At the Mercury Art Center in Lyiv, Ukraine, surrounded by the vivid works of legendary Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko, U.S. diplomats and investors gathered with prominent artists for an evening that fused cultural resilience with defense innovation.
The soirée–co-hosted by America Ukraine Strategic Partners (AUSP), Art Shield, Superhumans, and Green Flag Ventures–marked the close of Brave1’s Defense Tech Valley summit, an event that brought together Ukraine’s defence ecosystem and its global partners.
A Convergence of Power and Culture
The guest list reflected a rare mix of creativity with capital and statecraft. United States Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine Julie S. Davis attended alongside U.S. Defense Attaché General Brad Nicholson, with Deputy Economic Counsellor Bradford Hopewell and Foreign Service Officer Megan Tetrick. They were joined by AUSP CEO Davis Richardson, Art Shield CEO Edward Akrout. Investor heavyweights Justin Zeefe and Deborah Fairlamb–General Partners at Green Flag Ventures. Clayton Williams, Managing Director at IQT, and Artem Moroz of BRAVE1–also took part, with Ukrainian artist Marta Syrko providing the evening’s cultural anchor.
“Art and defense may seem like opposites, but in Ukraine today, both are survival strategies.”
Art Shield CEO Edward Akrout
Innovation on the Battlefield and in the Marketplace
Richardson highlighted a milestone moment for Ukraine’s defense sector: Swarmer, a Ukrainian defense tech company, completed its Series A round led by Green Flag Ventures and Broadcom–the largest venture raise ever for a Ukrainian defense startup. “It’s a signal to global markets that Ukrainian innovation is investable even in wartime,” Richardson said.
Honoring Sacrifice, Elevating Art
Art Shield CEO Edward Akrout opened his remarks with a moment of silence for fallen Ukrainian soldiers before turning to the role of art in resilience. He introduced the Decoupage Wine Project, a collaboration between activist Tetiana Burianova and Kharkiv street artist Gamlet. Produced from grapes in newly liberated territories such as Izyum, the wines carry hand-designed labels that embody survival and rebirth. Later, Akrout led a conversation with Syrko on how art both documents and transcends conflict.
Cultural Diplomacy Through Soft and Hard Power
For Washington’s diplomatic corps, the evening underscored how U.S. engagement with Ukraine extends beyond defense and economics into cultural diplomacy. By showing up, senior embassy officials affirmed that culture and technology together are pillars of Ukraine’s resilience.
A Strategic Blueprint Emerges
The evening illustrated a model for Ukraine’s future: pairing investment in defense innovation with cultural preservation and storytelling. By placing a record-breaking defense tech deal in the same space as Prymachenko’s paintings and Syrko’s photography, the event blurred the line between battlefield innovation and national identity.
