SocialBoost

In 2021, Ukraine ranked as the second most corrupt country in Europe according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. To help turn the tide and develop Ukraine’s technological infrastructure, Viktor co-founded SocialBoost. The NGO produced its own IT products including digital platforms, as well as a start-up incubation programme and an investor school to aid the growth of local businesses.
Viktor attended the One Young World Summit in 2017 in Bogotá. Despite being older than most other delegates he still found the experience extremely fruitful, both in terms of its motivational value and the networks and connections he developed with delegates while there. Viktor has a vision of a digital society in Ukraine, and he tries to maintain the connections he formed with the One Young World Community as a source of constant inspiration for him. SocialBoost grew by over 200% after the Summit, despite the constraints that come with operating in a difficult political climate.
SocialBoost’s digital platform is used by up to a million people. It can be used to plan municipal budgets, taking into account the priorities and preferences of local residents. This participatory element has been adopted by over a hundred cities in Ukraine, ensuring transparency at every stage of the budgeting process. SocialBoost has also developed a community of over 50 mentors and 5 key experts to help local start-ups, with 150 companies graduating from the accelerator programme since 2016. The mentors are responsible for the start-up’s development, providing consultations and matchmaking the companies with their own extensive networks.
[Information accurate as of interview, 11/01/2022]
“The Summit was a huge motivation boost, and I still have some connections that I maintain from it. One Young World is a huge community all in one place, and looking at these people generating impact even after the Summit is very inspiring”