Research Symposium
25th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 1, 2025
Ella Owens Poster Session 1: 9:30 am - 10:30 am/ Poster #84
BIO
Ella Owens is a first-year Business Management major with a minor in Economics. She is from Orlando, Florida, and is on track to graduate in the Spring of 2027. Currently, Ella is interning with the Florida Democratic Party, where she is eager to learn more about policy work to enhance her studies. She is interested in pursuing law school, hoping to study international policy law, and is inspired to advocate for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves on a larger scale. Her favorite UROP experience has been interviewing Ukrainian CEOs and individuals to hear real-time experiences from those affected by the Ukraine-Russia War and to witness their perseverance and adaptability.
Entrepreneurship during Crisis: Resilience and Recovery in Wartime Ukraine
Authors: Ella Owens, Dr. Eric LiguoriStudent Major: Business Management
Mentor: Dr. Eric Liguori
Mentor's Department: Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship Mentor's College: Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship Co-Presenters: Faith Parkinson, Joshua Selig, Olivia Leichter, and Zhen Siew
Abstract
The Ukrainian entrepreneurial ecosystem continues to be significantly and negatively impacted by the war with Russia, resulting in damaged infrastructure, weaker investor interest, a strained mental state, and an overall lack of stability. There is also widespread post-Cold War sentiment that the government is responsible for the economy, and individual entrepreneurial mindsets were rare prior to the Russian invasion. This exploratory study aims to understand the pre-war and current entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ukraine. We use a mixed-method approach consisting of both semi-structured interviews and an open-ended survey, interviewing 21 Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Many of these individuals were still based in Ukraine, though some did relocate out of the country due to the conflict, but continued operating Ukraine-based ventures. These individuals were identified using the Crunchbase database where we randomly sampled those listed as founders or co-founders. In addition to the interviews, given Ukraine being an active conflict zone, 10 additional individuals agreed to be interviewed via a web survey. Preliminary data analysis is scheduled to begin in March 2025.
Keywords: Ukraine, Entrepreneurship, Recovery, Resilience, Crisis