In this episode, Julia sits down with Zhanna Galeyeva, the CEO and co-founder of Bird of Light Ukraine, a charitable organization established after the 2022 full-scale invasion that provides essential aid to communities across Ukraine.

Together, they discuss Zhanna's journey from Ukraine to the US, her exploration of different fields of study in college, and her experience working in various roles before finding direction through meditation and spiritual practices. Zhanna shares how she felt a calling to return to Ukraine to reconnect with her father after years of distance — a decision that unexpectedly reshaped her life.

She recalls how, when the invasion began and she reached the border with Moldova, she decided to stay in Ukraine and help people directly. Starting with fundraising for food and cooking meals for refugees, she went  ...