Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vladimir relocated to Belgrade, Serbia as a refugee. In Belgrade he competed for the national track and field team of former Yugoslavia and attended the University for Physical Culture. In 1999, Vladimir was recruited to join a track and field program at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he majored in International Studies.
After Graduating from College, Vladimir worked as a language instructor at Stanford University and later as an intern at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. Vladimir arrived to Ithaca in 2004 to join the Asian American Studies Program, first as an Administrative Assistant and later as Administrative Manager. Vladimir completed his Master Degree in City and Regional Planning at Cornell in 2013.