On October 7, 2025, the autumn season of the “Platform of Opportunities” project kicked off in the Vasyl Sukhomlynskyi Conference Hall of Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav. The first speaker was Lev Zhidenko, co-founder of the Aurora retail network, who spent an hour and a half sharing the story of how a small idea grew into a billion-dollar business.

Lev spoke about investing not only in an idea but also in the potential of his partner, Taras Panasenko; about experiencing bankruptcy at the age of 23; and about how the “broken windows theory” helped transform the company’s culture. “Mistakes are part of learning. The key is to analyze them and move forward,” he emphasized.

During the talk, Lev Zhidenko shared his personal view of entrepreneurship in Ukraine: “Ukraine is a country with more opportunities and fewer barriers than Europe.” His words sparked a lively response from the audience — students eagerly asked questions about business development, teamwork, and personal motivation.

Before his speech, Lev met with the university’s rector, Vitalii Kotsur, and afterward toured the art classrooms, spoke with professors Olha Strilets and Roman Motuzko, and left his autograph in the “Milky Way” hall and on the door of the Scientific Society’s office. He also invited students to visit Aurora’s headquarters in Poltava or continue the conversation in Pereiaslav.

Students thanked Mr. Lev for his sincerity, inspiration, practical advice, and valuable insights — and we, in turn, for the warm meeting that once again proved: sharing experience means creating new opportunities.