WEBVTT - Ukraine's Technology Sector Going Strong 0:00:02.560 --> 0:00:05.840 From the heart of where innovation, money and power COLLI 0:00:06.680 --> 0:00:11.200 in Silicon Valley and beyond. This is Bloomberg Technology with 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:27.040 Emily Jay. I'm I'm only checking San Francisco and this 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:29.600 is Bloomberg Technology. Coming up in the next hour, more 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:32.479 sanctions the U s upping the pressure on Putin and 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:34.960 those closest to him. We will bring you the latest 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:38.239 from the White House, plus how the war in Ukraine 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:41.080 is affecting its world renowned tech sector. We're gonna talk 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:44.080 to two engineers who've been helping their employees stationed across 0:00:44.800 --> 0:00:48.320 Ukraine about how it's going down and more than a 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:51.279 billion dollars in losses for graph this last quarter. I'll 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:53.320 speak with President ming Mo about how he plans to 0:00:53.360 --> 0:01:05.880 turn it around. Despite the relentless onslaught of Russian forces, 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:09.040 Ukraine's vital tech sector is still operating for clients around 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:12.039 the world, while Ukraine's own tech leaders are helping support 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:14.319 the war effort in working around the clock to keep 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:16.640 their own employees safe. I want to bring in two 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:19.880 of those tech leaders now, Lasha onto DAWs, the co 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:23.360 founder of the n f T a PI platform, Rarefy, 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:27.480 as well as Pavel Crecenko, founder of the blockchain Blockchain 0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:30.320 Expertise Center Distributed Lab, who just helped some of his 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:33.120 team members get out of the city in Carkeev Pavela, 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:35.840 I know you are in western Ukraine right now, so 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:37.600 you're holding up your phone in front of your face 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:41.640 where you are hunkered down. I would love for you 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:45.000 to talk to us about what you're experiencing there. I 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:48.360 know you're in a city called Uzgrut, which has been 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:50.880 quieter till now. How are you doing and what is 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:57.600 the situation there? Yeah, the situation is he's okay, but 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:02.080 you know, seven days ago a volk from the rockets 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:05.280 and explosions and Kiev, so that that was like an 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:08.880 experience and still like big part of my team is 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:12.920 experiencing this in Hearkiv. The ARKive was all over the 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:19.679 news because Russians have demolishing the city. So today, yesterday, 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:24.440 tomorrow we're like avacating the team and also people who 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:29.400 are like in big need. Thank you so much for 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:33.120 taking the time to talk to us about what you're experiencing. Obviously, 0:02:33.160 --> 0:02:35.720 my heart goes out to you and your team. Lasha. 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:38.080 I know you left Ukraine for safety in Georgia. A 0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:40.200 few weeks ago, but you still have almost two dozen 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.520 employees and developers still in the Ukraine. What are they 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:48.640 telling you right now? So definitely as you can stay 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:52.480 on trying to manage from outside of country, and it's 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.880 the kind of a challenge as well. But I want 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:58.880 to like actually stank the community internally and power when 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:02.080 he steam because there's a huge coordination among the the 0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:06.760 developer community and in terms of like even evacuating and 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:12.320 living and coordinating UH this process and overall what we've 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:16.800 seen inside UH is a huge help because the chats 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:21.560 that were used previously for inviting the greatest speakers in 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:25.000 Ukraine and really showing what we're building are now kind 0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:28.280 of coordination chets in terms of like who needs would 0:03:28.440 --> 0:03:32.200 and UH that's a huge help, especially for me who's 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:36.280 outside and trying to manage all that and get hand 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.160 on hand. Pavel, I know you're working around the clock 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:44.120 to help your employees get to safer places. How hard 0:03:44.200 --> 0:03:45.720 is it to get out talk to us about the 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:49.440 logistical challenges that you're dealing with. I know they are 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:53.080 first of all leaving everything they know it is incredibly costly. 