Oleksandr Yakovenko 

Oleksandr Yakovenko spent a decade building a civilian trade and logistics business before February 2022 forced a clean break with his previous life. In early 2022, Oleksandr redirected company resources to the frontline of the war in Ukraine and founded the Wave’91 charitable foundation.

By late 2023, however, the limits of charity were clear: frontline demands required industrial-scale speed and accountability. After his first drone manufacturing facility was attacked in 2023, Oleksandr invested $5 million of his capital to rebuild it.

Later that year, he founded TAF Industries, which has grown into a leading Ukrainian manufacturer. Today, the company operates a distributed production network across more than 20 sites, manufactures over 100,000 UAVs per month, employs around 2,000 specialists, and supports more than 200 Ukrainian military brigades.

In 2026, he transitioned into the role of Founder, focusing on international cooperation and advancing Ukraine’s integration into the democratic world’s defense ecosystem.