Optimism for Bulgaria

Borislav uses his rich experience to help those who are just starting out in business as well. As a volunteer lecturer teaching sales and marketing at Business Academy for Starting Entrepreneurs (BASE), the America for Bulgaria Foundation’s free entrepreneurship training program, not only does he share practical tips for customer outreach and goal setting, but he also helps aspiring entrepreneurs gain confidence in their abilities.

Although young, Telerik Academy School graduates have well-paying jobs, with every third earning well above the Sofia average, according to a 2020 Global Metrics report.

Dr. Dinko Mladenov established the Young Medics for Bulgaria Foundation in August 2020 to stem the exodus of young medical professionals from the country. To date, the foundation has approved support worth nearly 247,000 levs for 151 medical students and recent graduates from 31 towns working in 68 healthcare facilities nationwide.

How did a quintessentially American sport like spelling gain such a following in Bulgaria, particularly when much better funded games, such as American football and baseball, have fared so poorly? 

To give Bulgarian kids an immersive experience, every year, the Bulgarian-American Commission for Educational Exchange, better known as Fulbright Bulgaria, places some thirty young Americans in schools around the country.

Whether they are working to illuminate corruption or resolve international conflicts, preparing their countries’ economies for the digital future, or helping governments deal with public health crises, AUBG graduates are leaving a profound mark on their communities and the world at large.

Over three months, volunteer mentors from the world of business guided Hristina and other aspiring entrepreneurs through those steps, covering topics such as business planning, budgeting, market research, pricing and sales, marketing, and client relationship management. They talked about their own first steps in business and initial mishaps.

2020 was a tough year to launch a business, but not for Lazar Lazarov. The 31-year-old had been preparing for the move for over 10 years. Moreover, he had just completed Business Academy for Starting Entrepreneurs, the America for Bulgaria Foundation’s free entrepreneurship program, in Pleven, and his idea to start an online shop for custom dress shirts had won the program’s top prize.

Hairdressing was an unlikely choice for someone with a background in veterinary science and engineering and a job in pharmacy. But it was a childhood dream, so she signed up for a six-month hairdressing course, traveling daily for classes in Veliko Tarnovo, 55 miles away, even as she juggled family responsibilities, including a preteen son, and a full-time job.