Our Story

Dustin J Ross, then just 25 years old and working in commercial real estate, decided he could not be an observer. He approached several nonprofits and offered to help in any way; they responded, in essence: give us your money and go away. So he flew to the Ukraine border with a duffle bag of medical supplies which, to his surprise, rapidly made its way through local networks to civilians closest to the fire within 24 hours.

This solo mission birthed Sunflower Network - a new organization made up of a group of 20-something year olds - that used art, culture, and fashion as a mechanism to empower local Ukrainians with life-saving humanitarian aid while building a sense of humanity across borders. Across NYC, LA and Aspen, we created pop-up art galleries, fashion shows, and streetwear shops that enabled the direct delivery of $4.5 million in aid including generators, medical supplies, and ambulances.

We are building via modular construction a pediatrics hospital in Western Ukraine that will deliver high-quality medical services to a population of 120,000. This project is a proof-of-concept for a broader program. By scaling a network of template-based hospitals that are identical in planning concept yet adaptable to diverse regions and their needs, we aim to address Ukraine’s nationwide need for high-quality healthcare.

In 2023, when the news cycle moved on, Sunflower Network listened to its partners on the ground and pivoted to reconstruction. Ukrainian families no longer needed emergency supplies. They needed their children to see a doctor, and to find a new normal. Onstage at the Clinton Global Initiative, the organization launched Project Horizon: the effort to build a hospital in an active war zone.

To execute, Sunflower Network raised $8M and brought on Hines, Northwell Health, Pelli Clarke and Partners, and CannonDesign, each donating millions in time and talent. Together, working closely with the local municipality of Brody, they created what the Mayor called "a beacon of innovation amidst wartime destruction." The hospital is on schedule to begin delivering patients in April 2026.