stay evolving 🐌
Ray Svitla Dzmitry Leukavets ray.svitla ray_svitla Ray Svitla ray.svitla ray_svitla
Ray Svitla Dzmitry Leukavets ray.svitla ray_svitla Ray Svitla ray.svitla ray_svitla
About me
Curiosity is probably my defining trait. My life has been one long R&D project. Back in university, I co-founded a logistics company, launched a skate brand, and ran an e-commerce store selling innovative gadgets. Let’s just say, I like to keep things interesting.
Innovation has always pulled me in, which led me to join bdc.consulting in 2016 as a strategist and creative director. There, I built and managed marketing and product teams of 20+ people and dove into the world of Web3. By 2019, I had established a research department publishing insights in Investing.com, Binance, The Block, and Cointelegraph, among others. That department became our most profitable sales channel, attracting tier-1 clients like CoinsPaid, Bybit, and Blockchain.com. Turns out, research pays—if you do it right.
In 2020, Belarus saw widespread protests, and I couldn’t sit it out. I crowdfunded and designed a new national coat of arms, reaching millions and sparking public debate. I also contributed to the presidential campaign of Valery Tsepkalo, helping with his marketing during a pivotal moment for the country. I tried to play my part, but living in a dictatorship has its limits, so I packed my bags and moved to Kyiv.
In Kyiv, I spent two years building WAKA, a community-driven dating app for Gen Z. We partnered with influencers to create 200 personalized “rooms” in the app, where creators drove traffic and shared revenue 50/50 with us. This innovative approach slashed customer acquisition costs 10x compared to the market average and fueled our growth to 100,000 users in Ukraine. Even our first investor found their crush on the platform. We raised $300K from angels and equity-free grants and were gearing up for our next round—until the war started. So yeah, starting from scratch is kind of my thing.
Since 2022, I’ve been in Lisbon, Portugal. Two forced migrations in two years and Balaji Srinivasan’s The Network State changed my perspective. I shifted my focus to impact-driven projects, starting with the FutureState.tv community. In 2024, we hosted events in London, Lisbon, and Berlin with icons like Vitalik Buterin, as well as gatherings for the Belarusian startup diaspora and the f27.club. My goal? To empower communities with decentralized tools for self-governance.
I believe in research through practice—it’s my favorite way to learn. But let’s not discount the foundation: before ChatGPT, I honed my skills at IKRA, Eastern Europe’s top school for creative industries, earned an Executive MBA from Kozminski University, and joined the John Smith Trust, where I learned to talk policy with folks like David Cameron. Turns out, big ideas need big tools.
On the personal side, I’ve been married for two years, have a maine coon named Heidi, and dabble in music. I even wrote a 40-minute set and performed it on Kyryllivs’ka. Oh, and fashion? I’m still remembered for my streetwear brand.
Stay evolving 🐌
Innovation has always pulled me in, which led me to join bdc.consulting in 2016 as a strategist and creative director. There, I built and managed marketing and product teams of 20+ people and dove into the world of Web3. By 2019, I had established a research department publishing insights in Investing.com, Binance, The Block, and Cointelegraph, among others. That department became our most profitable sales channel, attracting tier-1 clients like CoinsPaid, Bybit, and Blockchain.com. Turns out, research pays—if you do it right.
In 2020, Belarus saw widespread protests, and I couldn’t sit it out. I crowdfunded and designed a new national coat of arms, reaching millions and sparking public debate. I also contributed to the presidential campaign of Valery Tsepkalo, helping with his marketing during a pivotal moment for the country. I tried to play my part, but living in a dictatorship has its limits, so I packed my bags and moved to Kyiv.
In Kyiv, I spent two years building WAKA, a community-driven dating app for Gen Z. We partnered with influencers to create 200 personalized “rooms” in the app, where creators drove traffic and shared revenue 50/50 with us. This innovative approach slashed customer acquisition costs 10x compared to the market average and fueled our growth to 100,000 users in Ukraine. Even our first investor found their crush on the platform. We raised $300K from angels and equity-free grants and were gearing up for our next round—until the war started. So yeah, starting from scratch is kind of my thing.
Since 2022, I’ve been in Lisbon, Portugal. Two forced migrations in two years and Balaji Srinivasan’s The Network State changed my perspective. I shifted my focus to impact-driven projects, starting with the FutureState.tv community. In 2024, we hosted events in London, Lisbon, and Berlin with icons like Vitalik Buterin, as well as gatherings for the Belarusian startup diaspora and the f27.club. My goal? To empower communities with decentralized tools for self-governance.
I believe in research through practice—it’s my favorite way to learn. But let’s not discount the foundation: before ChatGPT, I honed my skills at IKRA, Eastern Europe’s top school for creative industries, earned an Executive MBA from Kozminski University, and joined the John Smith Trust, where I learned to talk policy with folks like David Cameron. Turns out, big ideas need big tools.
On the personal side, I’ve been married for two years, have a maine coon named Heidi, and dabble in music. I even wrote a 40-minute set and performed it on Kyryllivs’ka. Oh, and fashion? I’m still remembered for my streetwear brand.
Stay evolving 🐌