Meet Mariia
Mariia Mashkovska is a business development leader in agri-tech, currently serving as CBDO of HEFT and CEO and co-founder of GrainMole. She focuses on scaling startups, building partnerships, and creating market-ready solutions that make farming more efficient, sustainable, and resilient.
A Drive Rooted in Curiosity
Mariia’s professional journey began during her university years in Lviv, Ukraine, where she was encouraged to explore entrepreneurship alongside her studies. Her first venture failed, but instead of discouraging her, it became a foundational moment. It sparked a deeper curiosity about market problems and the resilience required to address them.
“My first project failed, but that experience became a turning point, it pushed me to think deeper about real market problems and resilience as a founder”
Her next step was GrainMole, an innovative startup addressing a critical issue in agriculture: grain spoilage during long-term storage in floor warehouses. At GrainMole, Mariia combined technical knowledge with business strategy, gaining firsthand experience in product development, customer discovery, and scaling. She learned to pitch ideas, navigate competitions, and absorb insights from mentors, investors, and fellow founders, both in Ukraine and internationally. Those experiences not only shaped her approach to entrepreneurship but also crystallized her desire to create meaningful impact in agri-tech.
From Engineering to Business Development
Early on, Mariia worked as an embedded and hardware engineer at GrainMole. She enjoyed the technical work, but exposure to the broader startup ecosystem revealed her true calling. Participating in accelerator programs and learning about scaling and market validation clarified that her passion lay not in soldering devices but in building and growing companies. She seamlessly transitioned into business development, carrying her technical understanding into strategic decision-making.
Her journey took a pivotal turn when she met Serhii Ryzhkov, founder of HEFT. Their conversation opened her eyes to a shared vision in agri-business and innovation. Soon after, she joined HEFT as Chief Business Development Officer, where she would help scale AI-powered solutions for livestock management. Mariia describes the moment she knew she had made the right choice: interacting with a community of people genuinely excited about the work. That connection reinforced her belief in the importance of human collaboration in driving change.
Lessons from Early Failures
Mariia often reflects on her first failed startup as a crucial teacher. She learned that failure is not a verdict but a guide: it reveals gaps, inspires new questions, and strengthens resolve.
“Every mistake I made taught me something essential about the market, about resilience, and about myself,”
These early lessons informed her approach to GrainMole and HEFT, shaping a mindset where curiosity and adaptability take precedence over fear of failure.
Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty
The backdrop of Mariia’s professional journey has been one of profound challenge. The ongoing war in Ukraine has been an ever-present reality, shaping how she sees time, responsibility, and risk. “The hardest challenge in my life has been the war in Ukraine. It’s not something you ‘overcome’ once, it’s something you live with every day,” she explains. The experience has cultivated resilience, focus, and gratitude for the opportunities and people in her life.
Despite these challenges, Mariia has remained committed to her vision. She approaches her work with urgency and intentionality, refusing to wait for perfect conditions. This mindset has allowed her to take decisive action, build scalable solutions, and create measurable impact even in uncertain circumstances. Her ability to balance purpose with adaptability continues to define her leadership style.
Building Solutions That Matter
Mariia’s work today bridges technology, agriculture, and sustainability. GrainMole helps reduce grain spoilage, enabling farmers to preserve resources and minimize waste. Meanwhile, HEFT focuses on animal welfare and efficiency, using AI to enhance the health and longevity of livestock while streamlining operations for farmers. Through both ventures, Mariia contributes not only to operational improvements but to a more sustainable and thoughtful agricultural ecosystem.
Her impact extends beyond products. By navigating complex challenges in Ukraine’s agri-tech sector, she serves as a model for aspiring entrepreneurs, demonstrating that meaningful innovation can emerge even in high-pressure contexts. Mariia’s career is driven by people and relationships. She credits friends and mentors for giving her confidence in the early stages and continues to draw inspiration from those she meets along her journey.
The Human Side of Technology
For Mariia, technology is only as valuable as the people it serves. She prioritizes understanding farmers’ daily challenges and designing tools that genuinely simplify their work. This human-centered perspective ensures that innovation is practical, meaningful, and sustainable. It also fuels her motivation: seeing farmers adopt GrainMole or HEFT solutions with excitement reassures her that her work is creating real impact and improving lives.
Vision and Aspirations
Looking ahead, Mariia is focused on growth and global expansion. One of her key goals is entering the U.S. market with one of her projects while continuing to secure strategic investment for HEFT. She envisions a future where agri-tech solutions are more integrated, sustainable, and accessible, and where innovation in agriculture translates into real-world improvements for farmers, animals, and communities alike.
Beyond business metrics, Mariia aspires to foster a culture of learning, growth, and inspiration. She hopes to guide others the way mentors have guided her, emphasizing the importance of honesty, perseverance, and human connection in every endeavor. Her vision balances ambition with responsibility, reflecting a commitment to sustainable impact rather than fleeting success.
Gratitude as a Guiding Principle
Gratitude underpins Mariia’s career and personal growth. She credits mentors, colleagues, and friends for giving her confidence and perspective, shaping the person she is today. This principle extends to her leadership: she values honesty, connection, and shared learning, and she believes that acknowledging contributions both big and small strengthens teams and communities alike. Gratitude, for Mariia, is a compass that keeps her grounded and purposeful.
Reflections on Success
For Mariia, success is not a single milestone but a reflection of effort, integrity, and growth. She measures it not by outcomes alone but by the journey itself, the obstacles faced, the choices made, and the sense of satisfaction in remaining true to her values. She believes in continuous improvement, striving to be a better version of herself each day while embracing challenges as opportunities for development.
Her story is a reminder that leadership is not only about strategy or achievement but about resilience, connection, and purpose. In navigating the complex terrain of entrepreneurship and conflict, Mariia embodies a mindset rooted in action, responsibility, and care for others, showing that meaningful change is possible even in the most challenging circumstances.
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