Roman Vasilenko — Biography, Business, the Best Way Cooperative, and Educational Activities

Early Years and Family

Roman Viktorovich Vasilenko was born on April 5, 1969, in Leningrad. His parents were career naval aviation officers who served in the Soviet Navy. Their military service had a significant influence on the family’s way of life and largely shaped the environment in which the future entrepreneur grew up.

Vasilenko spent his school years in various military garrisons, where the family moved in connection with his parents’ assignments. Constant relocation, a strict routine, and an environment surrounded by military personnel instilled in him a strong sense of discipline, systematic planning, and a focus on achieving long-term goals. Vasilenko later attributed the development of his organized approach to work and life in part to this period.

Military Education and Service

After graduating from school in 1986, Roman Vasilenko enrolled at the Yaroslavl Higher Military Financial School named after Army General A. V. Khrulev. The institution specialized in training financial service officers for the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union.

In 1990, he completed his studies at the Faculty of Financial Support of the Armed Forces, earning a degree in Economics and his first officer rank, Lieutenant.

From 1990 to 1998, Vasilenko served at the Leningrad Naval Base of the Baltic Fleet. At military unit No. 22966, he held the position of Head of the Financial Service. His responsibilities included planning the unit’s budget, organizing payments to military personnel, conducting financial settlements with organizations, and preparing the relevant financial reports.

During his military service, he continued his professional education. In 1996, he completed a program in Financial Services; a year later, he studied financial planning, capital formation, and financial security; and in 1998, he studied asset management, financial planning, and asset protection.

In 1998, as a result of organizational and staffing changes, Vasilenko was discharged into the reserves. By that time, he had attained the rank of Captain 3rd Rank and retained the right to wear his military uniform.

Transition to the Commercial Sector

After completing his military career, Vasilenko moved into the civilian economy. In the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s, he held various positions in commercial organizations, gradually expanding his professional experience in finance, investment, insurance, and personal financial planning.

At various stages of his career, he worked as a financial consultant and executive. Part of his professional experience was gained at a Swiss consulting company, where he became familiar with the specifics of international financial markets.

In 2006, Vasilenko completed additional training in Investments, Insurance Techniques, and Management. He later also studied trading on international financial markets, securities transactions, and operations involving financial derivatives.

Over time, his financial activities were complemented by educational work. Vasilenko began working as a lecturer and trainer and later moved on to developing his own educational projects.

International Business Academy

One of the notable areas of Vasilenko’s activities was the development of the International Business Academy, or IBA. The project was established in St. Petersburg in 2009 as an educational platform for further professional education.

The academy was formally registered as a private educational institution on September 1, 2011. In 2016, the institution obtained state educational license No. 1901, issued by the Education Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg.

IBA offered programs focused on entrepreneurship, leadership skills, public speaking, and financial planning. Over the years, Russian and international business speakers, including Alan Pease and Andreas Wintz, appeared at academy events.

Since 2017, Vasilenko has worked at the academy as a part-time lecturer, and since 2018, he has served as its CEO.

Education and Academic Work

Scientific and educational activities occupy a separate place in Vasilenko’s biography.

In 2015, at Saint Petersburg State University of Economics, he defended his PhD thesis on strategies and mechanisms for developing the affordable housing market in Russian regions. His diploma was issued on December 24, 2015.

Already in 2016, Vasilenko received a Doctor of Economics degree from the European Academy of Natural Sciences and the European University in Hanover. His dissertation focused on the methodology, methods, and patterns of road construction in a region, using the Leningrad Region as a case study.

He later continued his education in law and, in 2020, graduated with a master’s degree in law from Pushkin Leningrad State University.

Vasilenko is also a member of the European Academy of Natural Sciences. In 2016, he was awarded the Karl Marx Medal for his contribution to the development of scientific activities.

Life Is Good and the Best Way Cooperative

An important stage in Vasilenko’s entrepreneurial career was the establishment of the Best Way housing cooperative in 2014. In 2021, the organization was reorganized and became the Interregional Consumer Cooperative for Improving Quality of Life “Best Way.”

The model offered by the cooperative was positioned as an alternative to traditional bank lending for purchasing real estate. According to the description of the scheme, a member initially contributed a substantial portion of the cost of the selected property, approximately 35 to 50 percent. The cooperative would then purchase the property using the combined funds of its members and transfer it to the member for use. The remaining amount was to be repaid without interest.

