Meeting in Kyiv with Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine

This was one of my most meaningful meetings during my visit in Ukraine. 

My journey to Kyiv started with a sobering reminder of the situation on the ground - a missile attack stopped my train, and nightly drone strikes tragically took two lives. Yet, in the midst of all this, I had the honor of being invited to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine to discuss how The Octalysis Group could help with the country’s rebuilding efforts.

At the meeting, I spoke with some of Ukraine’s top decision-makers (I hope I got these right...I used some translations tools):

• Andrii Bratus, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities and Territories for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalization (yes, a long title, but his work is just as impactful as it sounds).
• Timur Firuddinovich, Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.
• Artem Husak, Director of the Investment Policy Department (and also Advisor to the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine)

There was also an extremely intelligent and graceful woman at the meeting whose name, to my shame, I forgot before she left a bit early. But her insights were sharp, and I truly hope we get the chance to collaborate in the future.

What stood out to me was the sheer dedication and heart these leaders have for Ukraine. Many of them came from non-government backgrounds, yet when their country needed them, they stepped up. They’re not your typical bureaucrats — they’re problem-solvers, visionaries, and strategists working tirelessly to secure and rebuild their homeland.

We explored a ton of exciting ideas, including topics like (keeping it vague for confidentiality purposes):

• Helping displaced Ukrainians find stability and new opportunities.
• Repairing broken infrastructure efficiently and strategically.
• Mobilizing global support from people who genuinely care about Ukraine’s future.

We also talked extensively on how Metablox.co can help Ukrainians preserve their memories by having memories of each block before the war, during the war's destruction, and the rebuild after. This will create a lot of meaning and unite Ukrainians through shared memories, hardship, and proud freedom. This can also be broadcasted to the world where anyone who mints Blox in Ukraine will have all the proceeds donated to the Ukrainian rebuild effort in a transparent trackable way. The Ukrainian officials really resonated with the concept and I'm excited to explore if this is the beginning memory of something beautiful and epic.

At the end, they gave me a truly special gift — a folder with Ukrainian stamps and envelopes that document the pain and horrors of the invasion. They represent stories of resilience, suffering, and the unbreakable spirit of a nation fighting for its future. I don’t think I’ll ever use them as actual stamps — they are way too valuable as reminders of this moment in history.

Walking away from this experience, I feel deeply honored to be part of these conversations. The work ahead is huge, but seeing the passion, integrity, and drive of Ukraine’s leaders makes me believe that a powerful transformation is coming. And if The Octalysis Group can contribute even a small piece to that journey, it’s a mission worth pursuing.