As a teen, Arsenii Litus was excited by the success stories of tech moguls like Microsoft magnate Bill Gates and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
"These people were masters of their art, and they had the skills and the savvy business partners to amplify what they invented, to bring it to a general audience," Litus says.
Intrigued by the idea that science and business could be a powerhouse combination, Litus, who grew up in Ukraine, wasted no time exploring the concept for himself — and making his mark early.
He won several hackathons — tech competitions — and interned at age 16 as L'Oreal Ukraine's youngest hire. The following year, at 17, he worked full time for IT company SoftServe Inc. Litus eagerly immersed himself in his home country's business landscape, absorbing all he could about data analysis, product marketing, management and strategy.
His ambition didn't flag even as the war in Ukraine in 2022 forced his family to flee to a remote village in Germany; he managed to finish a bachelor's degree in international business from a Kyiv university.
But when it came time to decide his next career steps, the war's upheaval left Litus uncertain.
"In Ukraine, with all of my previous experiences, it was quite easy to get a job there, and I felt that there was only good stuff in front of me in life," he says. "But when we moved, I knew there was no safety net anymore, so now I had to decide what was going to happen next."
Knowing he wanted to continue his business education, his journey eventually led him to the University of Alberta's Augustana Campus, where he found the support needed to earn a second degree.
A generous scholarship and financial aid package offered by the U of A made it possible, and graduating today with a bachelor of management, Litus says, "without the support the university gave, I wouldn't have been able to continue my education in North America."
He left his family behind in Germany, flew to Alberta and "started from scratch," he says. "It was a leap of faith and a life-changing event for me."
He says that Augustana, with its smaller campus, "had a sense of community" that helped him settle in and eventually make close friends with fellow Ukrainian student Igor Klymenko and classmate Rion Joshy, who both shared his interest in technology and business.
"We all had different experiences, but were all trying to figure out life," Litus says. "And they acted as a sounding board to many ideas."
It didn't take the trio long to start working on those ideas, including a non-profit, fun-oriented mobile app being developed by Litus and Klymenko to encourage high school students' interest in science, technology, math and engineering.
Litus, with Joshy, also co-founded a new campus club, the Business Undergraduate Learning and Leadership Society. Open to any interested student, the club's mission is to "bring business wisdom for everyday life to regular people," says Litus.
"Business is the basis for a lot of what we do in life, and it's important for everyone to understand at a basic level," he notes. "Interest rates, mortgages, personal finance, how to handle a job interview … all of these are business skills, but everyone can benefit from them."
Starting and keeping the club active also boosted his own skills, he notes. "Because membership is purely voluntary, it helped me learn how to sell the concept and how to get people involved."
Along with his extracurriculars, Litus says his U of A degree has, as he'd hoped, rounded out his business skills.
"My first degree focused on managing people, leadership and organizational structures, but I wanted to also learn about economics and finance, so my new degree was a perfect fit for that."
Now working as a management consultant for IBM Canada after a successful summer internship, Litus connects clients with the company's services. And, along the way, he continues to learn everything he can.
"Being paid for exploring what you like is a great opportunity, so I'm thankful for that."
Ultimately, Litus says his long-term plan is to strike out on his own — and just maybe lead the next big science technology breakthrough.
"I believe the combination of science and business is going to be one of the most efficient levers to change the world, and my plan is to find a niche that will bring the next billion-dollar company around, whether it's technology or tech-related," he says.
"I think if one works hard, stays tenacious, is reflective, and learns a lot along the way, it's definitely achievable within a lifetime."
Litus was supported in his studies by the Mark Chytracek Leadership Award, the Vy Engagement Award, the U of A Ukrainian Student Bursary, the U of A Ukrainian Student Support Fund, the Robert W. and Margaret H. McWilliam Memorial Bursary, the Laura M. Anderson Augustana Bursary and an Access Fund Bursary.
