When bombs began falling on Kharkiv in February 2022, Nataliia Sinelnikova didn’t hesitate. With only one small suitcase and a folder of essential documents, she, her husband, and their toddler fled the city, seeking safety. They escaped to western Ukraine, but even that region soon became unsafe. The family left the country, hoping to rebuild their lives in Spain. But without Spanish language skills, finding work proved nearly impossible.
That’s when Nataliia learned about the U.S. government’s “Uniting for Ukraine” (U4U) program, a humanitarian initiative allowing Ukrainians displaced by war to live and work temporarily in the United States. Her family’s application was approved, and in December 2022, they arrived in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Though she spoke fluent English, Nataliia faced anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about her future and that of her young daughter. To cope, she began volunteering by helping fellow Ukrainian immigrants navigate legal documents, appointments, and government offices. Many spoke no English, so she stepped in as a translator, guide, and emotional anchor. Her empathy and dedication caught the attention of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI Erie), which offered her a full-time position as a case manager.
“I treated everyone as family,” Nataliia says. “I knew how they felt — I was in the same boat. But for many, it was even harder without the language.”
During her time at USCRI, Nataliia helped over 100 refugee families settle into new lives in America. She listened to heartbreaking stories — mothers fleeing bombed-out cities, children born into uncertainty, elderly parents left behind in occupied zones. One woman, Irina from Kharkiv, arrived pregnant with two children in tow after driving across Ukraine and Poland alone. With Nataliia’s support, Irina safely gave birth in the U.S. and started rebuilding her life.
“This job helped me as much as I helped others,” Nataliia reflects. “By focusing on their needs, I was able to grow, to heal, and to move forward.”
Before the War: A Rising Business Leader
Before the war, Nataliia had a thriving career in logistics and management. She rose quickly at New Post (Nova Poshta), Ukraine’s largest private postal company, moving from a computer operator to a department head in just five years. The brand is now considered the third most valuable in Ukraine and a lifeline for millions.
In 2015, while pregnant, Nataliia co-founded an e-commerce company with her husband. The company, Onmarket, is an online platform delivering agricultural products to Ukrainian farmers. The couple invested their savings and built the business from the ground up. Even after fleeing the country, they refused to shut it down. Nataliia, as a female entrepreneur, trained a team of three managers who now run day-to-day operations, processing over 2,000 orders per year. The company has never paused operations, not during COVID, not during the war.
“We kept it running because farmers need us,” she explains. “They feed the country, and we support them.”
Today, five people work for the company remotely in Ukraine, backed by a Ukrainian accounting firm. The platform continues to deliver critical supplies, even to regions near the front lines.
A Thought Leader in Business Strategy
In addition to her managerial achievements, Nataliia is also a published author. Her recent research paper, “Branding as a Tool of Strategic Business Management,” was published in January 2025 in the academic journal Global Prosperity. In it, she explores branding as a core management resource capable of driving long-term competitiveness, organizational value, and resilience. The study positions branding as more than an aesthetic concern. It is a strategic asset that integrates communication, emotional engagement, and organizational culture.
A Future in the U.S.
Now settled in Erie, Nataliia, a woman who builds teams capable of thriving under tremendous pressure, is focusing on rebuilding her career in the United States. Her daughter Katerina, now 8, speaks five languages thanks to their journey across Europe. Nataliia hopes to contribute to the U.S. economy, just as she did in Ukraine, as a general manager, a team builder, and a business leader.
“I’m not afraid of hard work,” she says. “One day, I believe my name will be among the great business leaders in this country.”
With her resilience, experience, and vision, there’s no doubt she’s already on her way.
