GET Business Festival 2025: new strategies for Ukrainian business and cases from market leaders
21 November 18:58
on November 18, Delo.ua business media and Ekonomika business/media bureau brought together 1500 entrepreneurs, investors and top managers at the GET Business Festival 2025. Discussions and workshops took place simultaneously on three stages: more than 100 speakers discussed doing business in unstable conditions, digital transformation, production scaling, and partnerships.
This year’s festival was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Delo.ua – growth and victories together with Ukrainian business.
The main stage was traditionally moderated by 1 1 Ukraine host and film producer Yuriy Gorbunov.
The main stage of the festival was opened with the Business Transforming panel featuring I. Smelyansky (Ukrposhta), O. Vodoviz (Metinvest Group), I. Kabuzenko (Ward Howell Ukraine), Y. Plieva (Apple Consulting®) and T. Smirnova (Ekonomika). Metinvest Group’s top manager spoke about the risks and opportunities for Ukrainian business in the EU.
Ihor Smelyansky (Ukrposhta) gave his main wish to delo.ua in the future:
“Let the editorial staff only ask themselves what kind of business success they should cover on the pages.”
The expert discussion with D. Hetmantsev (Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy) touched upon the priorities of tax and financial policy.
Yevhen Hlibovytskyi (Frontier Institute) outlined the key social transformations shaping the future of Ukraine, and the speakers of the “Great Reconstruction” panel S. Sukhomlyn (State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine), O. Shulyak (Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Power and Urban Development, Chairman of the Servant of the People party), and A. Amelin (Ukrainian Institute for the Future), moderated by N. Ostrovska (TSN), discussed strategies for restoring the country and the role of business in this process.
A. Vasyliev (OLX e-com Europe) shared his analysis of the circular economy:
“The circular economy is gaining momentum in Europe because it is more accessible and able to ensure sustainable development through the 2nd and 3rd life of products.”
A. Teliupa (Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture) highlighted the role of government programs in stimulating demand for Ukrainian goods and developing regional business.
During the discussion “482: Made in Ukraine”, K. Zagoriy (Darnitsa, Zagoriy Foundation), E. Sinelnikov (film director, TV presenter), T. Kozonov (Coffee Roasters Foundation), B. Tochka (MOVA Brewing Co.), M. Avdeyeva (Arsenal Insurance) and T. Sherman (DTEK Academy) highlighted the cases of Ukrainian industries that have survived the most difficult times and continue to grow not only in the country but also abroad.
“If you see someone in the market who is really strong, they should be with you. Otherwise, they will strengthen someone else,” emphasized Zagoriy.
“A Practical Guide for SMEs” by O. Kiy (PrivatBank), D. Ivanchenko (NOVUS), M. Bezruk (Aurora), and D. Tanka (EPICENTER K) demonstrated how SMEs can build cooperation with national retailers and find opportunities for growth in large networks. “Today, a local producer is a strategic partner of the country’s sustainability,” said Daria Ivanchenko.
“Look at what is sold on the shelves of large retailers. If these goods are not yet produced in Ukraine, you can occupy a competitive niche,” insisted Maxim Bezruk.
“We dream of small business partners, so we are looking for solutions so that our SME clients can quickly enter into partnerships with large businesses with non-credit assets,” said Oleg Kiy.
As part of the discussion “Money and Opportunities – Ukraine’s Crossing Point”, speakers A. Maslo (INVESTUDIO), R. Magomedov (National Securities Commission), G. Shuvalova (Horizon Capital), O. Chorny (Zeminvest), moderated by M. Patsan (Learn to Earn Global), spoke about the readiness of big business to open up industries with high investment potential (real estate, land, energy) and new investment models to private investors.
The discussion “Entrepreneurial Finance: Wartime Practice” focused on the interaction between business and banks in difficult conditions. Moderator A. Dubas (Association of Ukrainian Banks) together with speakers Olena Shpyrka (Raiffeisen Bank), Yulia Zhulanova (Oschadbank), Oleksandr Polyak (TASCOMBANK) and Yana Shumunova (Sense Bank) discussed adaptation to war risks and new requirements for financial monitoring.
