How Small Business Owners Are Helping with the Refugees from Ukraine

I watch the daily news feeling helpless with the human crisis in Ukraine which has no end in sight.

This is why on The Small Business Radio Show this week, I talked with Alina Vandenberghe, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Chili Piper. She is a Romanian native that created a tech billion dollar from nothing. Chili Piper is one of the leading inbound conversion software, fueling today’s high-growth B2B revenue teams. Co-founded with her husband Nicolas, Chili Piper boosts buyer engagement for companies like Spotify, Airbnb, Twilio, and Shopify. She has over than 240 employees (many in Ukraine) in over 40 countries.

To date, more than six million have fled Ukraine. As a border country, almost a million Ukrainians have entered Romania. According to Alina, Chili Piper is supporting local grassroots efforts in Ukraine and bordering countries through Citizens of our Planet (COOP), the company’s global nonprofit focused on creating a more equitable, inclusive and peaceful future. Her company has helped more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict with Russia. Techfugees Foundation, which amplifies the voice of those displaced in promoting their human rights, has been a key philanthropic partner throughout all of this. Her company has donated more than $60K to them.

Alina says that Chili Piper has worked closely with local NGOs in Ukraine and in neighboring countries to ensure refugees have access to basic necessities, such as food and medicines. As a result, Chili Piper built BRIDGE, a tech platform that connects NGOs requesting supplies with those looking to help and provide them. Chili Piper has also donated funds to the Romanian United Fund (RUF) which is matching all donations made up to $30,000. RUF has already used $9,000 of the funds to help refugees.

Finally, Chili Piper has also created a “Relocation Document” in collaboration with its key philanthropic partner, Techfugees Foundation. The document outlines various options for Ukrainian refugees including local procedures for entering new countries, methods of applying for asylum, the rights and obligations of people entering new countries. Today, more than 10,000 Ukrainians have used the Relocation Guide.

Listen to the entire interview on how you can help in Ukraine.

Image: Alina Vandenberghe

This article, "How Small Business Owners Are Helping with the Refugees from Ukraine" was first published on Small Business Trends