How Ukrainian Companies Are Transforming Wartime Challenges Into Lifelines

War subjects businesses to unprecedented tests. With governments stretched to their limits, businesses must step in and assume responsibilities far beyond their conventional mandates, profoundly transforming the notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR). As national survival and corporate survival become more and more intertwined, we see questions shift from “Should we do something?” to “What could we do?” — transforming CSR from a voluntary initiative to an existential necessity.

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, businesses offer a compelling blueprint for responsibility-driven innovation, with the potential to redefine global CSR practices in crisis contexts. Four Ukrainian companies have distinguished themselves with particular thoughtfulness and ingenuity in their approaches to launching socially responsible initiatives during the war, with wartime adversity fueling innovation and societal impact. Their examples show that embracing CSR as an existential imperative enables scalable impact, imbues companies with deeper meaning, and can enhance corporate innovation efforts ― making responsibility rather than necessity the mother of invention.

Each of these four companies applied its existing resources and capabilities to fulfill its perceived social responsibilities by venturing into new, adjacent products and services. What follows are the stories of four Ukrainian companies and the lessons we can learn from them.

BetterMe

In the unfolding narrative of war and resilience, BetterMe, a health and wellness digital platform, has emerged as a beacon of hope and recovery. With fun workouts and wellness programs for people of any age and fitness level and 150 million users worldwide, BetterMe took a supportive stance from the very onset of the conflict, offering all Ukrainians free access to its application. But as the war’s relentless toll on Ukrainian society has deepened, the company’s corporate social responsibility mission has similarly evolved.

Victoria Repa, the founder and CEO of BetterMe, shared a stark statistic: Over 50,000 Ukrainians have undergone or are undergoing limb amputations due to the war. The ceaseless barrage of missiles, drones, and artillery shells — with approximately 10,000 shells fired daily — has resulted in a devastating wave of severely injured veterans and civilians. In this crucible of conflict, BetterMe’s leaders felt the responsibility to do more. The company partnered with prosthetics manufacturer Esper Bionics and the Future for Ukraine charitable foundation to create a specialized training program for those preparing for and recovering from amputations. This application, designed to guide users through customized exercises, aims to restore mobility and hope. Free access to these vital resources for Ukrainians is sustained by the revenues from BetterMe’s fitness and wellness applications abroad. This isn’t merely a technological innovation; it’s a lifeline.

The psychological scars of war — PTSD, stress, and sleeping disorders — plague many Ukrainians. BetterMe collaborated with the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program’s “How are you?” initiative, spearheaded by Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska. Jointly with the World Health Organization in Ukraine, BetterMe developed an innovative, free online course titled “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress,” which comprises a holistic blend of meditation, sleep therapy, self-care, yoga, and physical activity, all designed to help people navigate the tumultuous mental landscape wrought by war. This free course offers more than just coping mechanisms; it extends critical support to thousands, granting them a measure of tranquility amidst chaos. “I can finally fall asleep thanks to your app,” one grateful user shared.

BraBraBra

In the tumultuous onset of war, as Ukrainians fled their homes with scant belongings, a women’s underwear company named BraBraBra embarked on a mission that transcended mere business: It began distributing essential items like underwear, pajamas, and bedding to those displaced by the conflict. For many women caught in the upheaval, the provision of these basic necessities offered not just physical comfort but also a semblance of dignity during a time of profound uncertainty.

Meanwhile, as the conflict intensified, a remarkable evolution took place within the Ukrainian armed forces. A surge of women — some 55,000 strong — stepped forward to serve their country, with a significant portion deployed to combat zones. Among the challenges faced by these front-line soldiers was the inadequacy of their attire. Oleg Shuliak, the visionary behind BraBraBra, recounted that many of these brave women initially resorted to ill-fitting men’s underwear.

“We had a calling,” Shuliak reflected, “and a readiness to assist.” BraBraBra’s objective was clear: to develop undergarments that not only met the stringent demands of combat but also garnered genuine approval from those who would wear them in the line of duty. Sourcing samples from the world’s leading military suppliers yielded little progress; the designs simply did not align with the unique requirements and peculiarities of Ukrainian women’s military gear. Even slight differences in how the metal plates of a bulletproof vest are positioned can render some bras intolerable to wear. Undeterred, the company established its own research laboratory, embarking on a rigorous cycle of design and testing that spanned countless prototypes.

While the scale of its humanitarian efforts strained its resources, precluding outright giveaways, the team at BraBraBra devised a creative solution: For the price of a single pair of underwear, customers receive three — one to wear, one to share with a loved one, and a third that would be dispatched directly to the front lines, bolstering the resolve and comfort of those who stood in harm’s way. BraBraBra didn’t merely sell products; it nurtured a community bound by mutual support and shared purpose.

MacPaw

In times of war, a hidden battle rages not only on the front lines but also in cyberspace. There, where information can serve as both a weapon and a shield, Ukrainians have received invaluable and unexpected assistance from MacPaw, a prominent software development company.

The tale begins with a VPN — a digital lifeline for Ukrainians deprived of unfiltered truth. For those residing in occupied territories, accessing non-Russian information sources was either not an option or came with significant personal risk. Russian authorities monitored and persecuted individuals for any online activity diverging from state-sanctioned sources. MacPaw’s free ClearVPN, developed in the first days of the war, provided residents in these regions with a capability many of us take for granted: the freedom to access information from whichever sources we choose, without fear for our personal safety.

