITKOVSKA, shared her perspective on international expansion, explaining that global retailers value originality far more than imitation.
Volodymyr Tsoy, Co-founder of MTI Group, reinforced the importance of reputation, transparency, and long-term partnerships as the foundation of sustainable business.
Artificial intelligence also became one of the forum’s major themes.
Mykhailo Rohalskyi, Co-owner of Fintech IT Group, argued that AI is already transforming productivity across industries, while reminding entrepreneurs that strategic judgment and final decision-making remain uniquely human responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Berezhanskyi, Founder and CEO of BERTA Group, reflected on one of the most important lessons of his entrepreneurial journey: enduring companies are built not through absolute control, but through trust in people.
Ukrainian Business Is Growing Up
After two intensive days of discussions, one conclusion became impossible to ignore.
Ukrainian entrepreneurship has entered a new era.
The conversation is no longer centered solely on resilience or crisis management. Today’s business leaders are focused on corporate governance, innovation, international competitiveness, investment, digital transformation, and building organizations capable of lasting for generations.
That was perhaps the most valuable outcome of the Entrepreneurs Forum 2026.
ELLEDGY Perspective
In a world where change has become the only constant, long-term success belongs not to those who simply react to crises, but to those who think strategically.
The Entrepreneurs Forum 2026, organized by Forbes Ukraine, showcased a new philosophy of Ukrainian entrepreneurship—one built on collaboration, innovation, authenticity, global ambition, and responsible leadership.
Events like these are shaping the country’s future business ecosystem, where competitive advantage is measured not only by financial performance but also by trust, vision, values, and the ability to inspire others.
If the past few years taught Ukrainian entrepreneurs how to survive, this forum clearly demonstrated that they are now learning how to lead—and how to compete on the global stage.