Program Manager
MIT-Ukraine
svitkras [at] mit.edu
Svitlana was born and raised in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. Being based chiefly in the United States in the last two decades, she frequently travels to Ukraine to engage in the country’s political and societal developments. Over these years, she developed and sustained numerous professional connections across Ukraine and in the Ukrainian diaspora across the world. After the 2013-2014 Maidan, she co-founded a research organization that collaborated in organizing presentations and official briefings at the U.S. Congress, the United Nations Headquarters, and other public and academic institutions on topics of human rights and humanitarian issues in Ukraine.
Svitlana’s personal knowledge of Ukraine’s contemporary affairs is complemented by over a decade of executive management, grant-writing, and consulting experience in the nonprofit sector. In her various professional and leadership roles, she facilitated data-driven strategic planning processes, developed fundraising campaigns, assisted in establishing new programs, and conducted program design and evaluation for philanthropic institutions. In addition to being a practitioner and activist, Svitlana is also a scholar whose research is focused on contemporary Ukraine. She has conducted numerous research projects and published scholarly works on topics of civil society, grassroots and informal organizing, gender equality, and online mobilization in the diaspora.
Svitlana holds an MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and a PhD in Leadership Studies (nonprofit and philanthropic specialization) from the University of San Diego. She enjoys surfing, painting, playing music, traveling, and spending time with her two children.