Interview with Mark Rackiewycz, February 13, 2024

Interview Summary

Abstract: Mark Rackiewycz Ukraine 2002-2005 Before joining Peace Corps, Rackiewycz was a commercial realtor. He worked in a non-profit organization in the Ivano-Frankivsk region that taught women entrepreneurship. In that setting, he wrote grants to help clients launch their businesses, as well as facilitating training workshops on such topics as time management, marketing, customer service, business plans and lease writing. Rackiewycz extended his service for one year to complete the grants that the group had been awarded. In Kharkiv, he taught business English; in Crimea, he taught business practices in Russian to local business people. He also wrote a grant for the local chess club in Ivano-Frankivsk so that it had chess sets, clocks and tables on which to compete. As a result of his service, Rackiewycz learned that he is creative and resilient and is a survivor. After service, he remained in Ukraine with his family for 22 years, returning to the States in 2023, after serving as a journalist there.

Interview Keyword

Ukraine commercial realtor Ivano-Frankivsk women entrepreneurship grants training workshops time management marketing customer service business plans lease writing Kharkiv business English Crimea chess club creative resilient lived in Ukraine for 22 years journalist

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