Ali Niknam joins forces with fellow Dutch startup founders to launch Ukraine foundation

Bunq’s CEO has become the unlikely co-founder of a new foundation to coordinate support for Ukrainians and Russians affected by the breakout of war.

‘People for People’ was kickstarted after Ali Niknam’spost on LinkedIn went viral offering to do everything in Bunq’s ability to help get displaced people to the Netherlands under a high skilled migrant visa.

Niknam also called for support “if you can provide shelter, harbor people or have any other ideas on how we can help please contact us too” he wrote.

5,000 ‘Likes’ and nearly 400 comments later, Niknam returned to LinkedIn to announce that he, along with Dutch entrepreneurs Joris Beckers, co-founder of Picnic, and Robert Vis, founder of MessageBird, had formalised the call for help with the ‘People for People’ foundation being established.

The former CFO of TransIP, Pieter Jan van Krevel, has “dropped everything” and will be coming in to develop and oversee ‘People for People’ as its director.

“Thanks to your involvement we now have hundreds of people and institutions reaching out to help. We also received nearly 500 requests for help (often speaking on behalf of multiple people). We’ll do all we can to help in any way we can,” Niknam wrote.

The foundation outlines its aim as to “connect people who can provide help to those who need it – Ukrainians and Russians alike.”

People for People’s website is here, where you can ask for or offer help, or donate to the foundation.