Passionate leader. Daring humanitarian. Fearless trainer.
I'm Shannon Taft, an American living in Ukraine since 2023 and the founder and director of Lions of Lviv.
From sales floors to field medicine
Before Ukraine, I spent more than a decade leading teams in the US: as a general manager growing stores 15% year over year, as an inside-sales manager who helped scale a business into four new markets in eight months, and as an account manager running a $2M+ pipeline. I hold a B.S. in Computer Science.
Those years taught me how to turn chaos into structure, and that's exactly what grassroots humanitarian work needs. Since founding Lions of Lviv in December 2023, I've directed 60+ workshops, managed volunteer teams, and built training logistics across Ukraine from the ground up.
From June to October 2026 I served in a Ukrainian unmanned-systems unit as a drone engineer. I've also taught business English to adults across Europe, and certified as a drone pilot, TESOL teacher and counter-surveillance operator.
At a glance
- Founder & Director, Lions of Lviv (2023–present)
- Drone engineer, Ukrainian unmanned-systems unit (June–Oct 2026)
- TCCC Combat Medic and Combat Lifesaver certified
- Certified drone pilot (2026)
- TESOL-certified English coach
- B.S. Computer Science, CSU Georgia
Trained by the best, so I can train others
TCCC Combat Medic (CMC)
ICTM, Kyiv · Sept 2024
Combat Lifesaver (CLS)
BFF, Zhytomyr · July 2024
Combat Lifesaver (CLS)
EBSSA, Serbia · Oct 2024
Combat Systems
EBSSA, Serbia · July 2024
Counter-Surveillance Operator
EBSSA, Serbia · Dec 2025
Stop the Bleed
Stop the Bleed