0:03:53.720 --> 0:03:57.160 They won't have access necessarily to a consistent supply of 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:04.640 food or or medication. Basically, there are a few challenges. 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:10.160 You have this shortage of like taxi drivers, so anybody 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:13.600 who can deliver anything. And the prices went up like 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:19.320 fifty times, so for normal people it's just impossible to pay. 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.040 Uh for I T people is still possible, but it's 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:27.960 a very expensive operation. Uh. And plus the martial laws, 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:31.960 like you you cannot stay outside after six or in 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:35.600 some cities after four and yeah, you logistics need to 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:40.120 be finished before so the day starts at six am. Um. 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:44.120 Yeah in some places, like one developer just called me said, 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:50.280 I need yeah way out because our home has no electricity, 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:54.200 has no heat, has no gas because it was bumped 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:58.680 and yeah, so he needs to escape tomorrow. So this 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:01.360 type of stuff we have right now, like Hearkeep is 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:05.839 under like heavy heavy fire. There are some other cities 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:10.800 that are even worse, um, like Popo and her Son. 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.440 But yeah, Hearkeef is a very big city. It's like 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:17.760 one and a half million, and approximately like fifty developers 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:22.240 were there. So the business is obviously disrupted. But our 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:26.599 clients supporting us, they're sending us money to donate because 0:05:26.640 --> 0:05:29.680 we donated to people who are in need to whom 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:33.960 like such a doors is like fortune currently to buy 0:05:34.040 --> 0:05:37.279 like bread, but yeah, not everything you can buy with money. 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:40.560 That's that's the truth that comes when you are in ward. 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:45.680 The money doesn't save you. Lasha, I, I know that 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:48.320 you are working to support your developers on on the 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:52.839 ground and there has been an incredible means of internal 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:56.040 communication in the way that you've all come together. How 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:59.360 are you organizing? You know? How how often is this 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:03.599 a minute by minutes, second by second thing you like 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:07.240 the first thing that comes like every morning you wake 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:09.800 up and try to figure out what happens. So this 0:06:09.920 --> 0:06:14.880 is the the most kind of uh strange moment when 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:17.600 you wake up and you don't know what happened over 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:20.839 the hours that you were asleep and trying to like 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:25.240 individually and into the group group chats find out who's 0:06:25.279 --> 0:06:29.119 how who the bombs that were seeing like how close 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:31.479 they were to the places they spend the night, and 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:34.479 this coordination is like I don't know, a couple of 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:38.200 times over the day and especially when somebody leaves and 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:41.560 tomorrow like some of the developers are going to live it. 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:43.680 It's a kind of challenge. So is it going to happen. 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:46.960 What time will they be able to get to the 0:06:47.000 --> 0:06:49.880 other cities. So there's a lot of risks and uncertainty, 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:53.680 and I'm trying to keep the momentum of controlling and 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:58.080 understanding who's at what stage. But well, I understand some 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:01.440 of your employees have expressed wine to fight for your country. 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:08.200 Are they taking up arms? Are you being asked to fight? Actually, 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:12.560 there are lots of people who want to fight, and 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:15.160 if you don't have an experience, they will not let you. 