Lena Mykhailova is an educator by calling, a facilitator of change, and a person who deeply believes in the power of community.

For over 20 years, Lena has worked in education — teaching English and German in schools and universities, leading foreign language departments, and building strong teams and educational programs. Yet for her, teaching has never been only about language. It has always been about people, about confidence, dignity, and believing in oneself.
In 2022, her life, like the lives of millions of Ukrainians, changed. Lena moved to Kraków, Poland, where she became the coordinator of the Ukrainian Community Center at the KochamDębniki Foundation. She coordinated, listened, negotiated, and supported. She worked with volunteers, international partners, and diplomatic institutions, but above all, with women who, despite profound loss, found the strength to move forward and support others. Together, they created a space that became a second home for thousands of Ukrainian women and children.

It was there that Lena learned the most important lesson: how much a community can transform lives when it is built on empathy, trust, and mutual support. It was there that she understood, more deeply than ever, that community heals.
And Lena never stopped teaching. Teaching simply took on a broader meaning — through dialogue, care, shared action, and belief in people.

In mid-2025 Lena returned to Ukraine. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Shoulder-to-Shoulder and the social language school MoveOn. Her mission is to help people recover, grow, and regain confidence through education and community-based initiatives.

Lena believes that education can be a form of support, opening new opportunities and helping people take steps toward a better life. She also believes that community becomes a place of strength. With this belief, she is building Shoulder-to-Shoulder and MoveOn School — shoulder to shoulder, together with people.

Cindy is a retired executive, business consultant, author, and humanitarian with four decades of leadership experience across the defense industry, international peace-building, and nonprofit consulting.

Cindy spent 20 years as an executive in the U.S. defense industry before transitioning to the nonprofit and social impact sector. She holds an MBA and a Master’s degree in InternationalPeace and Conflict Studies from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica. Following her graduate studies, she founded and led a successful consulting firm serving nonprofits, government agencies, and triple-bottom-line organizations, with a focus on executive coaching, employee engagement, and organizational culture change. Over 18 years, she guided leaders in articulating vision, aligning teams, and implementing sustainable strategies.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Cindy joined the Ukraine Relief Initiative leadership team in Krakow, Poland. She supported the Kocham Debniki Foundation in launching the Świetlica Community Center, which served approximately 3,000 Ukrainian refugees per month, primarily women and children. Through this work, she developed a close partnership with Ukrainian educator and community leader Lena Mykhailova.

Cindy is honored to serve as the chair of the Board of Directors of Shoulder to Shoulder, supporting its mission: “Through learning and community initiatives, we help people acquire knowledge and skills to regain confidence and take steps toward a better life.”
Cindy resides in San Diego, California with her life partner of 26 years. They enjoy golf, international travel, and exploring the United States in their travel trailer, Athena.

Amy is an entrepreneur with a track record of developing and leading high performing teams in global sports marketing and non-profit initiatives. 

She worked in sports & entertainment marketing for more than thirty years, orchestrating large-scale programmes on all continents for global brands at the world’s largest events including Olympics, FIFA World Cups, UEFA European Championships and more. 

Amy employed hundreds of people in Ukraine and Poland for the 2012 UEFA European Championships, many of whom contacted her for help from the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After helping personally during the first two weeks, she flew to Poland on 15th March to explore how to relieve the crisis in a more impactful, sustainable way. Through trusted colleagues, in partnership with family and friends, Amy helped co-found Kocham Debniki, the Krakow-based foundation and community centre launched on 1st June 2022. Amy raised the first start-up funds through a private US-based foundation, helped to crystalise the vision, mission and operational plan, and worked as an advisor. 

Amy has recently joined the board of Shoulder to Shoulder due to a wholehearted believe in the importance of the need to rebuild Ukraine through training, education and community. Amy is an active board member, participating as an advisor and fundraiser.

A native New Yorker living in London, Amy is a mother of two adult children, holds a BA in Anthropology from Smith College, USA. She is also an ICF-certified executive coach and trained psychotherapist.

Phil Peterson has had a long career as an actuary and strategic consultant in human resources and risk for 38 years before retiring and transitioning to the not-for-profit sector. During his career in human resource and employee benefit consulting he managed various practices and offices for a global professional risk and human capital services firm, Aon, and specialized in global retirement strategies, stock option valuation and human capital metrics.

He was engaged in extensive avocational work while employed during his 38-year career. Phil helped co-create with Child Care Matters, the Aon/United Way of Southeastern PA Hand-in-Hand Award for quality childcare in the business community. He has testified before the House Education Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on the importance of childcare to the business community. Phil has served on the board of the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, and on the state board of the Pennsylvania Economy League. Phil joined and co-chaired the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission in 2008 and was the co-chair of the Advisory Board of ReadyNation a not-for-profit organization advocating for greater investment by the business community in US early childhood health and education. Phil was also the board chair for many years for a regional homeless shelter in Pennsylvania.

After retiring from Aon Phil joined ReadyNation as an employee in the capacity of deputy director. He specialized in early childhood pay for success strategies using social impact financing. He assisted states and local jurisdictions in developing pay for success projects in the areas of early childhood education and home visiting. He brings experience in strategic planning, team building, financial economics, and risk management to his work with other organizations. 

Since retiring a second time from ReadyNation, Phil has been engaged with a variety of not-for-profit organizations as an investment committee chair, docent for an historical organization, board member for a local foundation, and the Planning Commission chairman for the Town of Manchester, VT.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Shoulder to Shoulder supporting its mission to help individuals regain confidence, skills, and hope during the stress of war and its aftermath.

Phil earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at Dickinson College. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries.

Poltava, Ukraine |