Eugenia Karkina

Eugenia Karkina is a Ukrainian refugee, nonprofit professional, interpreter, entrepreneur, wife, and mother now living in Colorado. She brings more than 25 years of combined experience in the nonprofit, humanitarian, international development, interpretation, and community support sectors. In Ukraine, Eugenia worked with NGOs, international organizations, government partners, and community-based initiatives focused on refugee protection, internally displaced people, anti-trafficking efforts, women and children, social services, and vulnerable communities.

She also served with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine, supporting internally displaced people from Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, monitoring protection concerns, strengthening cooperation between local government agencies and humanitarian organizations, and reporting to the central UNHCR office. Her professional path has been shaped by a deep commitment to human dignity, self-sufficiency, and trauma-informed support for people forced to rebuild their lives.

Eugenia holds two higher education degrees. Together with her husband, Kostiantyn, who also holds two higher education degrees and has extensive entrepreneurial and culinary leadership experience, she is rebuilding her family’s life and Ukrainian food business in Colorado. Through their business “Sunflower Ukrainian Foods”, they bring Ukrainian cuisine, cultural traditions, and wholesome Eastern European food practices to communities in the United States. They aim not only to serve nourishing meals, but also to introduce people to healthy, practical approaches to cooking, nutrition, family meals, and the connection between food, culture, and community. When the war began, they fled Ukraine with their young daughter, carrying with them resilience, professional experience, and a strong desire to contribute to their new community.