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:20.280 So like, yeah, many companies were kind of afraid that 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:24.000 they are people will be drawn to army, but actually, yeah, 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:28.480 that's very little amount of unexperienced people will go there. 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:33.680 But yes, they kind of it's a very pathotic like 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:36.480 spirit here because it's a whole lands and they just 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:42.880 bomb that. And surprisingly, like Hearkieve was always considered like 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:47.360 you know, they will speak Russian um, and it was 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:50.440 kind of friendly city and now they kind of rush 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:54.480 demolishes it like more than other cities. And that's kind 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:58.280 of made people like wonder like that what they supported 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:03.160 in the past was really a kind not good. So yeah, 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:09.000 that's the four. More and more people are willing to 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:10.560 h to go to the army, and I know many 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:15.040 people who come from abroad to fight, like Ukrainians that 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:21.120 came from abroad. So that's the situation basically, and everybody's helping. 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:25.600 Like I have Facebook. Your wife, I understand is there 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.840 with you and and isn't leaving the country, but she's 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:32.480 making supplies for the army. Can you tell us about 0:08:32.559 --> 0:08:37.560 that decision deciding to stay rather than leave when leaving 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:43.720 could be safer, Like we all in the same boat. 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:46.640 So like if you leave you home once, then you 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:50.160 leave your home twice then the third time, so that 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:54.640 that will never end, you know, like the apartments that 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:58.320 were bombed day before yesterday, I was living in the 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:01.440 same area in two a part and one of them 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:04.240 I sold to the guy who moved from the nisk 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:11.520 and then was already yeah, heavily destroyed when the separatists 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:15.120 came there. And now like carkieve, so like that's the faith. 0:09:15.200 --> 0:09:18.320 If you move another time, then they'll come and take 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:22.960 something from there. Like surprisingly, we have a Georgian like 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:29.439 Lasha year and Georgia experienced this twice with Abasia and Salicitia, 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:36.199 so like, yeah, it will never stop if you don't fight. Um, 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:42.240 the Ukrainian government has been so crypto forward accepting crypto donations. 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:45.480 And I know that you have experienced in blockchain and 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:49.760 and n f T technology, Lasha, you know some of 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:51.839 the way that the Ukrainian government has been able to 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:55.199 accept these donations to come up with this idea to 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:58.959 auction off digital assets has been pretty incredible. What is 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:03.720 it about Ukraine and the deep bunch of tech talent 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:10.199 they're like yourself that's enabled the country to do this definitely, 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:14.760 So Ukraine is is one of the greatest countries and 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:19.079 people who are like tech savy, especially into so called 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:23.840 webtry and block chain space and especially power his team 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:28.240 and like in time network crypto community as we call 0:10:28.400 --> 0:10:32.560 each other, that has been like super strong, like both 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:36.079 like in building pro pro products for like on the 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:40.400 global level and really outsourcing. It has been the massive 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:43.600 force of outsource for the Western companies to build out 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:48.040 this new web. But unlike I can probably say that 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:50.680 the same community is like building and fighting and the 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:54.679 same time and we're going to continue doing until we win. 