I was born under Soviet rule in modern-day Ukraine. We moved to America when I was 11. Even at that age, I was very aware of the differences between the place I grew up–where access to assets and information was controlled with an iron fist–and my new home–where opportunity was unbound.
I wanted to become an engineer and build big, ambitious projects. So, I studied computer science and spent over a decade building global networks at Qualcomm. A few years ago, I took the plunge as an entrepreneur myself and helped launch a project called Solana, a blockchain built for global accessibility. I want everyone in the world to have equal access to an open, interoperable global network, one that no single person or entity can shut down.
