Sergey
Nugaev
I am a serial entrepreneur driven by passion for education, culture, and creating social impact. Over 9 years, I have co‑founded 4 companies and held positions such as CEO [Kruzhok] and Head of Product with a team of over 300 individuals [Yandex.Practicum]. In addition, I have 11 years of experience in teaching, developing educational programs, and public speaking.
My focus has been on EdTech, and social initiatives centred around empowering individuals and their potential to generate positive personal/societal changes. The recognition for my work in these areas includes notable awards [like Forbes 30 under 30] and mentions [Yury Dud, the most popular Youtube interviewer in CIS].
With a background in engineering and mathematics, I have gained 4+ years of experience in web development and design. This journey has further nurtured my love for narrative practices, encompassing communication, storytelling, and guiding visual and conceptual direction.
Now I'm open!
To new people, projects and opportunities.
I'd gladly provide guidance and support for your startup or company. Whether you need assistance in product development, strategy building, mission/purpose formulation, or enhancing product clarity, simplicity, and authenticity, I would be delighted to help on a project-based or consultation basis.
I am seeking teams with a clear mission and a focus on social responsibility. Worldwide. If you have any ideas or opportunities, feel free to reach out to me.
Experience+
The Village of Khrug, June 2018
The Village of Glazok, August 2021 ✳︎ Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy
The Village of Vzvad, September 2020 ✳︎ Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy
Baltiysk, August 2018
The Village of Tsmur, June 2021
Vyazma, May 2019 ✳︎ Photo by Emil Khafizov
Tarusa, May 2021 ✳︎ Photo by Anisia Kuzmina
The Village of Lokh, June 2021 ✳︎ Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy
The Village of Sardayal, August 2018 ✳︎ Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy
Gus-Khrustalny, June 2019 ✳︎ Photo by Emil Khafizov
Tarusa, May 2021 ✳︎ Photo by Anisia Kuzmina
The Village of Lokh, June 2021
The Village of Khrug, June 2018
Tarusa, May 2021 ✳︎ Photo by Anisia Kuzmina
Kruzhok
Non-profit Educational Project
kruzhok.io2017 – June 2023
CEO, Co-Founder
Over 6 years Kruzhok [eng. The Circle] conducted 38 free weeklong educational programs for teenagers in rural areas and small towns in Russia. Young successful professionals shared knowledge and a vision of the world, creating real projects with teenagers on topics such as web programming, design, journalism, podcast production, modern art, and music.
As CEO, I held responsibility for essential processes, including strategy and team management, scaling, teacher recruitment, visual and public image, formulation of meanings. I took charge of text communication, document management, and operational issues during the initial stages.
✳︎
Yandex Practicum
Online Bootcamp
practicum.yandex.ru2020 – 2022
Programming Faculties
Head of Product
2018 – 2020
Faculty of Web Development
Head of Product, Co-Founder
I joined a team of 7 people as head of yet non-existence product. I worked on creating the whole educational experience, product strategy, business culture and growth issues.
In 2021 the product reached break-even and was recognised as a profitable business. By 2022 I was responsible for a team of 300 people and a product portfolio of 25+ bootcamp educational programmes.
Together with the team, we created an educational platform through which more than 30,000 students yearly. With a completion rate of over 50% and an employability rate of over 70%.
✳︎
rbc.ru: What's in store for Russian EdTech in 2022 and who's the market leader in 2021
HSE Universuty Research: 71.1% of graduates Yandex.Practicum found employment
TripleTen
Online Bootcamp, former Practicum USA
tripleten.com2019 – 2021
Product Co-Owner,
Strategic Consultant
Alongside the growth of Yandex.Practicum in Russia, the company entered the US market.
I was involved in porting and adapting the product and sharing experiences between the teams.
However, in 2021, I shifted my focus exclusively to the Russian business segment. In 2022, Practicum USA separated from Yandex due to the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
✳︎
Product Hunt: the beginner-friendly online coding bootcamps with the highest completion rate and grad employment. 87% of our graduates find a tech job after six months.
Previous Experience
2017 – 2018
Co-Founder, Web Developer
orientir.studioAfter some experience working for hire, I and two designers close to me set up our studio. I was responsible for technology and development.
Besides that, I’ve been searching and communicating with clients, working with documents and finance. I left the studio when realised my path in education and social entrepreneurship.
2015 – 2017
Web Developer
astroshock.comAt Astroshock [web development studio], I had much mentoring experience from a senior full-stack developer. I have improved my design knowledge by working with Russian designers such as WRS, Sulliwan and Stanislav Aki.
One of my most cherished projects was maintaining the World Chess website during the 2016 World Chess Championship held in New York.
2015 – 2017
Freelance Web Developer
As a front-end developer, I helped maintain and improve the Beat Film Festival website for two years. Also, I created special projects for Look at Media, Habrahabr, and Google.
2015 – 2017
CEO
guidedao.xyzAfter graduating from university, I thought of creating programming courses that would be devoid of academia and instead feature inspiring instructors from top companies, focusing on practicality and providing a simple entry point. When I learned that this had already been done by the recently launched Moscow Coding School [they took a new name in 2022], I realised they were like-minded individuals worth joining forces with.
