The best way to support Ukraine? Support Ukrainian business, expert says

Tragedy is unfolding on a mass scale in Ukraine as citizens flee Russia’s heavy-handed invasion, the product of simmering tensions over NATO and the West’s influence.

A broad swathe of sanctions has rained down upon Russia to influence President Vladimir Putin against military might — sanctions that have so far not deterred the bullish leader.

Those watching the conflict develop can be left with a sense of powerlessness — but supporting Ukrainian business is a great way to show solidarity with the besieged nation.

Ukrainian AR/VR producer Daria Fedko reached out to her Linkedin community in the wake of the invasion and received thousands of responses from people keen to help.

“If you want to support Ukraine … Keep working with Ukrainian companies. This will be the most significant support you can give,” Fedko says.

You can join her Telegram here to find loads of experts and professionals to work with, depending on your business needs.

Games from yesteryear with EverDrive

If you’re partial to gaming, tap into your inner nostalgia by shopping EverDrive — it’s a flash cart that allows you to play games on your classic console.

Here’s how it works: you drag-and-drop your favourite game files, known as ROMs, onto a micro SD card that goes into an EverDrive gaming cartridge.

It means you don’t need the original game cartridge to play old favourites like GoldenEye or Mario Party.

Ukrainian Igor “Krikzz” Golubovskiy founded the company in 2009, but fans were dismayed to see him living from a basement amid the conflict.

Check your spelling and grammar easier with Grammarly

Do you ever send an email off and kick yourself when you see an error your regular spellcheck didn’t catch? Grammarly is a browser extension that adds an extra layer of oversight to your writing, by flagging complicated sentences, removing repetition and upholding good grammar.

There’s a free version of the tool that anyone can download — and 30 million have — or if you’d like an upgraded experience, you can subscribe.

The company was founded by Ukrainians Max Lytvyn, Alex Shevchenko, and Dmytro Lider in 2009, and just eight years later, the trio raised $110 million in its first round of funding.

These days Grammarly is headquartered in California, with an office in Kyiv, as well as New York City and Vancouver.

Grab a present for a youngster — or anyone — from Ugears

Ugears is a 2014 Ukrainian startup that creates incredibly detailed wooden DIY models, puzzle boxes and more.

All of the Ugears models are made from sturdy materials, cut using laser technology, and don’t require glue to construct.

The first models were presented at trade fairs and instantly attracted a lot of attention from investors and companies.

These days the Ukrainian company offers more than 40 models to choose from, like racing cars (370 pieces), marble hoists (400 pieces), and even a stem lab (133 pieces).

“The models have been known to unite people of all ages; wifes buy them for husbands, grandparents get them for their grandchildren, busy parents find time to build them with their children,” the site says.