The America for Bulgaria Foundation’s sixth partner forum, held on October 21, 2025, brought together more than 450 participants from civil society, business, the media, and education. Its theme—“Optimystics: Optimism without Illusions”—united people from across sectors around a shared belief: democracy is not a slogan but an everyday practice.
Optimism as a sustainable habit
“I believe that optimism without illusions is our superpower,” said Nancy Schiller, President and CEO of the America for Bulgaria Foundation. “We are clear-eyed about our work and relentless about the democratic society we are upholding together.”
She reminded the audience that meaningful progress rarely happens overnight. “Making a difference takes time. Patience can run thin… [and yet] day after day, you roll up your sleeves and do the hard work to improve your town, city, and country.”
Optimism, she added, doesn’t mean seeing the world through rose-colored glasses but recognizing the effort it takes and choosing to keep going. “We have no illusions about the effort it takes—but we remain optimistic.”
Believing there’s a reason to act
The forum’s first session explored optimism as an inner resource—a kind of antidote to indifference.
“Optimism isn’t luck; it’s a muscle we must keep exercising,” said Dr. Vanya Mitova, head of department at the Specialized Oncology Hospital “Prof. Ivan Chernozemski” and creator of the BreastHelp mobile app. “Whatever you’re healing, whether a person, a system, or society itself, optimism is one of your surest medicines.”
Dr. Mariya Yurukova, lecturer at Sofia University and co-founder of the DisInfoHack initiative, spoke about another kind of public health—the health of trust and information. She emphasized that countering disinformation requires knowledge and critical thinking from an early age: “Freedom is not a gift. Quality information is not a given. We are creating superheroes—people who can resist disinformation.”
The power of community
The event showed that community is not only a source of inspiration but a real engine of change.
“Doing good is contagious!” said Georgi Petkov, Chair of the Board at BTL Industries. Together with Rosen Kosturkov, founder of the Trakia Vocational Training Center, and other partners, he runs practical training programs that equip young people—including those from social care institutions—with professional skills and confidence.
Todor Breshkov, co-founder and managing partner at LAUNCHub Ventures and a board member of Teach for Bulgaria, and Trayan Trayanov, Teach for Bulgaria’s executive director, reinforced the message that cooperation between business and civil society is not a utopia but a necessity.
“We can finally dispel the myth that business is from Mars and NGOs are from Venus,” said Breshkov. Teach for Bulgaria works to ensure that every child in the country has access to quality education, regardless of where they were born—a cause that connects both worlds.
Among the stories celebrating community, the conversation about mentoring stood out as a reminder that learning flows both ways. In conversation with Mentor the Young founder Alexander Gramatikov, Zornitsa Mitkova, managing director of Teenovator, said: “Mentorship is for people who have something to give but are also willing to receive. It’s about reciprocity—learning from one another.” Their exchange highlighted that the link between generations is just as vital as the link between sectors.
As Dobromir Ivanov of the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association – BESCO summarized: “We seek systemic solutions. We seek to build bridges to others.” His words added another dimension to the day’s message—that lasting solutions are born when we work together.
Optimism is a journey, not a state
“Conscious optimism should push us toward pure ideals,” said filmmaker Veselin Dimanov, author of the documentaries Morality Is Goodness and Milen. “We don’t live in a jungle. We live together—and only together can we build our future.”
In a lighter but equally insightful tone, Tsvetomir Stefanov, founder of the craft brewery Chiprovsko Pivo, drew a metaphor from his own craft: “Everything takes time. Sometimes it seems nothing is happening, but in fact the process is maturing… Optimism is the inner fermentation of a person.”
Stoyana Georgieva, founder and editor-in-chief of Mediapool.bg, brought the focus to another form of endurance—the persistence of truth. “Journalism is a daily battle for truth and freedom,” she said. “All the difficulties and doubts pay off when you realize you have created a community that needs you.”
Stubborn optimism
“In a democracy, there must be transparency and accountability,” said Bilyana Gyaurova-Wegertseder, co-founder and director of the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives (BILI), which has worked for nearly two decades to promote the rule of law and integrity in public life. “At BILI, we hold on to what I call stubborn optimism—the kind everyone in the civil sector knows well.”
That stubborn optimism, she said, is not fed by illusions but by conviction—that democracy is only as strong as its civil society.
The same persistence shines through in the work of Galin Popov, co-founder of TaM, a cultural space in Veliko Tarnovo. Over the years, TaM has become a local engine for civic engagement—a place where artists and active citizens join forces to make their city better.
In the northwestern town of Byala Slatina, stubborn optimism takes the form of Natalia Fenerska, chair of the June First Association. When she discovered that her town was missing from Bulgaria’s philanthropy encyclopedias, she decided to change that. “That’s how the crazy idea to rewrite history was born,” she said.
She began with a simple but brave idea—to convince people that even small acts matter. Gradually, dozens joined her cause, and today over one hundred residents of Byala Slatina donate monthly through payroll giving—a rare practice in Bulgaria, especially in low-income communities.
“I know my optimism is contagious,” Natalia smiled. She calls it “donkey optimism”—the stubborn spirit that helps people keep moving forward even when the road is steep.
When we give our time
Philanthropy was one of the themes that most clearly showed how optimism becomes action. For business leaders, it isn’t just a line in a corporate policy—it’s a long-term commitment to people and to the shared world we live in.
“The alliance between business and civil society is a strategic commitment,” said Milena Dragiyiska-Dencheva, CEO of Lidl Bulgaria. She added that this partnership has a deeply human dimension: “A person cannot and should not live only for themselves.” Her words carried the conviction that success only has meaning when it is shared.
Darina Stoyanova, CEO of Prestige 96, built on that thought by highlighting personal engagement: “Business doesn’t just give money. It gives something more valuable: time. What moves me most is not when we donate funds, but when my colleagues get personally involved.” True responsibility, she said, begins when collective efforts become personal causes.
Pressian Karakostov, co-founder of PubGalaxy, reminded the audience that generosity grows with practice: “Giving is like training a muscle—the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.”
Together, their words painted a simple truth: goodness doesn’t just happen; it takes time, perseverance, and people willing to act.
Optimism as a shared journey
In her closing remarks, Desislava Taliokova, Executive Director of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, spoke about partnership as a shared journey. She recalled a scene from The Lord of the Rings, the story of Frodo and Sam, two humble hobbits who succeed where warriors and kings fail.
“Business and civil society [are] like Sam and Frodo—different, but united by a common mission,” Taliokova said. “One carries the tools, the resources, and the scale; the other carries the passion, the expertise, and the dedication to the cause. One builds capacity; the other builds trust. And together, step by step, they move society forward.”
She reminded the audience that progress is not a dream of perfection but a practice of perseverance. What sustains us, Ms. Taliokova reflected, borrowing from the two hobbits’ conversation, is the simple truth that there is good in this world. And it’s worth fighting for.
And with those words, the forum came full circle—with the simple, powerful truth that optimism without illusions is not a comfort, but a choice. The choice to keep going, together.
