Sven Olson

Sven Olson — “Sveno” to everyone who knows him — is a retired military diplomat who served at four U.S. Embassies around the world, most notably the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine for five years. After retiring from the Army in 2013, he served as a Foreign Affairs Officer for the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. until late 2022.

He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Grand Canyon University, where he has taught for five years. Following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he and his wife Iryna started a foundation dedicated to rebuilding hearts and homes devastated by conflict and calamity, with active projects in both Ukraine and Kenya. They have sponsored many Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. through the Uniting for Ukraine program and employ Ukrainian tutors, trainers and coaches to support those displaced by the war.

Sveno volunteers with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Small Business Administration and other organizations. Now a resident of Phoenix, he serves on the boards of the Excellence & Impact Foundation, Olive Branch International, and Radooga Ukraine. He married Iryna while living in Kyiv and adopted their daughter, Katya.