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:59.200 And the crypto has like become like a widely used 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.080 think even before the world and now it's helping a 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:07.319 lot to fund the fund the campaigns and fund the 0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.880 people who are in need for that, and the government 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:16.000 like really enabling the crypto the nations and the community 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:19.280 assisting that sopre than thirty million as I know by 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:23.719 the last statistics have been mobilized over that, and that 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:27.480 shows like how big the crypto community and support from 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:32.920 the outside is of that particular space in the industry. Well, 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:36.280 it has been incredibly powerful to hear your story, to 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:39.360 hear how you are fighting to keep your employees safe 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:42.880 and continuing to work and run your companies. Thank you 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:45.120 for taking the time to share your stories with us, 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:50.680 Lasha Anta's and Pavel Cochenko. We hope that you stay safe. 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:54.440 All right, coming up, we're gonna have to Singapore. I'm 0:11:54.440 --> 0:11:57.079 gonna speak with the president of Grab meg Mob. The 0:11:57.120 --> 0:12:02.120 company continues to push towards profitability as the pandemic drags on. 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:12.600 That is next. This is Bloomberg. The effects of the 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:16.720 pandemic still being felt. Grab Southeast Asia's ride hailing and 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:19.920 delivery giant, reporting mounting losses in its latest earnings results, 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:22.480 losing more than a billion dollars for the quarter. Joining 0:12:22.480 --> 0:12:25.920 now ming Ma, President of Grab Ming, you are of 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:29.920 course based in Singapore, which just announced rare unilateral sanctions 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.160 on Russia. What do you think of Singapore's response so 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:40.120 far and how the world community is really rallying against Russia. Hey, Emilie, 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:42.240 first of all, thank you for very much for having 0:12:42.280 --> 0:12:45.240 me on here. UM. It goes without saying that our 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:49.480 hearts UM just absolutely go out to everyone that's been affected. UM. 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:51.439 We do have a few grab her that's also been 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:53.319 affected in the region that we're doing a week that 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.800 we can UM. I would say, you're actlutely right. The 0:12:57.040 --> 0:13:01.119 COVID impact has been severe. UM. We're seeing potential impacts 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:05.960 of a global basis, and frankly we're despite that. I 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:09.120 think we feel very happy with a lot of performance 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:11.840 that we've achieved. UM. In spite of all the city 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:15.560 lockdowns and spite of all the macro turmoil, was our 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:20.440 best year ever. We exceeded guidance on g MB revenues 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:25.440 group by and we delivered against our Ibada guidance. UM. 0:13:25.480 --> 0:13:28.160 In terms of Southeast Asia, it's clear that our super 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.320 apt strategy is working. UM. Our users are spending more. 0:13:31.800 --> 0:13:35.600 Customers from our cohort are now spending close to five 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:38.640 times what they spent when they first joined grap and 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:42.320 our retention rates are now up to sevent for customers 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:46.600 that use three or more services from graph. We are 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:50.200 generating solid margins and mobility, and we are focused on 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:53.720 building value over the long term UM and just really 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:57.080 unlocking the tremendous market opportunity that we see here. And 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.720 we are convicted that the position that we've taken in 0:13:59.720 --> 0:14:01.960 our rategy as the only regional super app is the 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:05.280 right one for us. How are you thinking about delivery 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:08.400 and ridehaling workers in Southeast Asia at this time? Many 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.840 of them are part time workers, they have little rights. 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:17.400 How are you factoring that into the future of the company. Well, 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:20.080 the key for us has always been around how do 0:14:20.160 --> 0:14:26.080 we create true economic empowerment for micro entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia? 