Today’s episode is special, as I got to sit down for a good, long chat with one of my favorite humans.

Rostyk Wynnyckyj, Technical Sales Engineer at LAVA Computer MFG. Inc., joined me via video link from Toronto for a longform conversation on Ukraine, science and technology, and life as a Canadian-Ukrainian businessperson.

Rostyk is one of the brightest folks I’ve met, and possibly one of the busiest.

As if he wasn’t busy enough as a business co-owner and operator, technologist, and engineer, when he’s not traveling internationally for business, appearing in media to contribute expert insights on science and technology, or innovating new technologies, Rostyk also has undertaken a university-level program in psychology, part of his lifelong quest to understand the world better, particularly the people in it.

In part one of our conversation, Rostyk uses his unique, holistic approach to help tell the story of Ukraine and the most recent conflict, a war that actually has been active since 2014, along with the moving story of how his grandparents escaped WWII-era genocide and political suppression to start a new life in Canada.

In the meantime, if you’re curious to learn more, or would like to make a donation, there is an official donation stream set up at United24, the official fundraising platform of Ukraine, at https://u24.gov.ua/.