Until February 2021, Vasilenko headed the cooperative’s board. He then served as Chairman of the Council until February 2022.

According to published information, at the height of its development, the project brought together tens of thousands of members residing in various regions of Russia and abroad.

Literary and Creative Activities

In addition to business and education, Vasilenko is involved in literary and media projects.

In 2015, his first book, The Entrepreneur’s Dream, Goal, Success, was published. In 2021, Piter Publishing House released his book Success Hunter: How to Achieve Your Goal, ISBN 978-5-4461-2962-1. In it, the author presented his own system of 12 principles for achieving success.

While working on the film of the same name, Vasilenko had the opportunity to record an exclusive interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is also the author of the film 17 Secret Laws of Success.

Vasilenko’s creative projects extend beyond books and films. He wrote the music and lyrics for the song “Life Is Good,” performed by Grigory Leps, and also appeared in the music video for the song. As an actor, Vasilenko played a supporting role in the feature film Women vs. Men: Crimean Holidays.

Media Activity and Social Media

A significant part of Vasilenko’s public activities takes place online. He runs his own YouTube channel, which, according to the available information, has more than 800,000 subscribers. He received a YouTube Silver Creator Award for the development of the channel.

His Instagram account also has tens of thousands of followers. The combined audience of his social media pages and blogs is estimated at several million people.

Public Speaking

Since the mid-2010s, Vasilenko has regularly spoken to large audiences at concert venues, sports facilities, and business events across Russia.

The venues where he has appeared include the Rossiya Concert Hall, the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena, the Olimpiyskiy Sports Complex, and Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg.

In November 2017, Vasilenko participated in the Synergy Global Forum, where he delivered a lecture entitled “The Formula for Success.” The forum is considered one of Russia’s major events dedicated to entrepreneurship, business, and personal development.

Charity and Social Initiatives

Social activities occupy a separate place in Vasilenko’s biography. Since 2013, he has organized the annual “Officers’ Ball,” held in connection with Victory Day. The event is attended by veterans and Heroes of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, representatives of Hero Cities, and government officials.

The project’s stated objectives are to preserve the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War and promote patriotic education among younger generations.

Since 2016, Vasilenko has been involved in targeted support programs for children with severe neurological disorders. He has also stated that he funds research into modern methods for addressing neurological and psychiatric disorders in children and supports the Doctrine Clinical Center in St. Petersburg.

That same year, he began supporting the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior and its clergy, including Archimandrite Father Methodius.

Since 2017, Vasilenko has served as a patron of the Dobrovidenie folk song festival, which is aimed at preserving national musical traditions and the cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia, Europe, and Asia.

In 2020, he participated in the restoration of the Obelisk of Glory in Kerch, dedicated to the defenders and heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Since 2020, he has also supported youth sports and assisted the Life Is Good junior hockey team from Ufa.

In addition, Vasilenko is described as an honorary co-chairman of the international charitable organization Mercy Corps.

Awards and Honorary Titles

For his military, professional, academic, and social activities, Vasilenko has received a number of awards and distinctions.

These include the Russian President’s Medal “300 Years of the Russian Navy,” awarded pursuant to a decree dated June 7, 1996, as well as the Russian Ministry of Defense Medal “For Distinction in Military Service,” which he received in 1997.

In 2015, Vasilenko was awarded the Medal “For Contribution to Ensuring the Economic Security of Russia.” In 2016, the European Academy of Natural Sciences awarded him the Karl Marx Medal for his contribution to the development of science.

In 2019, he received the Order “For Service to Russia” from the Committee for Support of the Programs of the President of the Russian Federation. He was also awarded the honorary public title “Honorary Citizen of Russia.”

Family

Roman Vasilenko is married and has four children. In his public interviews, he has repeatedly emphasized the importance of family, describing it as one of the most important values in life and a major source of support.

Summary of His Biography

Roman Vasilenko’s professional career spans several different fields, including military financial service, commercial activities, education, entrepreneurship, academic research, media, and charity.

Having begun his career as a military financial officer in the Baltic Fleet, he later moved into the civilian financial sector, established the International Business Academy, and became one of the founders of the Best Way housing cooperative. At the same time, Vasilenko developed educational, literary, media, and social projects.

His public image has been shaped by a combination of entrepreneurial activities, public speaking, work in education, charitable initiatives, and a strong presence on social media.