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:30.000 And these micro entrepreneurs certainly include our driver partners, includes 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.400 many of the restaurant partners that we work with in 0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:35.600 food delivery, and the key for us is how do 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:41.520 we provide the largest income opportunities for drivers for merchants 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.200 over time? And the key aspect for that is executing 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:48.720 on our super ap strategy. It's about cross sell um 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:52.040 selling multiple services to our consumers and over time, generating 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:54.800 increased wallets share for consumers, and I think that's the 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:58.720 best way for us to continue empowering um economic stability 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:02.400 for the region. W Now, the war in Ukraine is 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:06.360 only escalating, as we've been discussing, there's concern it could 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:09.200 lead to rising food prices. It will certainly makes supply 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:13.360 chain issues potentially worse. How is GRAB potentially impacted by 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:18.400 that and preparing for that. Yeah, well, we're obviously monitoring 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:20.720 the situation pretty closely. It's a little bit too early 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:23.120 to see that to really tell how the effects will 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:27.920 rippull through Southeast Asia. We're monitoring gas prices, oil prices 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:30.280 as it relates to our drivers. That certainly hits the 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.080 driver p mls in a very direct way. We're also 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:38.320 monitoring food costs and the effects of inflation across Southeast Asia. 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:40.720 But if I just step back for a second, the 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:43.720 real key for us as a platform is how do 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:48.080 we provide the lowest cost services to our merchants, our 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:51.240 drivers and to our consumers. And ultimately, if we're able 0:15:51.280 --> 0:15:54.960 to do that, then I think the sustainability will be 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:57.600 on the platform. I just want to give a quick example. 0:15:58.240 --> 0:16:01.960 When you look at our total segment of just Abada margins. 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:08.160 We've improved those by from from a minus two percent 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:13.520 loss in one and I think a large part of 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:16.680 that is by driving continued cost reductions and the platform 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:19.720 which ultimately we then share with all of our partners 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:25.120 restaurants and drivers. All right, MGMA, President of GRAB, thank 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:28.040 you for joining us. We'll see how GRAB continues to 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:39.760 weather the COVID storm. Welcome back to bloomber Technology. I 0:16:39.800 --> 0:16:42.560 Emily Changing in San Francisco. It's estimated that more than 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:45.360 a million refugees has left Ukraine as the war has 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:48.680 now stretched into its second week, and it's a brutal one, 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.080 many fleeing to Poland, leaving behind a cloud of uncertainty 0:16:52.760 --> 0:16:55.520 on when they can return and what they will be returning. 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.760 To bloom book Zaggi Control is in Poland and spoke 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:03.840 to those leaving it all behind. I saw a lot 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:07.359 of damages, a lot of crashes, and I even just 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:13.160 I don't see my Kiev as it was earlier at 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:16.680 the main train station in Chemichel, a border town with Ukraine. 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:20.320 Poland is experiencing an influx of refugees from the war 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:23.240 just over the other side of their border. We're seeing 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:25.880 people who have come from Kiev and volv and other 0:17:25.920 --> 0:17:29.359 parts of the country arrive in Poland in the EU, 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.080 and this is something that is happening in a lot 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:36.760 of places around the European Union's borders with Ukraine. It 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:40.960 was very, very frightened. We're just here with my son 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:45.280 and my husband's stayed in Ukraine and trying to fight. 