Oleksandr Kosovan, the CEO and founder of MacPaw, shed light on the implications of unchecked surveillance. Information intercepted by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is not merely collected but weaponized — used to sow panic, spread propaganda, and execute direct sabotage, turning the digital realm into a theater of psychological warfare. The stakes, Kosovan revealed, are far greater than simple privacy breaches: They are about control, influence, and the manipulation of entire populations.

MacPaw developed SpyBuster, an ingenious tool conceived to counter the encroaching reach of the FSB. It reveals whether the electronic applications or websites users access are linked to servers in Russia. With this knowledge, users can make informed decisions about whether to proceed, reclaiming a measure of control over their online presence. SpyBuster emerged from the humble beginnings of MacPaw’s R&D team, who worked in bomb shelters to create a product that scans devices for connections to enemy servers. Today, SpyBuster empowers users to vet their digital footprints from any corner of the globe, turning the tide in the battle for privacy and security.

Monobank

Monobank, one of Ukraine’s leading financial institutions, stepped up during a time of immense crisis by waiving interest payments during the first month of the war. Oleg Gorokhovskyi, the bank’s visionary cofounder, explained that his bold aspiration to prolong this interest-free grace period was ultimately constrained by harsh financial realities.

As the war unfolded, countless ordinary citizens, driven by a sense of duty and patriotism, were willing to part with the last of their savings to support the army. The catalyst was often a personal connection — a family member or friend serving in a specific unit. These military contacts relayed urgent and specific requests: a few extra bulletproof vests, medical kits, a handful of drones or anti-drone defenses, or even a new truck to replace one recently obliterated by artillery fire.

Yet the inefficiency of this grassroots fundraising effort was glaringly apparent. People resorted to texting their contacts, sharing their bank details, and hoping for contributions — an ad hoc and cumbersome process. But Monobank saw an opportunity. Just before the war, it had piloted an initiative called “jars,” aimed at helping parents raise funds for local schools. The concept was simple: A digital jar offered a QR code for easy donation and a progress bar to track the fundraising goal.

Monobank swiftly repurposed and modified the jars product, introducing features that made it easy to create and share fundraising efforts on behalf of Ukrainian war efforts. The digital jars could be effortlessly posted on social media platforms, and the innovation quickly gained traction. As Gorokhovskyi observed, “You can’t be in the Ukrainian media space now and not see one of Mono’s jars.”

The impact was profound. Over the first two years of the war, these digital jars facilitated raising over $1.2 billion for war efforts. According to Monobank, this sum might rival the total funds raised during that period by all other Ukrainian charity organizations combined.

Lessons Learned

The stories of these four extraordinary companies reveal several key insights. First, the unique and dire circumstances of the war in Ukraine have redefined corporate social responsibility. In this context, the responsibility of businesses to society is intertwined with the very survival of the nation, redefining CSR as an existential imperative. This duality places businesses under intense scrutiny, creating significant expectations regarding their CSR activities while imbuing their work with a profound sense of purpose and meaning. This fusion of purpose, duty, and survival fuels their employees’ motivation, ingenuity, and resolve.

Second, the role of CSR becomes especially critical in a war-torn nation. When state institutions falter, businesses can find themselves bearing an increasing share of social responsibility. In such crises, the true measure of an organization’s commitment to CSR is revealed, along with its ability to operate at scale and sustain its efforts while maintaining a balance between social impact and financial viability.

Third, all of the companies featured here did what we might expect a sensible collective to do under these circumstances: They donated to those in need, supported employees and their families, and organized activities that united others to help the nation, aligning personal convictions with corporate strategy while fostering community and support. The deep-seated commitment of leaders in these companies has transformed CSR into a mission-driven effort that resonates deeply with employees and customers alike.

However, these companies’ CSR initiatives are further distinguished by their innovative approaches. Each company pursued what strategy scholars call horizontal scope expansion, by introducing new products and services to enhance its social responsibility efforts. These products and services are closely aligned with their core resources and capabilities, whether they involve designing new undergarments for military personnel or developing counter-cyberwarfare tools.

In fact, some of the products and services, like Monobank’s jars, existed before the war began and were repurposed for new applications. Research suggests that one of the keys to scalable and sustainable CSR lies precisely in leveraging existing resources, capabilities, products, and services. This approach of pursuing possible adjacencies facilitates the fungibility of knowledge and talent and powerfully promotes a company’s competencies and reputation in the marketplace.

Typically, discussions around socially responsible initiatives are framed as “Should we do XYZ?” and “If so, then how do we do it?” These Ukrainian enterprises flipped this script, starting with “We could …” and progressing to “… and so we will.” In doing so, they scaled and sustained their CSR initiatives. These accounts of their actions suggest a promising blueprint for responsibility-driven innovation.

Is this enhanced corporate mindset toward social responsibility and responsibility-driven innovation a war-induced blip, or will it be an enduring change? It’s too early to tell definitively, but the imprint left on the leaders and employees of these organizations has the potential to last. Consider the leaders with whom we have spoken: Their words weren’t just about policies and strategies; they spoke about their personal convictions and the heartfelt commitments that underpin the socially responsible initiatives they are pursuing. The call to help their nation survive and thwart an existential threat has resulted not only in new business practices but also in new ways of thinking.

Companies, after all, are like living organisms. They absorb experiences and lessons, embedding them into their very fabric through stories, artifacts, and everyday practices. These elements outlive any individual tenure, becoming part of the corporate DNA. Integrating CSR so deeply can redefine what it means to be a responsible business in today’s world. These lessons from Ukrainian companies provide a blueprint for managers and executives to transform adversity into social and corporate opportunities, driving meaningful impact and fostering long-term innovation.

“The MIT Sloan Management Review is a research-based magazine and digital platform for business executives published at the MIT Sloan School of Management.”

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