The Journey — Three Parts of Everything Will Be OK | Alex Fox
Three Parts. Fifteen Chapters. One Living Chapter.

The Bridge Builder

From a childhood in Italy to a one-way flight to Kyiv, from an 1882 book factory to an airline, a pandemic and a war — the story of Everything Will Be OK, chapter by chapter. It stops at the best part; Chapter 16 carries on.

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Part I — Chapters 1–4
1991 — 2014

Part I — The Foundations

Origins and formation (1991–2014)

Ch.1 — The Italian Legacy

Born in Ukraine, raised in Italy — mainly in the Veneto, then Milan and Lake Como, and a year in Rome. Music school, a conservatory place won at fourteen and given up, a referee’s whistle from fifteen (“a single note: 115 decibels”), and hacker friends who called him “the Professor”.

And the Italian “madmen who challenge the giants”: Renzo Rosso and Diesel, the Olivetti Programma 101, Federico Faggin and the Intel 4004, Macron.

Ch.2, Ch.3 & Ch.4 — The First Taste of Magic, Back to the Roots & OK Factory

EURO 2012 with UEFA’s local organizing committee. Okean Elzy’s first concert in Italy, born from online polls — and Mark. A BlaBlaCar proposal turned down on 16 August 2013, and framed. In December 2013, the bells of St. Michael’s ringing the alarm for the first time since 1240; in January 2014, a one-way flight from Rome to Kyiv, into the Revolution of Dignity.

Then, with Mark, an 1882 Austro-Hungarian book factory in Lviv. OK Factory opens its doors: the first coworker arrives from Australia, Jira the cat becomes Senior Kat Advisor, and on the main wall an LED sign reads “Everything Will Be OK”. Not optimism. A philosophy.

Ch.1 · The Italian Legacy
Growing up surrounded by Italian excellence: high standards maintained over time, the surname as a guarantee, and the strategic patience of knowing when to push and when to wait.
Ch.2 · The First Taste of Magic
EURO 2012 from “under the hood”, Ukraine–San Marino, a “phantom concert” that became Okean Elzy’s first Italian show, and the BlaBlaCar email of 16 August 2013: “We are not interested in the Ukrainian market.”
Ch.3 · Back to the Roots — 2014
The bells of St. Michael’s, Maidan at −20°C, and a question: “What do you need Ukraine for?” The answer: “We create borders in our own heads.”
Ch.4 · OK Factory — Where It All Began
The 1882 book factory reborn as a hub, inspired by H-Farm in the Veneto. James, Knut, Jira, Friday BBQs — and the LED sign: “Everything Will Be OK.”

Key Milestones

1882
The Austro-Hungarian book factory is built in Lviv. It will print books, playing cards and, more than once, transitional currency.
1991
Alex is born in Ukraine and raised in Italy (Veneto, Milan/Lake Como, Rome). “The Ukrainian one” in Italy, “the one raised in Italy” in Ukraine.
2012
EURO 2012: working for UEFA’s local organizing committee, he stays in Ukraine for nearly three months.
August 16, 2013
The BlaBlaCar proposal is sent. The answer — “We are not interested in the Ukrainian market” — gets framed. Months later, BlaBlaCar enters Ukraine.
2014
January: one-way Rome–Kyiv flight, into the Revolution of Dignity. In spring, with Mark, the 1882 factory in Lviv: OK Factory begins. First coworker: James from Australia. Jira becomes “Senior Kat Advisor”.
Part II — Chapters 5–10
2015 — 2022

Part II — The Transformation

Crisis and pivot (2015–2022)

When the Skies Closed

Ernest Airlines lost its licence, then March 2020 closed the skies. No last flight, no farewell on the runway. The team stayed together — “people are the only asset that appreciates in hard times” — and a first big order of medical clothing flew to Canada. Bounce forward.

Then, in February 2022 in the Canary Islands, an English investor named John: “That’s Alibaba of Ukraine.” Three weeks later, the war.

BRAVE: From Nightclub to Hub

In autumn 2022, with blackouts lasting entire days, a nightclub closed by COVID — Lviv’s former #1 on TripAdvisor, a hundred meters from where Alex lived in 2012 — became BRAVE: a hub with generators, Starlink and a bunker. It opened on 1 December 2022, full from the very first day.

It became the incubator where Faktorist took its fully realized form — the marketplace, the B2B platform, the AI assistant, the UAmbassadors program.

Ch.5 · Heart over Every Obstacle — Ernest Airlines
Financed by a Minecraft co-founder, led by former Armani management. Gate parties, a sax at thirty thousand feet, the American Airlines olive ($40,000 a year) and a patented baggage sizer.
Ch.6 · Sowing the Future
“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Weeks of zero sales, “Hell Yes or No”, and the pivot from B2C to B2B. “Innovation means saying no.”
Ch.7 · Rising from the Ashes — the Pandemic
March 2020. Keeping the team, a clothing-brand partnership, the first big order to Canada, Trottola, Orest’s coliving — and the first prototype of the Faktorist marketplace.
Ch.8 · The Canary Islands Insight
February 2022, a hotel terrace over the ocean: “That’s Alibaba of Ukraine.” The business model, drawn on an A4 sheet in April 2022, is still framed.
Ch.9 · From B2B to H2H — Technology in the Service of Humanity
Human to Human: there are people on both sides, so there is always a human in the loop. Technology frees time to live — in the service of the craftsman, not the other way around.
Ch.10 · Bravery — the Seeds of Change
BRAVE rises from Lviv’s former #1 TripAdvisor nightclub. Generators, Starlink, a bunker. The Future of Ukraine Summit in Berlin, 7–8 June 2023 — and Viktoria, the artist who would design the cover.

Key Milestones

2016
A favour at an event in Lviv becomes a beer with the president of Ernest Airlines — and, months later, all of their local operations.
Mar 2020
After the licence is revoked, the pandemic grounds Ernest Airlines. The team is kept together; the first big order flies to Canada.
Feb 2022
Canary Islands: “That’s Alibaba of Ukraine.” On 22 February, the last civilian flight Kraków–Lviv. At 4 a.m. on 24 February, the sirens.
2022
April: the business model on an A4 sheet. 1 December: BRAVE opens, and Faktorist takes its full form.
Part III — Chapters 11–15 + Ch.16 Live
2022 — 2025

Part III — The Impact and the Future

War and construction (2022–2025) — and Chapter 16, which continues in real time

SofiIA and the Faktorist Family

SofiIA: Sofia, from the Greek for “wisdom”, and IA — the way Italian writes “AI”, flipped. Two worlds in six letters. Her first function was a simple quote generator for the textile sector; today there are voice agents. Always with a pinch of soul and humanity — and a team that speaks nine languages.

SofiIA takes on the work that devours the days — searching, filtering, preparing the first communications — so people can do what no machine can: build a relationship.

UAmbassadors & Made-In-Ukraine

More than ten million Ukrainians abroad become potential bridges: UAmbassadors can earn up to half of Faktorist’s commission, never below 10%. The Made-in-Ukraine magazine and the Made-in-Ukraine Insights podcast tell the stories behind the products — inspired by Made in Italy and by Jim Thompson, who revived Thai silk.

June 2025: the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. More than a decade after that one-way Rome–Kyiv flight, the circle closes. THE END — and Chapter 16 begins.