After a year of managerial and coordination work, I took on the CEO point and became actively involved in the school's development and course lineup, including teaching. Thanks to the school's co‑founders, I learned the basics about working with company strategy and economic models, marketing tools and ways of interacting with media. Here I’ve got my first experience of being a public figure.
Educational Career
2017 – 2023
Teacher, Programmes Curator
kruzhok.ioI co‑created the Kruzhok methodology, which involved weeklong programs with real-project outcomes, including the first educational program focused on website production. As a teacher, I have been involved in 12 schools, mentoring over 200 students.
With my assistance, websites were created by students for the villages of Sardayal, Glazok, Vzvad, and nearly a dozen other locations in the regions of Russia.
I took part in identifying new educational subjects and recruiting teachers.
2017 – 2018
Lecturer
design.hse.ruFor a year, I have been delivering a series of lectures on web development to students specialising in Design and Programming at HSE University.
2017 – 2018
Teacher, Programmes Author
bangbangeducation.ruI created a micro video course on programming languages and the starting point for learning them and conducted three three-month web development training programs for adults. I prepared and recorded 25 lectures and mentored each group throughout the program.
2015
Camp Counselor
kamchatka.campKamchatka is a creative camp where well-known journalists, musicians, writers, directors, screenwriters, and actors work as counselors. The venue is the Estonian island of Saaremaa.
I was there for one shift in August 2015.
2014 – 2015
Teacher, Programmes Author
guidedao.xyzI have developed a three-week practical program on the fundamentals of web development for teenagers and conducted it for approximately 100 children. Later, I adapted this program for adults and delivered both courses around ten times.
Awards & Publicity +
Highlights
Forbes 30 under 30
Social Practices Category
forbes.ruThanks to the Kruzhok team for the support and co‑creation that led to such recognition.
Yury Dud interview
How education can change the far‑flung regions
youtube.comThe independent Russian journalist and media maker Yury Dud created a story about Kruzhok. He and his team visited the village of Vzvad while Kruzhok ran a weeklong website production school for local teenagers.
This interview garnered 5.6 million views, and finding any negative comments about it is challenging. Thanks to this video, our work received recognition from esteemed individuals like Alexander Rodnyansky and Boris Akunin. Moreover, it was appreciated by thousands of people in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
Best Goalkeeper
For two years, I won the Best Goalkeeper award in Moscow City Football amateur league with Saint George FC.
Public speaking, mentions
2023
What Has Happened. Podcast about the history of the Kruzhok educational project.
Listen on meduza.io
Kruzhok and other experts will choose 20 ideas to develop Russia's region districts and villages as part of Tinkoff social initiative.
Read on philantrophy.ru
2022
What has bailed you out this year?
Read on typical.company
Youth cannot be paused. Teenagers from Gus-Khrustalny made a music video for the band Komsomolsk — and it's the kindest video you'll see today.
Read on meduza.io
How schoolchildren from Umyot assembled a disco app prototype based on their idea in six days.
Read on vc.ru
2021
A lecture for Beat Film Festival 2021. Most significant experiences which helped Kruzhok team to believe in project's mission.
View the announce on britishcouncil.ru
Meduza announces charity support programme for 2021.
Read on meduza.io
The distant that will become close: a lecture for G8 Festival.
View the announce on ggggggggfest.com
The first Impact Economy Festival in Russia will take place with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
View the announce on fes.ge
Heads of publishing and education projects speak out in support of International Memorial.
Read on zona.media
adidas made a football pitch in Vyazma after Yuri Dud's film about the independent project Kruzhok.
Read on semnasem.org
Take a look at the new Kruzhok and adidas collection. The lookbook was shot in the village of Lokh.
Look at the lookbook on theblueprint.ru
2020
Kruzhok has launched a series of online conferences with photographers, journalists and teachers during the COVID pandemic.
View the announce on knife.media
Cultural Occasion: an interview for Radio Kultura.
Listen on youtube.com
2019
How to make educational programmes for teenagers in villages and teach programming for free.
Read on perito.media
Crowdfunding exercises: a workshop about breaking down tactical, strategic tools with examples of your projects.
View the announce on artoknofest.ru
Students were late for the front-end class because of a hayride.
Read on academy.yandex.ru
A workshop for teenagers: how to make your own website. Deutsche Welle coverage.
Read on dw.com
We are interested in what kind of future people believe in.
Read on te-st.org
Meet the Kruzhok project: these are Moscow programmers who travel to towns and villages across Russia, teach coding to children for free — and change their lives.
Read on meduza.io
2018
Coding circle: the programmers re-shaping Russia’s far-flung regions.
Read on new-east-archive.org
Short film about a group of programmers who travelled to a Russian village and taught local schoolchildren to design their own website.
Watch on inrussia.studio
Code by code.
Read on takiedela.ru
Take a peek. Russia's first village website launched in the village of Glazok.
Watch on rbc.ru
2016
A profitable course: founders of education start-ups on their business.
Read on buro247.ru
