Check Out Jenya Semenkova’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenya Semenkova.  

Hi Jenya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Back in 2022, when the war in Ukraine just broke out, my mom and I (both born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine) were absolutely heartbroken. Our heritage was getting wiped out in front of our eyes, so I looked at my mom, and I said “We have to do something!” At the time, the conversations with my mom were just ideas of what we could do to be impactful. We were discussing different possibilities and what we could do to help. If not for our family’s unexpected move to Michigan, we probably would never have been able to actually pursue our dreams. We moved to Michigan in September 2022, and I vividly remember how I firmly told my mom: ” We’re doing it! We’re starting a food business introducing “United Tastes of Ukraine” to America. We went through hundreds of our family recipes, accumulated throughout the years, and stopped at “nalysnyky” (pronounced ” nah-liss-nee-kee”), a type of Ukrainian crepes, which are rolled and can have different fillings inside. That’s how our Ptashka company was born (Ptashka means “little bird” in Ukrainian). We went through a rigorous process of obtaining our food license, getting a commercial kitchen space, buying equipment, developing packaging, just to name a few steps. On February 14, 2023, the official launch of our company happened. Fast forward to the present, and we are already in 15 stores in Michigan. The love and support from our new community was just unbelievable. We are so blessed for the warm welcome of Michiganders and for the amazing support and encouragement of the community, our family members, and friends. We certainly could not be where we are now without this overwhelming kindness and love. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think it’s impractical to expect a “smooth road” for any new company. That’s just the nature of starting a small business, right? I remember one day, we made our signature “cabbage and white beans” filling – and left it in two big pots on a stove while we were finishing up other things in the kitchen. We didn’t realize that commercial kitchens always have a pilot light on. Even if you technically “turn them off,” the burner is still on as a “small flame.” A couple of hours later, we found out that both pots with our fillings burned, and we had to throw everything away. It was hours and hours of work that went to waste. But now, we know about pilot lights! Another time was when we put our signature “ricotta cheese and spinach” crepes for a couple of minutes in the oven to get that extra crisp feeling and the timer on the oven failed. After overcooking them for 30 minutes, I looked at the oven, wondering why it was still on and, well, you know the end of the story. All of those trays with ricotta cheese and spinach crepes had to be discarded. 

I think in general, a lot of our struggles came from adjusting to how to efficiently produce small batches but at the same time maintain a real production volume and maintain our high-quality standard. It took many tries and many adjustments to the workflow to achieve great results. 

I am a strong believer that if you never fail, you never succeed. Every mistake teaches you something new and generates new ideas. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I worked for 10+ years in the healthcare industry; I got my MBA in Health Care Administration from Hofstra University in New York, I was climbing my “career ladder” at Northwell Health. I was promoted to a Sr. Operations Manager. Solving challenges is my expertise. I built a reputation for being “the fixer” at Northwell. If someone has a problem, I would come in, look at the processes/workflow/issue, identify the best solution, and the problem was fixed. Unfortunately, when the war in Ukraine happened – there was no “fix,” and I found myself struggling and going in circles about what could be done. Even for “the fixer,” there was no easy solution. But then our move to Michigan happened. I think the combination of our move and the war starting triggered something that was always embedded inside of me. I learned that taking risks, being creative, generating ideas, pursuing a dream, and helping others defined my passions. With the launch of Ptashka, we partnered with the United Help Ukraine fund and are sending 10% of our proceeds to the fund. We introduced Ukrainian cuisine to the US while bringing awareness to our Ukrainian culture and traditions. And best of all, I get to work alongside my mom, Galyna, my inspiration and my greatest friend in the world. I’m very lucky! 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I hope in 5-10 years, you will see Ptashka products, including our signature crepes, “nalysnyky” and hopefully other staples of Ukrainian cuisine, in all of the grocery stores across the US and Canada. 

Pricing:

• $15 for a pack of 6 crepes, any flavor

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ptashkacrepes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ptashkacrepes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ptashkacrepes
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenya-semenkova-mba-96b84565/

Image Credits
Sophia Hyatt Media
Jacob Lewkow
Ross Yedinak