Meet our team:
Board of Directors

Andrew Bain co-founded UFF in 2014 after meeting with Ukrainian officers that he served with in Iraq. Their battalion was stripped of equipment by the Yanukovych regime and, as a result,  was combat ineffective. Andy had his company purchase vehicle batteries and was able to mobilize the battalion overnight.

Realizing a direct connection between volunteers and military units was critical to establishing a supply chain responsive to Russia’s 2014 invasion, the Ukrainian Freedom Fund was founded. Separately, Andrew was one of the early founders of the advertising and media industries in Ukraine. He has lived and worked in  Kyiv since 1992 after founding Atlantic Group Limited. Andy received a B.A. degree from Yale University and an MBA from the University of Michigan in the United States. He retired as a Colonel from the US Marine Corps Reserve.

Alan Merbaum advises UFF on defense industry modernization and investment topics. He supported the US Embassy in Kyiv with a white paper outlining a roadmap for Ukraine defense industry reform and participated in several Ukraine – NATO defense industry working groups.
Alan serves as deputy chair of the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA) International Division and is a member of the US Delegation to the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG). During his 35-year career at Lockheed Martin, he supported Air and Missile Defense international business development to include foreign military sales (FMS) and industrial cooperation and lived in Israel for 11 years supporting various corporate growth initiatives. Alan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tel Aviv University and a Certificate of Business Management from University of California, Berkeley.

Eric Green recently retired after 32 years serving as a Foreign Service Officer in US State Department.  His last posting was as  Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia at the National Security Council where  helped craft the U.S. response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reporting to NSA Sullivan, Secretary of State  Blinken and President Biden.
Prior to that he served in Washington, DC and overseas posts including Kyiv, Moscow, Warsaw, Ankara and other venues of regional importance to Ukraine.

Dan is a Canadian-qualified lawyer with 30 years of professional experience in Central and Eastern Europe and an experienced private sector and institutional reform practitioner. He has advised numerous Ukrainian Presidents, Prime Ministers, and cabinet-level officials. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Dan has served as a member of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine in battlefield and support roles.
Dan plays a critical role in sourcing supplies for Ukraine’s defenders. Prior to the war, Dan served three years as Chief Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ukraine and established and directed UkraineInvest, the Ukrainian government’s foreign direct investment promotion agency; during his tenure, UkraineInvest unlocked US $3 billion of investment from existing and new investors. As Deputy Chairman of Ukrainian Railways and Supervisory Board member of the State Savings Bank of Ukraine, Daniel gained extensive experience regarding the reform of corporate governance of state-owned enterprises.
Daniel twice served as principal adviser and chief of staff to the Minister of Justice of Ukraine. He was also senior integrity and democratic governance adviser to successive presidents and prime ministers of Ukraine. In these capacities, Daniel obtained intimate knowledge of the machinery of government in transition democracies and the practical application of reforms. He was engaged in the restructuring of the ministries of justice, health, education, agriculture, social policy, environment, and economy in Ukraine.

Alexa brings her valuable knowledge and significant experience to UFF and its mission of supporting a free, democratic and independent Ukraine.

She currently is Executive Director of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group. Previously, she served for five years as the inaugural Executive Director of Ukraine House Davos, Ukraine’s investment promotion platform alongside the World Economic Forum’s weeklong annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

She is deputy Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board at Ukraine Invest, and since 2012 serves as Director, Program on the World Economy at the Aspen Institute. Ms. Chopivsky previously served as Adviser to the Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine.

For over seven years, she was a journalist with NBC News where she covered world events from the New York, Washington, and London bureaus. After a period as Associate Director at an international communication consultancy in London, Ms. Chopivsky moved to Kyiv. There she worked as a consultant and as a freelance journalist, traveling across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. She is also Founder, Transnational Education Group, and served as Executive Director, American Center for a European Ukraine.

Alexa received a BA from Yale University with distinction in Political Science and Russian & East European Studies, an MS from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and an MIPP from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

She serves as a Member of the Board of Teach for Ukraine and the Orchestra of the Americas Group. She was a Council on Foreign Relations Term Member and a Eurasia Foundation Young Professionals Network selectee.

In 2021, the President of Ukraine awarded Ms. Chopivsky the Order of Princess Olga.

Brad is a U.S. military officer and aviator volunteering with the Ukrainian Freedom Fund in a personal capacity. He lived in Ukraine for several years where he volunteered as an adjunct advisor to the Ukrainian Government in the development of its National Security Strategy, Military Security Strategy, Air Force Development Strategy, and Future Security Environment.
He is a PhD candidate at the National University of Kyiv – Mohyla Academy and his research has been presented in Kharkiv, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian Air Force, the U.S Naval Academy, and at numerous international conferences. Brad is a graduate of Norwich University with a B.S. degree and an MBA. Brad has served in numerous worldwide contingency and combat operations including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Is a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in the data center and telecommunications industries. At age 28, he founded his first national mission-critical services companies, which earned repeated recognition on the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 lists, including ranking among the top 200 fastest-growing companies in the United States. In 2016, his portfolio of companies was acquired by one of the world’s largest real estate organizations.

Following the acquisition, Toby has served as a Strategic Operating Advisor for international private equity firms, provided consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and investment groups, and held numerous board positions across both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He also contributes his expertise to industry think tanks, where he helps shape strategy, innovation, and operational excellence across multiple sectors

Morgan Williams is the President and CEO of the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), a member of the Board of Directors of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), Senior Advisor, U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF), and member of Phi Beta Kappa. Morgan received a B.A. degree in Economics and Business Administration from Ottawa University and a M.A. degree in Economics from the University of Kansas.
He started working on the economic and private business development of Ukraine in 1992. In January 2007 Morgan Williams was elected President/CEO of the USUBC. He has been awarded three State medals from the Government of Ukraine for his contribution to the economic development of Ukraine. Morgan Williams is the founder/trustee of the “Holodomor: Through the Eyes of Ukrainian Artists” collection.

MajGen William Mullen III, USMC (Ret), is the former commanding general, US Marine Corps Training & Education Command, and former president of Marine Corps University.
William holds a BA and MA in Political Science from Marquette University, and an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He is also a graduate of numerous military courses, including Airborne, Ranger, Summer Mountain Leader, and Royal Marine Arctic Warfare Survival courses. He is the author of Fallujah Redux – a tactical analysis of his service as a combat commander in Iraq.
William Mullen spent 10 days in December 2023 meeting with senior Ukrainian leadership in training and education at the Odesa and Lviv Military Academies as well as leaders within the Training divisions of the MOD and Ukraine’s general staff. He is committed to advancing the cause of freedom and democracy in Ukraine.