Kay Sprinkel Grace is an award-winning nonprofit professional whose seven books on fundraising and board engagement have influenced philanthropy globally. An influencer and advocate for institutional impact and renewal, especially in times of societal change, her work and concepts have been adopted by countless organizations.
Paul de Gregorio is the founder of Rally and a digital mobilisation strategist who helps organisations inspire and attract public support to win change. Rally is a small but mighty consultancy that works with organisations fighting for a fairer, healthier, safer, greener, more equal world. Paul has worked with charities, campaign groups and membership organisations around the world to deliver mobilisation, fundraising and campaigning activity that engages the public at scale and inspires them to take action. He’s obsessed with showing people they have power and helping them use it for good.
Martin Vohánka is one of the largest philanthropists in the Czech Republic, the initiator of the platform for the “Second Transformation of the Economy of the Czech Republic”. He started his business career in high school, and shortly after graduating, he founded the company W.A.G. in 1995, known under the Eurowag brand. Today, it is a technology leader employing 2,000 professionals in 18 European countries.
Eurowag is building an integrated platform for international transport companies to digitize their operations. Since 2021, Eurowag shares have been traded on the London Stock Exchange, as the only Czech company.
Martin Vohánka co-founded the Independent Journalism Foundation, Aliance for the Modern State and the BLÍŽKSOBĚ Foundation. He lectures at the University of Economics in Prague and is an enthusiastic beekeeper.
Michal Kišša is a leading ESG and sustainability expert with 19+ years of experience. As Co-CEO of a top Slovak organization – Pontis Foundation – he leads almost 50 experts and manages an €8M+ budget. He specializes in promoting topics such as transparency, anti-corruption, ethical behaviour, corporate volunteering and ESG reporting among Slovak businesses. Michal bridges the corporate and non-profit sectors to drive responsible business and philanthropy.
Lynda Harwood-Compton is recently recognised as ‘one of the women powering the UK Charity Sector’. She is an award-winning, innovative and published global fundraising leader, consultant & trainer. She is the CEO and founder of the international fundraising consultancy Latch Fundraising & has an exceptional track record of leading fundraising teams across the world to consistently achieve and exceed their fundraising targets. Lynda’s current work covers Europe, Australia, Asia, North America and Latin America. She consults and trains on Partnerships & Philanthropy, NextGen Fundraising & Stewardship.
Nancy Schiller has been President and CEO of the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) since June 2016. Prior to that, after 21 years of service as Managing Director of the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund (BAEF) (1992-2012) and the America for Bulgaria Foundation (2008-2012), Ms. Schiller was elected member of the ABF Board of Directors in December 2012 and became its Vice-Chairman in June 2015 until September 2016, when she was appointed president and CEO of ABF.
Prior to Ms. Schiller’s involvement with BAEF and ABF, she worked in commercial real estate development in Chicago and for several not-for-profit organizations in the areas of management, finance, and marketing. Ms. Schiller has an MBA from DePaul University and a BA from the University of Illinois, both in Chicago.
Petar Torneff is Managing Director of the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) at Accenture Bulgaria, with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. He holds a degree in Computer Science from the Technical University of Varna. Petar is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development, and completed an Executive MBA at the American University in Bulgaria. Petar is currently pursuing an executive MBA at Cambridge University. Under his leadership, Accenture Bulgaria has become a center of excellence in E‑commerce, Salesforce, Data, Cloud, SAP BTP, and SAP Hybris. A Board Member of AIBEST, he is also a strong advocate for inclusive leadership and, as Corporate Citizenship Lead, drives initiatives with NGOs that create lasting impact in education, social entrepreneurship, and local communities.
Andrzej Pietrucha – fundraising and marketing trainer and consultant for NGOs, specializing in sustainable programs and initiatives targeting individual and corporate donors. Currently works for a second-tier organization, FAOO – the Academy of Civic Organizations Foundation in Warsaw. Previously, he held fundraising and leadership positions at Polish charities, including service delivery organizations, grantmaking institutions, and corporate foundations. He holds an MA in History from the University of Warsaw, and MSc in Charity Marketing and Fundraising from Bayes Business School – City University and is a graduate of the School for NGO Trainers (STOP).
Nikola Hořejš is currently the Programme Director for the BLIZKSOBE Foundation, board member of Alliance for Modern State and advisor to Second economic transformation, a group of business leaders focused on long-term reforms in Czechia. His background includes managing human rights projects for People in Need and heading campaigns for the anti-corruption NGO coalition Rekonstrukce státu. He founded “Czech interests in EU,” an NGO consortium focused on the strategic communication of issues that divide Czech society. He serves as a member of the board of directors for Forum 2000.
Eduard Marček has been working in the non-profit sector since 1997 and has extensive experience in numerous consulting and training projects both domestically and internationally. As a consultant, he specializes in NGO fundraising and financing. He has provided consulting services to a number of domestic and international non-governmental organizations and has contributed to various analytical studies across Europe. He regularly organizes fundraising conferences and a leadership development program for Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2018, Eduard has served as Head of Individual Fundraising for Transparency International Slovakia, an anti-corruption watchdog. He is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Slovak Fundraising Centre and, between 2019 and 2021, served as President of the European Fundraising Association. He currently also serves as Executive Director of this international network.
Petia Dimitrova is Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank and Chairperson of the Board of the Association of Banks in Bulgaria. She is also a Chairperson of the Management Board of the “Burov” Foundation.
Under her leadership, Postbank completed in just a few years three successful deals; the acquisition and integration in a record short-term time of Alfa Bank – Bulgaria Branch, followed by Piraeus Bank Bulgaria and BNP Paribas Personal Finance. In last few years Postbank won nearly 100 prestigious international and Bulgarian awards.
Vladimir Nikolov is the owner and Operating President of family-owned Bulgarian retail company Fantastico Group, a philanthropist and supporter of civil organizations. He is the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the ’Fantastico By Your Side’ program, through which Fantastico Group supports causes in the fields of education, culture, healthcare, ecology, social entrepreneurship, and sports. His company is recognised as ‘The Most Generous Donor’ from the Corporate Donor Awards 2024 of the Bulgarian Donors Forum and has been awarded numerous times for its charitable and volunteer campaigns.
His professional development has progressed through all levels of the company’s hierarchy. He began his career as a supermarket employee during his high school years. He graduated from the Rennes Business School, France, and studied Business in England. Vladimir has worked as a Technical
Assistant and as a Director of Coordination and Development of Retail Activities. He was a Vice President of the company, and currently, as an Operating President, he leads a team of over 3,700 professionals.
Vanya Manova is the Regional Manager of Mastercard for North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, and Kosovo. She is responsible for the development of the company’s digital payments, e-commerce, fraud, eID, and other innovative technology strategies. She is maintaining the growth of card and electronic payments, introducing Mastercard’s top solutions to governments, financial institutions, and merchants, and creating stable partnerships with start-ups and key stakeholders in all segments of the future economy.
Lora Lalova is a Corporate Social Responsibility Expert at Generali Insurance Bulgaria, where she leads The Human Safety Net (THSN) initiative and supports the company’s broader sustainability framework. Her work is centred on bridging volunteer engagement with effective fundraising—creating a synergy that sustains and propels the company’s long-term commitment to the THSN mission.
Drawing on her background with various non-profit organizations, Lora believes in using data, capacity building, and genuine collaboration to build stronger communities and achieve a lasting social impact.
Maria Tsantsarova began her professional career in the internship program at Nova Television, where she worked as a reporter until 2013. Over the following 12 years she was part of the team at bTV. She started as a reporter on the morning program “This Morning”, and in the last three years became one of the show’s hosts.
Maria was born in Karlovo and completed her secondary education at Vasil Levski Secondary School. After first discovering journalism through the Young Journalist Club and producing her first reports for the local cable television channel, she continued her education at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”
She later completed a Master’s degree in Management at New Bulgarian University.
Gergana Ivanova is a co-owner and managing director of the communications group The Smarts – one of the leading creative agencies in the market, comprising RA The Smarts, IQMedia, PR agency Paragraph 42, and production studio Shoot!. Its client portfolio includes UniCredit Bulbank, Electrolux, Nu Health, Accenture, Coface Bulgaria, Nestlé, Philips, and others. The agencies in The Smarts Group have won numerous prestigious awards: EPICA, Effie Bulgaria, FARA, PR Prize, and BAPRA Bright Awards. For The Smarts Group, supporting the causes of civil society organizations is of particular value. Among the supported campaigns are Foster Care in Bulgaria, Early Childhood Development and Prevention of Child Abandonment, the Night of Virtues of For Our Children Foundation, as well as the Ban on Tobacco Advertising. In the cultural sphere, The Smarts is a long-standing creative partner of the Night of the Theaters and the Black Sea Literary Festival.
Gergana has nearly 30 years of experience in the communications industry. She is Chair of the Board of the Bulgarian Public Relations Society (BPRS) and a long-standing member of the Board of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria. She is the founder of the “Art by the Sea” Foundation, which undertakes cultural projects in her hometown of Pomorie.
Violeta Nedeva is Director of Business Development at Telerik School Academy and Buki with 20 years of experience in business development, project management, and strategic planning across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.
Her work focuses on building impactful partnerships and initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, and talent development. Before joining the leadership team of Telerik School Academy, she led the “Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology” portfolio at America for Bulgaria Foundation.
Violeta is a board member of the Association of Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs (ABLE) and member of Fundraising Club Bulgaria. She actively supports leadership and mentorship programs for young people and professionals. Violeta believes that mentorship, personal responsibility, and the courage to step beyond familiar boundaries are essential for creating meaningful and sustainable social impact.
Ivo Bossev is a social researcher and Director of Impact Assessment at the America for Bulgaria Foundation. He has led and contributed to more than 70 impact evaluations across the business, education, civil society, media, and tourism sectors. Ivo and his team provide rigorous, evidence-based analysis to inform ABF’s work and help maximize the impact of its philanthropic support.
