One of the 65 winners of the “CREATE!” program who received grants to scale their businesses is Olena Khatmullina, the owner of the Ukrainian freeze-dried food brand “Pozhyva”.
Her enterprise, located in the town of Shumsk in Ternopil Oblast, offers a wide range of healthy, quick-to-prepare meals made with 100% natural ingredients. The company produces more than 20 types of freeze-dried meals free from chemicals, preservatives, and GMOs: borscht, soups, porridges, potato-based dishes, as well as meat and vegetable meals.
Thanks to the “CREATE!” grant program, the business owner purchased specialized equipment that helped expand the product range and automate production processes. With the grant funds, Olena Khatmullina acquired production equipment, including a sublimator, convection oven, and conveyor belt, which allowed the company to optimize its operations and improve product quality and packaging.
“Thanks to the new equipment, we sped up our production, increasing labor productivity by 40% and improving packaging quality. The sublimator, using freeze-drying technology, allows us to retain up to 95% of the original nutrients in the food, making our meals as nutritious and beneficial as possible,” shares Olena Khatmullina.
In the video, the entrepreneur discusses how her business transformed after participating in the “CREATE!” initiative, implemented by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, UMAEF, and the KSE Foundation, with support from OschadBusiness and the KSE Graduate Business School.