Today we’d like to introduce you to Anya Oleynik
Hi Anya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland after my family came here from Ukraine. I lived in California for a bit where I earned a master’s in clinical psychology, before moving back to Baltimore, MD in 2017 to start business school at the University of Maryland. After earning my MBA, I started my own company Craft Music LLC and led a team to develop a mobile app marketplace and studio where musicians, visual artists, and brands could collaborate. We reached the beta testing stage before I had to wind down the company due to increasing competition and lack of funding. Nevertheless, it taught me valuable skills that I hope to use in the future. Currently, I’m back at UMD earning a master of science in quantitative finance. Hopefully, one day I will have my own investment company and be able to help other local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. I am also passionate about helping animals. I volunteer at the Baltimore Humane Society as well as various rescues around the country. I sponsor several foxes living at sanctuaries and try to educate others about the harms of the fur farming industry and encourage them to shop more ethically. I have worked as a fashion model and continue to do so in my spare time. I love collaborating with local photographers and designers to create creative works.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Life is filled with struggles and challenges. My career path has gone through multiple turns. Initially, I had planned to be a doctor and wanted to go to an Ivy League school; but even with a 3.96 unweighted GPA, great test scores, volunteer experience, medical research experience, etc., I was not accepted. I decided to try studying fashion design in Los Angeles but realized how challenging it was and shifted to a career in clinical psychology. That too did not fulfill me, so I went to business school. Meanwhile, I had struggled with many health challenges. I used to be a marathon runner but developed a life threatening heart condition requiring an internal defibrillator and many lifestyle changes. I began modeling and doing other exercises like weight training and swimming instead of running, and got signed to several modeling agencies. However, after having surgery for breathing issues which went disastrously wrong, I was left disfigured for several years and had to stop modeling and avoided leaving my house without a mask. After multiple surgeries, the issues were fixed and I have since been able to work and to model again. With my company Craft Music, numerous challenges threatened to shut down the business- including legal threats from another company Craft Recordings over my trademark being too similar, technical bugs and failure to achieve important milestones in the development of the mobile app, and having my trust broken by team members who agreed to certain tasks but then were unable to deliver on them. Something that has gotten me through is seeing how much my mom struggled as a single working immigrant mother raising two kids on her own and that has always motivated me to work hard so her efforts will not have gone to waste. Volunteering with animals has also helped me see how much of a will to survive these animals have and yet how overlooked they are, which makes me want to help them on a larger scale. One day I hope to start a charitable foundation for animals and other causes that will help make the world a more compassionate place where everyone can thrive.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m currently working on a master’s degree in quantitative finance. I would like to start my own investment company in the future and create financial algorithms. I hope to work with artificial intelligence to advance the field of finance, as it is central to so many industries. My diverse background can be confusing but is also what sets me apart. My knowledge in business development and management, finance, psychology, biology, design, and the arts allow me to connect with a variety of people in different fields and of different backgrounds.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I definitely see artificial intelligence (AI) playing a big role in every industry. As creatives and professionals, we must learn to adapt to it rather than fight it. There will always be a need for humanity and human connection, but many tasks can be simplified and automated with the help of AI. This will cause jobs/roles in every industry to change, so everyone must be ready to adapt.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyaiw
