Alisa Lobanova is a dynamic and forward-thinking entrepreneur, philanthropist, TV host, art historian, and the founder of the brand NEVA. Known for her bold and innovative approach to business, she excels at finding new opportunities even in the most challenging situations. Recently, she launched NEVA, offering a diverse range of sportswear for adults and children.
Business Accomplishments
Born in Leningrad, Alisa Lobanova was named one of the Top 50 most influential figures in St. Petersburg in 2020. She has successfully led some of the largest companies in the children’s toy industry, both in distribution and retail, with her enterprises repeatedly winning the prestigious Retailer of the Year Russia award. Alisa is a recognized expert in business and has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, Spear’s, Licensing in Russia, and Kommersant.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, she presented a strategic initiative to combat counterfeiting in the children’s toy market. As a guest speaker at the Synergy forums in 2018 and 2019, she addressed topics like growing a company from startup to corporation and the significance of personal branding in today’s business world.
In 2021, Alisa founded NEVA, a brand specializing in sport-casual clothing made in Russia. The brand uses high-tech fabrics produced domestically and offers collections for women, men, and children. By December 2023, NEVA was nominated as the “Best Sportswear Brand” at the 13th Annual Awards of FASHION TV Russia. In 2024, NEVA was featured at the design section of the XXVII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, showcasing the finest achievements in Russian sport-casual clothing. In July 2024, the brand unveiled its new collection and concepts for the Fall/Winter 2024-2025 season at Fashion TV’s “Fashion Summer Awards 2024.”
Philanthropy and Charity Initiatives
Alisa Lobanova is also the creator of the “SERDZA” art project, which supports children with cerebral palsy. Her philanthropic efforts have reached over ten thousand children and involved more than forty Russian charitable foundations, including “Step Together,” “Galchonok,” “Naked Hearts,” and the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation. In 2016, she became a trustee of the “Hurry Up to Do Good” foundation, equipping children’s playrooms in hospitals and launching the nationwide charity project “Share the Kindness.”
In 2017, Alisa was honored as the “Philanthropist of the Year” at the annual “Breakthrough of the Year” awards, with the “Share the Kindness” project twice winning the “Best Social Projects” award in the “Charity” category. Her companies actively supported Russian sports, including hockey and figure skating, in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Alisa’s company produced several portrait dolls of Russian celebrities, which were sold at charity auctions to raise millions for children with special developmental needs.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alisa provided substantial aid to large families and medical professionals. Over 1,150 Russian families received toys, and more than 1,000 healthcare workers were equipped with protective kits against the virus. Additionally, with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, she restored the altar in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Alisa has also been an active participant in the amfAR charity auction at the Cannes Festival, acquiring significant pieces like a Mickey Mouse statue by Gualtiero Vanelli and a painting by German expressionist primitivist Andre Butzer.
Currently, Alisa continues to support the Moscow Regional Children’s Hospice and hosted its first anniversary concert in 2024, marking the hospice’s five-year milestone as the only institution for palliative care for children in the Moscow region.
“Now, more than ever, help is urgently needed, and it is crucial to raise awareness about it,” emphasizes Alisa Lobanova. “The social responsibility of businesses is the foundation for developing a civil society, and individual acts of kindness must be widely covered by the media.”
Alisa Lobanova exemplifies the kind of entrepreneur who, even in uncertain or difficult circumstances, never ceases to find new avenues for growth and development.
Credits:
Model: Alisa Lobanova
Photo: Polina Betrand
Makeup: Asya Yureva