The Team

The vision behind the movement.

A passionate team of creatives, advocates, and leaders committed to amplifying art that transforms lives and builds a more just world.

Leadership

The leadership.

2 members
Victoria Unikel, President of VUGA Foundation
President

Victoria Unikel

Award-winning artist, media mogul, and serial entrepreneur known for her versatility artistry across entertainment and business. The President & Co-Founder of VUGA Group, a diversified portfolio of 15 companies spanning television, media, AI-powered SaaS, and aerospace technology. As an international celebrity artist and influencer, Unikel has been featured in Forbes, Daily Mail, Mirror, New York Post, L'Officiel, The Independent, The Sun and many others.

Gene Avakyan, CEO of VUGA Foundation
Chief Executive Officer

Gene Avakyan

Gene Avakyan is a serial entrepreneur and technical leader with three decades of experience building and scaling companies across aviation, media, entertainment, and technology sectors. CEO of Edison Aerospace and 15 VUGA Group companies, with three decades of tech and business experience transforming industries. A UCLA and Pepperdine graduate, Gene also consults the FAA and mentors tech startups. He received honors from the MOSAIC Federation for his work against human trafficking.

Advisory

Creative Advisory Board.

5 members
Olga Thomas
Advisory Board

Olga Thomas

Olga Thomas is an award-winning classical composer celebrated for her musical tributes to the British Royal Family. Her works, including "Her Platinum Crown" and "His Noble Crown," honor Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. She has composed for the BBC, RADA, and major royal events. Olga's music bridges tradition, dignity, and national heritage.

Valentina Varnavskaya
Advisory Board

Valentina Varnavskaya

Valentina Varnavskaia is a fashion producer with over 15 years of industry experience. Her work centers on production, show organization, and the development of professional communities of designers and models — across both women's fashion and menswear. In 2023, she was recognized with the FGI South Florida Rising Stars Award for Innovation in Fashion.

Steven Barber
Advisory Board

Steven Barber

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Steven C. Barber, through Vanilla Fire Productions, creates films on resilience and military heroism: "Unbeaten" (Oscar shortlist), "Return to Tarawa", and "Until They Are Home" (sparked WWII MIA repatriation legislation). As a public art visionary, he funds and leads aerospace monuments honoring Apollo 11, Apollo 13, Sally Ride, and other pioneers, fusing cinematic storytelling with grand tributes to American innovation.

IMDb
Bob Rose
Advisory Board

Bob Rose

Bob Rose is a veteran cable TV executive and business strategist known for launching and scaling major media networks. As the architect of Chime TV and former executive at CBS Sports Network and Court TV, he has driven over $100 million in annual revenue. Founder of Stay Tuned Ventures, Bob advises top media and nonprofit clients. His career blends innovation, leadership, and decades of industry success.

Arty Drevelman
Advisory Board

Arty Drevelman

Arty Drevelman — fashion designer and founder of the DrevelmaN brand. His journey is a story of how beauty becomes the foundation of fashion, and outward appearance transforms into a form of inner expression.

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