Jaanika Merilo: life in two digital states – Ukraine and Estonia
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‘The digital state that has helped Ukraine continue to function in the war.. If you cannot physically be there, the digital state is particularly important. Wherever you are, you have a mobile phone and your mobile phone has your state.’
Jaanika Merilo has a diverse background in IT, investment, and policy making. She is the Global Head of PR and Marketing of Funderbeam, a global investing and trading platform founded by Estonians, and an advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, especially on topics such as start-up companies and the ecosystem that supports them, e-health, and digital communication.
Jaanika was born in 1979 in Tartu, Estonia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration from EBS and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Cumbria University in the North of England. She has been repeatedly named among the TOP 50 most powerful women in Ukraine. She has worked as an advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure on the digital revolution and the green transition, served on the management board of US Invest, founded Angels, a charity project for children and young people, and co-founded and chaired the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association.
Her books include Out of Rhythm (2007), Я от Яники (2020), and Minu Ukraina (2021).
Listen: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts