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:52.200 I hope that here he will alive, and I hope 0:17:52.320 --> 0:17:59.199 that he will come here. I leave in Ukraine, my 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:05.120 husband and I come to Poland with my daughter and 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:09.240 with my friends. We are going to Germany today and 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:15.320 I don't know how many time we stay there. We 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:18.960 have also heard about people who are not Ukrainian citizens, 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:21.080 but we're living in the country. At the time that 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:24.040 the war began, discussing the fact that they found it 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:27.199 harder to leave the country because they weren't Ukrainian. It 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:30.399 was very very challenged because I was not Ukrainian, and 0:18:30.440 --> 0:18:34.479 so even the guys they were pushing us, and they 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:38.040 were trying to stop us from mentoring the train and 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:42.840 allowing the Ukrainians to go first. Although I'm from Africa, 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:46.679 but I have a wife who is from Ukraine. First, 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:50.320 when you arrived at the border of Ukraine. They took 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:53.119 my wife and my child away and they told me 0:18:53.160 --> 0:18:55.919 to wait, so I stood for I stood there for 0:18:56.000 --> 0:19:01.080 about threday more or four hours before the quarter as become. 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:04.000 He was really really stressful. It took me two days 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:08.840 to get to Poland. Like leaving Ukraine is was very, 0:19:08.960 --> 0:19:12.159 very like stressful. And I didn't want to leave Ukraine 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:15.480 now because all my life is there, my child, everything 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:18.600 is like we left everything in Ukraine. So I don't 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:23.000 know from now, because if they were still continuous in Ukraine, 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:26.240 I don't know what will happen. And now they're telling 0:19:26.320 --> 0:19:30.320 us you can only stay fourteen days here, and I 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:32.440 don't know what to do. The U n A c 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.760 R has said that any sort of discrimination against people 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:39.440 from third countries would not be acceptable under the Geneva Convention, 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:42.199 but that they haven't had confirmation of such things from 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:46.080 the authorities. Here. We're seeing people who get hot food 0:19:46.160 --> 0:19:48.960 and SIM cards in order to try and stay in 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:51.960 contact with their families back home, and also to try 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:54.639 and see what their next steps are, whether they're going 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:57.080 to remain in Poland or try and find a new 0:19:57.119 --> 0:19:59.880 life in some other parts of the European Union, whether 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:04.080 that be just for now or potentially more permanently. I 0:20:04.160 --> 0:20:07.520 hope that we will return soon because I didn't want 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:11.040 to leave. I want I want to be home, but 0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:19.440 unfortunately such institution. We are hoping that it will end soon. 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:24.160 At this moment, I don't see the opportunity to return. 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:31.879 Bloomberg Zaggy Control they're in Poland. Now. I want to 0:20:31.880 --> 0:20:35.080 bring in Ali Partoby, the CEO of NA, which just 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:38.000 launched a new accelerator. I want to get to that 0:20:38.080 --> 0:20:41.159 in a moment. Um, Ali with me here in the studio. 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:42.879 I want to start actually by asking a little bit 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:45.760 about your family history, because you grew up during a 0:20:45.800 --> 0:20:50.040 war in Iran, and I'm so curious. What is it 0:20:50.119 --> 0:20:56.600 like watching these images and seeing Ukraine under attack. Yeah, Emily, 0:20:56.720 --> 0:21:00.480 and thank you for having me here. Um, it's really tough. War. 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:03.920 War is really terrible, and for me it's personal because 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:08.080 I was seven years old, um, when living in Iran 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:12.399 when Iraq invaded us and for the next five years. 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:15.960 You know, Um, there was just this ever present sense 0:21:16.000 --> 0:21:20.640 of fear and as a as a child, it's really difficult. Um. 