Ch.11 · 24 February 2022 — War-Life-Balance
Sirens at 4 a.m., Oleg, the oxygen mask, the 9:00 minute of silence, night shifts from 4 to 8 a.m. Three pillars: infrastructural, emotional, strategic resilience. “Normality is a privilege.”
Ch.12 · SofiIA & the Faktorist Family
Sofia (Greek, “wisdom”) + IA (Italian “AI”, flipped). A team of “number 1s” who reinforce strengths, not weaknesses. The common denominator: love.
Ch.13 · The UAmbassadors
Ten million bridges. Trade fairs covered for producers who could not travel. Passion beats competence. Up to half of Faktorist’s commission, never below 10%.
Ch.14 · Made-In-Ukraine
Lviv, the city of the lion — a “hidden Verona”. Made in Italy as a model, Jim Thompson’s silk, Ajax Systems, Zara and Hugo Boss labels: first touch the heart, then convince the mind.
Ch.15 · The Impact on the Ukrainian Economy
Exports as foreign currency. Around 3% coverage of the export market, data on 190+ countries and 5M+ transactions. Demined fields and Petro’s grain: “the economy is a second front line.”
Ch.16 · The Chapter That Never Ends — Live
The book stops at the best part. Chapter 16 updates online as Faktorist grows and Ukraine rebuilds — lifetime access with The Builder (Collector’s edition); The Founder receives it too.

Key Milestones

2022
24 February: the war. Winter 2022–23: blackouts, generators, Starlink — War-Life-Balance becomes daily practice.
May 2023
An investor asks: “What is the real value of Faktorist?” “The team.” In June, the keynote at the Future of Ukraine Summit in Berlin.
2023–2025
The UAmbassadors and Made-In-Ukraine grow: trade fairs covered abroad, the magazine and the Made-in-Ukraine Insights podcast.
Jun 2025
Ukraine Recovery Conference, Rome. The circle closes where the journey began. THE END — Rome, June 2025.
2025+
First edition launched 13 October 2026; now rolling out to stores worldwide. Chapter 16 continues online.
The Unfinished Story

A Timeline of Everything

From 1882 to today. Key moments of the story told in the book.

1882
Austro-Hungarian Factory
The book factory is built in Lviv, in the Austro-Hungarian era. More than a century later it becomes OK Factory.
1991
Born in Ukraine, Raised in Italy
Alex is born in Ukraine and raised in Italy — the Veneto, Milan/Lake Como, a year in Rome. Two worlds in one person.
2012
EURO 2012
Working for UEFA’s local organizing committee, Alex stays in Ukraine for nearly three months, postponing his flight again and again.
Aug 16, 2013
BlaBlaCar Email
The proposal to BlaBlaCar: “We are not interested in the Ukrainian market.” The reply gets printed and framed.
2014
Move to Ukraine, OK Factory Begins
January: a one-way Rome–Kyiv flight, into Maidan. Then, with Mark, the 1882 factory in Lviv. OK Factory begins; James and Jira join.
2016
Ernest Airlines
A favour at an event in Lviv leads to a beer with the president — ex-Armani — of an airline financed by a Minecraft co-founder. “The Crazy Guys From Ukraine” take over local operations.
2020
The Skies Close
After the licence is revoked, COVID ends Ernest. The team stays together, and a first big order of medical clothing flies to Canada.
2022
Alibaba of Ukraine. Then the War.
In the Canary Islands, John: “That’s Alibaba of Ukraine.” At 4 a.m. on 24 February, the sirens. On 1 December, BRAVE opens: generators, Starlink, bunker.
2023
Berlin & the Network
Keynote at the Future of Ukraine Summit in Berlin, 7–8 June. Oleg falls at Bakhmut in March. The UAmbassadors take the diaspora to trade fairs abroad.
2023–2025
Made-In-Ukraine
The magazine and the Made-in-Ukraine Insights podcast tell the stories behind the products. The book is written between blackouts and air-raid sirens.
Jun 2025
Ukraine Recovery Conference, Rome
More than a decade after the one-way flight from Rome, the circle closes in the Eternal City. THE END — Rome, June 2025.
2026
The Book Is Out. Chapter 16.
First edition launched on 13 October, Alex’s 35th birthday, in Lviv, Milan and online; now rolling out to stores worldwide. Chapter 16 keeps writing itself.
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