Hanna Fedchyshyn

Research Manager

Don’t be afraid to change and evolve as long as you follow your heart.

curious / open-minded / mission-driven / empathetic / creative

My backstory

Profound curiosity and a deep desire to understand the world, supported by my family, is the first thing that led me to the path of innovations and impact-driven startups. I learnt to read quite early; soon enough, I was surrounded by science books and encyclopaedias which took the pressure off of my family to answer my never-ending questions.

Being born in Ukraine right after the breakdown of the Soviet Union and living in times of transformative historical events had a profound impact on me. Listening to the stories of bravery and oppression told by my grandparents, reading history books, and witnessing my compatriots fight for independence and human rights, I wanted to be a part of positive change and help fight unfairness in the world.

Which led me to pursue a law career first. I genuinely loved the subject and had the opportunity to work at a legal aid clinic, as well as to do internships in court and legal companies. But the Kafka-esque bureaucracy put me off somewhat, and I soon discovered that the limitations of the legal carrier would prevent me from fulfilling my dream of making a positive impact in the world.

I developed a passion for technology and startups, which I can combine with my commitment to sustainability and a fair world. I worked in startup scouting and corporate innovation with a focus on cleantech and healthcare, explored the US healthcare system while working for one of the top EMR providers, and finally joined Ananda to drive the research program here.

My passion

Transformative change for good on a large scale. I wanted my work to align with my life values and priorities, leading me to work at Ananda.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation, protection of nature, better healthcare, social equality, and human rights are all important causes for me, and I’m excited to explore startups and innovations in all of the above-mentioned areas.

I love to explore the world and other people through stories. As a child, I aspired to become a writer myself to capture and create many exciting stories. While I eventually choose the law and then impactful innovations as my career path, I still aspire to write a dystopian science fiction book sometime in the future.

When I am away from work, you likely find me with a book in my hand. My library includes a wide variety of topics and stories reflecting my numerous interests. I genuinely love to constantly learn something new. Books, podcasts and online courses, as well as attending meetups and tech conferences, help me with that.

Besides reading, I like hiking and aspire to walk the Camino de Santiago route in the upcoming years. I also enjoy painting in my free time and travelling. I like to try new hobbies from time to time in order to overcome a fear of failure in unfamiliar activities. The next thing on my “to-do” list is contemporary dancing.