Lula co-founder and president Michael Vega-Sanz says he always told himself that if he was ever in situation where he could provide aid to someone, he would do it.
When he saw images of people fleeing their homes in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he realized he needed to live up to that long-held promise.
That's why Lula, a Miami-based insurance infrastructure startup, will begin to sponsor work visas for Ukrainian and Russian technology talent.
"If I can help in a meaningful way, I want to do it," Vega-Sanz told Miami Inno. "I’m finally in a position to help and one of the best ways we can do that is to give people a way to escape their current situation or improve it in some way."
Russia launched a full-scale attack on neighboring Ukraine on Thursday after months of tension on its borders, where Russia had built up a force of 150,000 troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 137 soldiers and civilians were killed on the first day of fighting, while thousands of others left the country.
Lula was founded by Vega-Sanz and his twin brother Matthew, the CEO, in 2016 as a car-sharing app. The startup, which pivoted to car insurance during the Covid-19 pandemic, is in the process of filling dozens of jobs after securing $18 million in a funding round led by San Francisco venture capital firms Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures.
Vega-Sanz said he was inspired to extend work visas to Ukrainian and Russian tech talent after seeing a Twitter post from Kholsa Ventures Partner Nikita Shamgunov that suggested the U.S. and Europe should open their borders for those workers.
"I saw the message, thought about it for a few minutes, and decided it was a great idea," he said.
And as the son of Cuban immigrants, he said that, in a way, it felt personal.
"I thought of all the kids, the parents, the grandparents in Ukraine facing the prospect of war, and it made me think of my own family because they faced something similar in the past," he added.
Lula could potentially sponsor work visas and green cards for Ukrainian and Russian software engineers, software developers, graphic designers, UX designers, account executives and more. Vega-Sanz said the startup is not putting a cap on how many people it could sponsor. The company currently has posts for 15 open jobs on its website.
Applicants who may qualify can contact him directly on Twitter, apply for a position on Lula's website or send an email to michael@lula.is.
Vega-Sanz said he expects other businesses will make moves to assist tech workers from Ukraine, home to more than 220,000 tech professionals.
"I've already had a few founders reach out and say they want to do something similar," he said. "Behind the scenes, I'm getting texts and DMs about it."
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