Olena Shpyrka emphasized:
“If financial monitoring comes to you, the first thing that is important is speed. You have to answer its requests honestly and quickly.”
Moderator O. Dukhnych (Frontier Institute) of the panel “People, Business and Reality 2025 ” together with speakers I. Pasechnyk (ALVIVA GROUP), T. Nikolova (Zhyttelyub Charitable Foundation), Y. Zhovtyak (State Employment Service), S. Savytsky (KSE ProfTech) and O. Babych (DILA) discussed the transformation of work values, expectations of young people, new models of employment, motivation and training that shape the modern labor market.
On the business development stage, O. Solodchuk(Credit Dnipro Bank) shared practical advice on financing for SMEs:
“Every day we work with the needs of small businesses and know how to build financial immunity that will withstand any challenges.”
The panel discussion “Social Responsibility in Time of War: New Meanings and Approaches ” highlighted the transformation of the role of companies in supporting people and communities during the war. Moderated by O. Rudyuk (American University of Kyiv), the panelists Y. Goncharenko (Starlight Media), A. Shuvalov (Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation), and A. Dzhagaryan (L’Oréal Ukraine) discussed how businesses combine commercial goals with sustainable social impact.
The panel “Grants, Loans and Training for Entrepreneurs: How the Landscape of Opportunities is Changing ” consisting of A. Sevastyuk (VisionFund Ukraine), I. Kharchenko (GURT), Y. Skichko (Alef Stroy), O. Hrushetsky (Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development), N. Zelenskiy (Kyiv City Employment Center) and P. Moroz (MHP) demonstrated how donors’ priorities are changing and where businesses should look for real opportunities today.
The third stage of the festival was devoted to marketing strategies and cases on how to increase marketing efficiency without large budgets, improve customer experience and introduce innovations.
In particular, V. Varenytsia (1 1 media) emphasized that television continues to transform into a multichannel digital platform and the evolution continues.
And the participants of the discussion “Digital Transformation of SMEs: from TikTok to AI Solutions” D. Cherkashyna (HAVAS Red), V. Sereda (Sense), E. Kochenko (Flyer One Ventures), V. Tolochyna (MEGOGO), D. Samolyuk (We Are Ukraine), Vitaliy Starominsky (SOCAR), and P. Maiko (I Want to Play) outlined the relevant tools for digital growth: from choosing effective promotion channels and sales automation to working with short videos, social commerce, marketplaces, and AI.
The marketing strategies and business development scenes were moderated by festival hosts Iryna Prokofieva (host of 1 1 media, special correspondent of TSN. Week) and Nataliia Solonik, host of the Closer to the Stars project on TET TV channel.
The organizers, Ekonomika business/media bureau and business content leader Delo.ua, are grateful to
- the general partner – OLX Ukraine,
- the main partner – Visa | PrivatBank,
- general media partner – 1 1 media.
And also to the digital partner Linkos Group, the partner AB InBev Efes Ukraine, the coffee partner Foundation Coffee Roasters, the water partner Morshynska, the sparkling partner Latinium, the sweet partners BKK, ALVIVA GROUP, the tasty partner Lantmannen AXA, the alcohol partner Zubrowka, the partner of the best adventures “Drunken Cherry”.
Media partners: “We are Ukraine”, “We are Ukraine”, Mediafusion, Starlight Media, live marketing, ADV.expert, Apostrophe media holding, Infovision, Kyiv 24, Megapolis advertising holding, VS Media, dsnews.ua, kosht.media, logist.fm, UA.NEWS, trueua, 44ua, UNN, Burda media Ukraine, HiTech Expert, Kyiv1, Liga Zakon, Marketer.ua, Economist, Founder, budynok.com.ua, Cases, Glavkom, Kommersant Ukrainian, Expert, Economic News, Pershyi Biznesovyi, Mind.ua, HR Liga, WorkSafe.UA, European Business Association, Association of Ukrainian Banks, Creative Industries Association of Ukraine (CIAU). agronaut.com.ua, agroauto.com.ua, NefteRynok.
