Business Brunch in Dnipro: Rebuilding from Scratch

On September 6, 12 women from Project Kesher Ukraine’s laptop project gathered in Dnipro for a business brunch organized by PKU and the Women’s Opportunity Fund of Ukraine.

The group met Valerya Lisitsa, founder of the clothing brand by_valeryalisitsa, who shared how she rebuilt her business after fleeing the occupation of Mariupol. After losing her workshop and fabric warehouse, Valerya started over in Dnipro with a single, non-professional sewing machine. With support from WOF-UA, she has since expanded her equipment and grown her business.

Participants toured Valerya’s workshop, saw the garment-making process firsthand, and even tried their hand at stitching with an overlock machine. Over brunch, Valerya spoke openly about relocating her business, the challenges of starting over, and the decisions and support that helped her move forward.

In addition to offering practical business lessons, the gathering created space for women entrepreneurs to share experiences, learn from one another, and see what resilience can look like in action.