Founders

The roots of this remarkable company trace back to Igor's unshakable optimism, even in the face of adversity. His path was forged through a childhood marked by hardship – poverty, loss, homelessness, and personal battles. Yet, these trials transformed into stepping stones that led him to build a purpose-driven business and a resilient family.

Igor's father had left them when he and his sister were not yet three years old, leaving their mother to raise them alone. The mother also had Igor's disabled grandmother in her care. They lived in extreme poverty, sometimes not having enough to eat.
 

"Money was scarce. When I was six years old, my sister Katya and I would gather strawberries and lilies in the forest valley, and then sell them at the Svyatoshynsky market," Igor recalls.

Igor witnessed his mother's struggles and dreamt of the day when he would grow up and become independent. At the age of 11, a tragedy took the lives of Igor's mother and grandmother.  Igor and his sister were left alone. In the beginning, the kids moved in with their father's new family, but due to constant arguments, they ended up in the streets. 

For four years, Igor survived in a basement not far from his father's house, winter nights spent in subway stations. He became friends with other runaways, hustling for survival by begging and working as market loaders. Their earnings bought them sustenance, but also a dangerous addiction to glue.

At fifteen, Igor and his sister met Mykola, who became their mentor. He took them into his home, where several other homeless kids were staying. The children worked in the mornings, studied in the evenings, and attended church on weekends.

Mykola's modest salary scarcely met their needs. In winter, Igor cleared snow; in summer, he mowed lawns and helped Mykola dismantle cars for spare parts. Gradually, Igor mastered the trade, and soon enough, he was able to disassemble an entire car in a day.

"Driven by a love for cars, upon completing my evening studies, I joined an electro-mechanical school. I excelled and graduated with honors."

Igor met Maryna when he was sixteen years old, marrying her at twenty-one. He dreamt of starting a family business.