Sasha Rybakova
Getting things done
Tech startups and orgs that bring people together and enable real-life experiences.
(Creative) ops, people and culture, project and programme delivery, product, brand, common sense. Based in London, operating wherever.
SelectedProjects
‘Youth employability partner’ stickiness strategy. Analysed crunch points, established analytical benchmarks, recommended actionable steps for activation and engagement improvement. Introduced an AI prototyping workflow.
Designed and developed Marginal Notes, smart bookmarks for paper books. Brand, UX/UI, build, and presentation. Demoed at AI Pilled.
Building and hosting the Neighbours Club, a series of coworking events for locals at Canada Water.
Mentoring undergraduate students in their final year of Business and Entrepreneurship degrees at the University of Westminster.
Built operating backbone for Marketing–Design–Product at Wheely, a luxury ride-hailing app. Designed the workflows, established playbooks, set cross-functional rhythms across UK, France, UAE, and Russia, turning priorities into shipped campaigns and launches. SUV, Luxe, First, XL class launches across markets, from marketing briefs to shipped comms.
Unlocked x2 growth in revenue via high-profile brand partnerships including Royal Ascot, Henley Royal Regatta, and the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic. End-to-end ownership of production across creative, communications, and on-the-ground logistics across the UK, UAE, and France.
UAE launch and doubled annual growth in bookings for Dubai market. Analyzed the market, strategized, and led communications production for Wheely's Dubai public launch. Covered by CNBC and Vogue.
Published 18 months bestselling educational course on Project Management — designed, authored, evaluated feedback and results and improved accordingly. Top-10 paid courses on the platform. Authored a 4.8/5 rated free educational course on Workplace Soft Skills.
Delivered 4 markets global rebrand at Wheely. Repositioned the service from premium to luxury segment. Led project cross functions and touch points: 4 mobile apps, website, digital communications and physical assets — repositioning the brand as a luxury chauffeur service
$7M increase in annual e-commerce revenue for Ekonika, premium fashion retailer via reduced checkout drop-off rate from 33% to 12% through targeted UX improvements.
0→1 platform development for Craftup, a digital marketplace connecting independent brands with buyers. ~100 brands onboarded to the platform through the go-to-market strategy design and execution.
Established a free bike sharing system, the first of its kind in Russia. Maintained the operations. Raised funds via crowdfunding, partnerships, and grants. Secured media coverage on TV and printed media.
Likes & Reads
Things and experiences I loved the most, in no particular order.
Asfalt, a font by Dinamo. Flexible, with character, almost unreadable at the Expanded width and Light weight.
House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk. A novel about dreams, with dream-like flow, peculiar characters and signature Tokarczuk themes — womanhood, ageing, astrology, life at the outskirts. And it’s always a pleasure to read a book from Fitzcarraldo.
In the Room — THE tech / art / creative party and community in London. Absolutely loved the no-phones policy (we were given black books instead) and lightweight facilitation.
Oura ring ad. A handcrafted (pun intended) breath of fresh air.
Marker — an (AI) tool for writers. Feels like working with an editor, and it does not write for you.
Moi Computer — UI for AI.
Christmas decorations displayed in glass domes at Liberty. The ‘serving’ gives a nice, but not too sophisticated bulb an extra shine (and sells better I guess).
The eclipse! It’s a rare thing to see, and I enjoyed the chill that comes so quickly when the sun is covered. Makes you appreciate nature better.
The Finnish Church Sauna — good heat, Finnish style (meaning you are naked), just £12 per session.
Bitter Peach by Tom Ford — seductive, truly bitter, and bright. Absolutely gorgeous perfume.
Lou Benesch artworks — wild, bright, just beautiful. A friend gave me the Chimera.
The Disappearing Act by Maria Stepanova — a writer lets herself get lost in a journey. A story about search, recovery, and magic. I read it in Russian, but not surprisingly, in the UK it was published by Fitzcarraldo.
“All the evidence-based advice we’ve found on how to be more successful in any job” by Benjamin Todd, 80,000 Hours. A really helpful and deep read that has been there since 2017, was updated recently, and then popped into me.
Critical Mass. When hundreds of bikes take over London, it feels different.
London Falling — an absolute favourite, a pleasure of a book. A fascinating, at times heart-stopping story — a true crime, a journalist’s investigation, a coming-of-age that hasn’t happened, and an unusually unflattering portrait of London.
Identity 2.0 practice, and their exhibition at Somerset House. Good to see some loud criticism towards AI from people of my generation.
Into the Woods — a fairytale of fairytales. Features a sexy wolf of course (as an homage to The 10th Kingdom I guess).
Sam Smith’s 100 Horses project and a little canal studio at King’s Cross. I love that London still has the space for such wonderful initiatives.
A 12-hours bus ride under a massive hangover. Oh lord, it was a proper punishment, but the one you deserve if you’ve just had your last party as a student.
Met AI Pilled community the very first time, and loved the energy and the openness of the people. Generous sharing of knowledge, kind people, and just great vibe.
Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1970s. I love it in deep indigo blue. Not affordable, but so beautifully comfy.
Radio Hair Salon — the finest haircut experience in London. Tim is the best.
Dinner at Oran Mor — the food was typically UK okay-food, but the atmosphere! The ceiling is hand-painted with constellations, and it’s magical to be there.
Loser Club energy. We arranged a club to discuss our fails in life and career, and it was the most fulfilling, the most connecting gathering of all.
Lingerie made of maps. In WWII the maps would be printed on silk. After the war, with the silk shortage, the fabric would be utilised in this unusual form.
Montreal looks like well-fed Krasnoyarsk — the river, the hill, the old town. And the snow! So much white snow, I’ve never seen snow so white in a city.
Kelvingrove Museum, and the haggis display in particular. Thanks to a taxidermist I managed to persuade a friend that haggis is an animal.
Lantern Parade at the Greenland Dock. Simply beautiful and full of fun.
Glasgow Tube — so small that it barely fits you. Charming and helpful.
Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman — a mildly hopeful read. Halfway through I had all the thoughts together, from ‘yes sure’ to ‘how the hell can I do this’.
The Alasdair Gray Archive. Life in pictures and items of one of the most famous Scottish artists and writers.
Colour red. I always liked it, but only now I decided that I can actually bring it to my place and to my wardrobe.
University of Glasgow. It’s virtually a Hogwarts. I’m a student again, it’s such a freeing feeling — just be a student…
V&A East Storehouse. Freshly opened public storage of the V&A archive, peculiarly displayed across three stores.
Perfection, Vincenzo Latronico
Coming of age for expat millenials
It lasts forever and then it's over by Anne de Marcken
A zombie is trying to build a life for themselves. It's amusing how similar it feels to emigration.
Drive your plow over the bones of the dead by Olga Tokarzchuk
Ideal for February
Nosferatu with live score by Hugo Max
Still facinating, even after a century
One of my favourite exhibitions in years
Twelfth night by Lions Part
England, England by Julian Barnes
A hilarious book about project delivery, marketing and power dynamics. And England, of course!
One of the first highlights of my emigration
Embroidering