Scaling your business to an international market is terrifying. New rules, unknown players, and cultural differences can feel like stepping into deep water without a life vest. But the good news is you don’t have to do it alone.
Behind every successful global expansion, there’s a vast network. The right people, advice, and introductions can make the difference between struggling in the dark and accelerating your growth. That’s where right communities come in.
For Ukrainian founders, business communities are not only about networking. They are about survival. Here, we’ll share the lessons of global expansion from communities of Ukrainian entrepreneurs. They have built business communities to help others get into international markets – and how you can do the same.
Why business communities?
There are many ways to make your business’s expansion into international markets smoother – mentorship programs, accelerators, and strategic partnerships. But business communities stand out as a unique and powerful tool. While they connect you with the right people, they create whole ecosystems where founders can support, challenge, and elevate each other.
As Serhii Haidaichuk, founder and president of CEO Club London, puts it:
CEO Club London, CEO Club Ukraine London, UK
“Having a huge diaspora around the world, we can develop and integrate into the world. I believe that the Ukrainian diaspora, with the right approach, will become a colossal resource. While some countries are trying to create such huge communities artificially, we have it organically.”
CEO Club London has become a key lobbying platform for Ukraine in the UK, hosting around 50 events with British political and business leaders. It offers Ukrainian entrepreneurs direct access to London’s elite and strategic entry into the global financial scene. Through this network, founders can connect with investors, partners, and clients worldwide.
For Ukrainian entrepreneurs, this is no a game-changer. The challenge isn’t just finding connections – it’s making sure these networks work together rather than in isolation.
“I believe in creating an ecosystem where communities could interact, reinforcing each other, instead of an individual work format. This is exactly how I see the work of the Ukrainian-British Club – it is one of such powerful ecosystem elements.”
Instead of navigating new markets alone, business communities provide a structured way to integrate into global ecosystems, leveraging the talent and ambition of the diaspora.
“For example, the business environment in the UAE is transparent and highly conducive to development. It is unique – the structure of business and approaches to public administration, makes the country an attractive destination for investors and businessmen.
As in any new market, having a clear understanding of your team and investment needs is essential. A solid business community can provide the insights and connections that reduce risks and accelerate growth.”
Dubai, UAE
Shares Olena Shyrokova, founder of UA-Arab Business Chamber. It focuses on building a global network and sharing expertise, admitting only experienced businesses with deep market knowledge. It helps Ukrainian entrepreneurs navigate the UAE market through guidance on budgeting, consulting, and team building. In a culture driven by trust and long-term relationships, the right community is key to establishing a lasting business presence.
How to find the right community for your business goals
A strong business community can open doors, provide insights, and help avoid costly mistakes. Choosing the right club means surrounding yourself with people who have relevant experience and can offer real support.
Oleksii Malytsky, founder of Mazepa League, highlights the importance of this choice:
“For Ukrainian entrepreneurs who have moved to another country, it is important to choose your community correctly. You can do this by looking for people who inspire you and asking what chats they are in. If there are no such chats, you can create your own. It must be a community that focuses not on the quantity but on the quality of contacts.”
Mazepa League
San Francisco, USA
Mazepa League began as a quiet space for Ukrainian entrepreneurs to exchange insights and quickly evolved into a trusted problem-solving hub. Its core tool, KYG, uses AI on Telegram to connect members with the right experts inside closed professional networks. Though not commercially driven, the club’s exclusivity ensures high-value connections, all supporting the shared mission of accelerating global expansion for Ukrainian founders.
San Francisco, where Oleksii built his business for 7 years, shows how easy it is to get lost in networking without a clear focus. Many founders attend endless events, expecting quick results, but this approach often leads nowhere.
“People come here for a week, a month before returning. People think they are unique and try to attend all the events. However, they quickly go nowhere – because they think about themselves, they do not see criticism.”
Malytsky points out that while practical advice – on fundraising, legal processes, and company setup – can be shared, the real strength of a business club is deeper.
“They come here to get feedback on how to invest money, do documents, open a company, and not make stupid mistakes. All this practice can be transferred – but thinking cannot be transferred. This is the main value of the community – the transfer of thinking.”
A strong business club offers more than just advice. It helps founders develop the right mindset, ask better questions, and confidently navigate new markets.
As he says, many startups try to apply a model that has brought success in Ukraine and copy it abroad. This is the wrong approach because business is about copying and adapting to the local environment.
The key is flexibility – being open to learning new strategies, adjusting to different market demands, and seeking advice when needed. Business communities provide this environment. Founders can exchange experiences, get feedback, and refine their approach. Malytsky compares it to professional sports:
“If you are a football player, you must be able to play in different countries. If you are not ready to adapt to a game environment different from your ‘native field,’ it will be challenging.”
What to do in a business community
Good, you’ve joined a business club. Now, you’re surrounded by motivated, experienced people. What’s next? How do you make the most of this network?
The first step is engagement. A business club isn’t just a membership – it’s an opportunity to learn, share, and grow. Vitaliy Ivanyshyn, founder of Chicago’s Trident Business Club, shares that when discussing problems, many founders think their case is unique and extraordinary – no one has ever dealt with it before. But then, when founders go out into the community, they realize everyone around has faced the same challenges and is ready to help.
Trident Business Club
Chicago, USA
“Seeing that others have been through the same struggles and found solutions makes all the difference.”
Trident Business Club is a curated, exclusive network that prioritizes meaningful connections over size. It helps members find clients, partners, mentors, or advisors in a trusted environment. The club’s small scale ensures every interaction is purposeful and high-value.
The most significant advantage of a strong community is the ability to get insights and shortcuts that would otherwise take years to figure out. Ukrainian founders who enter new markets often make the mistake of replicating the solutions that worked for them at home.
Networking within these communities is about actively building relationships. Ivanyshyn advises founders to communicate as much as possible – even if it doesn’t bring direct profit for the business, and it greatly expands your mindset as an entrepreneur.
How a business community can help you
Every business club exists to solve a specific challenge. No two communities focus on the same thing – each has its mission, structure, and network. Some help with high-level government and business connections, others focus on peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and some create highly targeted support systems for navigating local markets.
For example, the UA Business Global initiative started as a volunteer project. Today, it’s a community of over 2,000 Ukrainian entrepreneurs who support each other in growing, scaling, and going global.
UA business Global
Dnipro, Ukraine
What makes it work? People, who’ve been through the same struggles, and who are ready to share what’s worked for them. Whether it’s figuring out international markets or building your personal brand, this kind of support is a game-changer.
As Kateryna Doroshevska, founder of the initiative, puts it:
“Global markets are conquered not by companies, but by people. And a founder is the best ambassador of their business.”
That’s why UA Business Global helps entrepreneurs not just with market access, but with personal branding – to become visible, confident, and competitive on the international stage.
Conclusion: build stronger communities
For a business community to thrive, it must integrate into its environment. If you’re expanding abroad, involve locals in your network – without this, growth remains limited. A community that only includes its own members, simply relocated to another country, becomes an isolated bubble rather than an actual bridge to new opportunities.
Set big goals. This is the time to be ambitious, build networks that extend beyond borders, and maximize international connections’ potential.
Learn the language. Even small interactions, like chatting with a local baker, help break barriers and open doors. The more integrated members are, the more opportunities they unlock for themselves and the entire community.
And finally, shift your mindset. Many people join communities to see what they can gain. Instead, approach it with a perspective of giving. Offer value first, whether it’s knowledge, connections, or support. The strongest networks are built by those who contribute, not just those who take.
