Founder & CEO
Russian American Media

Sergey Ivannikov is the Founder & CEO of Russian American Media, a significant and diverse multimedia company serving the Russian-Speaking community of Northern California, and is renowned as a successful businessman among Slavic immigrants to the United States in recent years.

When the fall of the Soviet Union resulted in widespread economic turmoil and insecurity, in 1995 Sergey was blessed to find a new homeland in the United States. Inspired by the numerous opportunities offered by this great country, Sergey was eager to apply his energy, learning and skills to the challenge of rebuilding his life from ground zero. In so doing, he spent his first few years in a college classroom in the morning and at his small digital print shop in the afternoon. In two short years, Sergey mastered a new language, received his degree in computer engineering, and had established the first digital print shop that catered directly to the needs of local Slavic businesses.

In a few more years, Sergey founded Russian American Media and succeeded in publishing the first Slavic business directory, Russian Yellow Pages, and launched a newspaper in the Russian language. These two media products quickly became vital communication tools that enabled Slavic immigrants to reach out and remain in touch with their world, their culture and each other.
Twenty years later after that business founding, Sergey’s early digital print businesses grew to be one of the most significant full-spectrum advertising and multimedia enterprises serving the Russian-speaking community of Northern California. Also, Russian American Media is now an important organizing center for major multicultural community events which are regularly attended by many key business, community and political leaders, as well as thousands of children and young people who are future leaders of the community.

Far exceeding the traditional image of a media executive, Mr. Ivannikov is well known for his continuous strong energy. His Russian American Media company is a fountain of ideas devoted to improving the prosperity of the Russian-speaking and other local ethnic communities. Sergey’s efforts are supported by his engineering degree earned in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and his experience working for the Uzbekistan Ministry of Foreign Trade as an international trade executive. Utilizing his several skills, solid education and his multimedia experiences, Sergey is able to be of service in a wide-range of community actions. Sergey regularly serves as a liaison for arriving immigrants from the former Soviet Republics connecting them with each other and with their American neighbors.

As a coordinator of various well-known and popular community events, Sergey demonstrates his dedication to helping Slavic people share their cultural heritage with the larger community which, in turn, helps the Slavic community become more fully integrated into the American culture. Through Sergey’s hard work and creative vision, his business ventures have thrived, growing from year to year. He has regularly tried to minimize misunderstanding and to eliminate walls that divide people. Sergey’s overall philosophy and goal is to celebrate and preserve the Slavic community’s ethnic differences as vibrant enhancements of our society.

Sergey Ivannikov is a Founding Member of the Slavic–American Chamber of Commerce, member of local Chambers of Commerce, and serves on the board of the following organizations: Council for Cross Cultural Affairs, Los Rios Foundation, Wells Fargo Advisory Board, Sacramento District Attorney Multi-Cultural Community Council, Capital Public Radio, Smile For A Lifetime Foundation, CalExpo State Fair Multi-Cultural Board, World Autism & Savant Foundation.

Sergey Ivannikov