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.359 You know that, not just the fear, but the seeing 0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:25.920 you're seeing the grown ups be afraid, seeing your parents 0:21:26.119 --> 0:21:30.000 be stressed out or anxious. Uh, and not knowing what's 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:35.040 going to happen next is particularly difficult for children. And um, 0:21:35.080 --> 0:21:36.919 I will say that on the on the bright side, 0:21:37.320 --> 0:21:40.160 my twin brother and I were very lucky because we 0:21:40.240 --> 0:21:43.320 had a special form of escape. As you know I've 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:46.119 told you in the past. Um, we were amongst the 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:48.199 only kids in the country to have a computer, and 0:21:48.240 --> 0:21:51.080 we learned how to program, and that for us was 0:21:51.119 --> 0:21:54.040 a way to have a way to create our own world, 0:21:54.320 --> 0:21:57.160 you know, in software that you know, that we could 0:21:57.160 --> 0:21:59.920 control and that followed the rules, and that was predictable, 0:22:00.240 --> 0:22:04.160 and it's that was an enormous comfort for us. Um, 0:22:04.200 --> 0:22:06.080 you know, to have that, and I would say it 0:22:06.080 --> 0:22:09.719 helped us get to and and you both founded a 0:22:09.720 --> 0:22:14.040 company called code dot org, which I believe you can 0:22:14.080 --> 0:22:16.800 access anywhere. I mean, do you have any advice for 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:19.560 parents and children who are there right now trying to 0:22:19.560 --> 0:22:23.160 figure out how to pass the days and survive? It's hard. 0:22:23.400 --> 0:22:25.280 It's not my place to give advice, but I will 0:22:25.280 --> 0:22:27.879 say if I can brag about my my brother Hatti 0:22:27.920 --> 0:22:30.680 a bit. I mean, he has led that organization code 0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:33.679 dot Org to have so much impact, and you know, 0:22:34.000 --> 0:22:37.800 tens of millions of kids worldwide are now able to program, 0:22:37.840 --> 0:22:40.320 and um, and it's it is not just a skill 0:22:40.440 --> 0:22:43.080 that helps them think, but it also helps them cope. 0:22:43.440 --> 0:22:46.600 In Ukraine alone, six and a half million kids use 0:22:46.680 --> 0:22:48.960 code dot org, which out of a country of forty 0:22:49.000 --> 0:22:52.879 four million, that's a large number. And um, you know, 0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:56.680 and having that escape is I'm sure comforting to them. 0:22:56.720 --> 0:22:58.800 I do also want to I think it's we need 0:22:58.840 --> 0:23:02.200 to mention that this is not the only unjust war 0:23:02.280 --> 0:23:04.399 going on right now. You know, war is terrible and 0:23:04.640 --> 0:23:07.359 it really needs to stop. But there are also kids 0:23:07.840 --> 0:23:11.320 coding in Iraq, which has been occupied by the US 0:23:11.400 --> 0:23:14.600 for twenty years now, and their kids coding on codat 0:23:14.680 --> 0:23:17.880 organ Yemen, which is being bombed as we speak. And 0:23:17.920 --> 0:23:21.600 those are wars that I don't think Americans support either, 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:24.960 but there was that our government has been supporting. And 0:23:25.480 --> 0:23:29.200 the sad thing is that these kids are innocence, regardless 0:23:29.280 --> 0:23:32.800 of their skin color or how they were born or 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:34.840 where they're born. It's you know, and it's not fair 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:38.199 for them to have to pay some price because of 0:23:38.200 --> 0:23:41.000 these wars. Now, I know, one of the most important 0:23:41.000 --> 0:23:43.959 things to you has been to find tech talent no 0:23:43.960 --> 0:23:46.359 matter who they are or where they are, and given 0:23:46.400 --> 0:23:49.720 the tool to succeed, which is what you're doing at NEO. 0:23:49.800 --> 0:23:53.280 And you have launched this new accelerator. What is the 0:23:53.359 --> 0:23:56.840 goal here and how will it work in the context 0:23:56.880 --> 0:24:00.520 of other opportunities that exist in the tech industry. Yeah, well, 0:24:00.560 --> 0:24:04.000 you know, I mean my own path was, you know, 0:24:04.320 --> 0:24:07.399 very much the American dream and that I came to 0:24:07.440 --> 0:24:10.640 America with not very much other than the ability to program, 0:24:10.840 --> 0:24:14.320 and that enabled me, you know, to have this power 0:24:14.359 --> 0:24:18.359 to create and being able to programmings, you can create 0:24:18.400 --> 0:24:20.960 apps and even build a company. And in my case, 0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:23.320 I started a company when I was twenty three and 0:24:23.359 --> 0:24:30.360 became successful. And um, today, uh, kids who are graduating 0:24:30.359 --> 0:24:33.160 from college with that ability have the potential to create 0:24:33.720 --> 0:24:38.359 the the epocal companies of the future. And we've created 0:24:38.760 --> 0:24:42.600 we've just announced this program, NEO Accelerator, which is aiming 0:24:42.640 --> 0:24:48.080 specifically for relatively young engineering leaders, you know, one to 0:24:48.160 --> 0:24:50.920 four years out of college who want to start companies 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:54.600 and to give them both financial support and mentorship to 0:24:54.680 --> 0:24:58.119 help them build great startups. And it's uh, it's a 0:24:58.160 --> 0:25:01.960 program that is a three month program that includes a 0:25:01.960 --> 0:25:04.760 four week long retreat in Oregon to kick it off, 0:25:05.200 --> 0:25:08.200 where UM founders of companies will live under the same 0:25:08.280 --> 0:25:12.560 roof alongside each other and mentors UM and it will 0:25:12.560 --> 0:25:16.320 come culminate at the end of the program with a 0:25:16.320 --> 0:25:18.920 a pitch date, not to raise more money, but to 0:25:19.040 --> 0:25:23.760 pitch other engineers, to pitch software engineers to join your 0:25:23.760 --> 0:25:26.320 team to help you with recruiting, because that's the one 0:25:26.359 --> 0:25:29.600 of the toughest problems facing all companies today. Now it's 0:25:29.640 --> 0:25:33.520 been described as the anti y C, a reference to 0:25:33.680 --> 0:25:37.480 y Combinator, which is a long established accelerator in Silicon 0:25:37.600 --> 0:25:41.560