A group of small company owners in Kyiv are busy working hard for their country.

There is a war brewing around them, and whenever the warning sirens in Kiev sound, they are reminded of how close they are to danger.

They describe it as a startling sound, but they push through their fear and anxiety because they believe Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began over 50 days ago on February 24, has given them a new purpose — to serve their town and country in a new way.

Prior to the invasion, many business owners were running thriving startups or family-owned firms that had been passed down for decades. In Kyiv’s historic center, their enterprises supplied personalized shoes, baked goods, and pizza, as well as e-learning solutions for students, instructors, and professionals.