Ivelina Gicheva-Nikolova is a co-founder and CEO of The Convo—an independent communications firm dedicated to working with non-governmental organizations and social causes. She believes that causes need not only enthusiasm but also effective communication, a clear strategy, and partnerships that can provide them with sustainability. Ivelina has many years of experience in the advertising industry, having worked at some of Bulgaria’s leading agencies, including Tribal Worldwide Sofia and Ogilvy Sofia, where she served as Creative Director and spearheaded campaigns that have won numerous national and international awards. Alongside her work in advertising, she is a screenwriter and producer of documentary projects focused on human resilience, the mountains, and the personal stories behind great achievements.
Atanas Raykov is a technology executive, entrepreneur, and advisor with more than 20 years of experience across growth, marketing, partnerships, and digital product development in telecom, mobile apps, AI, and fintech. As a former global marketing and growth leader at Rakuten Viber, he built international teams, scaled consumer and business products, and developed strategic partnerships with leading technology companies. Over the past year, his work has focused deeply on AI business transformation — testing emerging tools, pushing the boundaries of AI-first workflows, and applying artificial intelligence to real business, product, and growth challenges. Today, he is building new AI ventures, with the ambition to rethink how people make decisions, manage their resources, and interact with technology in everyday life.
Iva Grigorova has 17 years of experience in PR with a focus on strategic advisory, new business development, and team leadership. Her expertise is across disciplines: corporate and brand PR, crisis communications and reputation management, digital and inbound PR, experiential events and CSR, influencer and stakeholder relations. Iva joined MSL and Publicis in 2018 and since then is working on creative and innovative solutions and products for clients such as the automated software for PR measurement – PR Brand Acceleration.
During the years, she’s been working with companies from FMCG, retail and delivery, telco and IT services, communications and app services, pharma, bank and finance, beauty and fashion industry, and NGO sector. She was a jury member in ICCO Global Awards 2024 & 2025, SABRE EMEA AWARDS 2024 & 2026 and Young Changemakers 2023 by Provoke Media, Dubai Lynx 2021 – PR category, and Young Lions Bulgaria 2019 & 2026 – PR, both part of Cannes Lions. Iva is currently is President of BAPRA.
Attorney Denitsa Rukanova is part of the team at the Anti-Corruption Fund, where she helps turn complex legal cases into stories that cannot be ignored. She believes that the fight against corruption is not just about the courtroom, but about raising public awareness and fostering a greater sense of justice.
Olya Malinova is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Trastena Winery and the production company 3 Women on the Mic. She is also a stand-up comedian and host of Before Lunch. Olya will talk to us about money, its history, and what it means to us.
Peter Dimitrov is the founder and director of Bulgaria’s acclaimed A to JazZ Festival. Committed to promoting jazz, world, and improvised music, he actively fosters engagement among young audiences and elevates Bulgaria’s music scene on the international stage.
With a background in music, media, and cultural economics, Peter has successfully developed sustainable models for the music and festival industries in Bulgaria while building a strong international network in cultural and artistic exchange. His latest passion lies in advancing sustainability in the festival sector and strengthening collaborations between music festivals and cultural operators across the Balkan region and Europe.
Before establishing himself as one of Bulgaria’s leading cultural managers, he earned a Master’s degree in Music from the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” and a Master’s degree in Electronic Media from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. He worked as a media producer and radio host at Darik Radio and also served as director of the prestigious international media festival Mediamixx. Peter is currently a PhD candidate in Cultural Economics at the University of National and World Economy.
Anna Korzeniewska is Founder of the Social Impact Alliance for Central and Eastern Europe, CEE Impact Foundation, and the Scholarship Fund for the Talented. The first Polish woman to earn a Professional Certificate in Fundraising from New York University (NYU), complemented by Executive MBA diploma. Jury member in Central and Eastern European impact challenges (Google.org, Social Tides). Forbes contributor (’19-’24). Senior Fellow with the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Strategic thought partner for global and regional stakeholders, with a deep understanding of the region’s context, actors, and solutions.
Dilyana Maneva is the Deputy Executive Director at For Our Children Foundation – one of the biggest non-profit organizations in Bulgaria focused on early childhood development. Dilyana joined the Foundation right after graduating from university in 2009 and since then, she has held various positions focused on fundraising, communications and awareness raising.
Currently, as part of the leadership team, her main priorities are scaling up the social impact of the organization, digital transformation, as well as building and developing strategic partnerships with different stakeholders.
Neli Kocheva is an experienced professional in strategic planning and fundraising with over 20 years of career history. Since 2022, she has led the Development and Fundraising department at Teach For Bulgaria, having been a core member of the organization since its founding in 2011. In her practice, Neli successfully bridges her private sector background with the cause of social change. Beyond the field of education, she supports organizations across various sectors in building sustainable fundraising strategies and partnerships. As a former Head of Recruitment, she also brings extensive expertise in managing large-scale marketing and recruitment campaigns that have engaged thousands of teacher candidates.
Nadia Shabani is the Director of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law where she is developing projects in legal and financial framework of CSOs, human rights protection and good governance. She helps public officials on central and local level, lawyers, professional groups, civil society activists, parental organizations and social service providers for developing policies, strategic documents, drafting legislation changes and impact assessments affecting civic space. BCNL pushed more than 24 legislative acts and policies to enable the civil society organizations to operate in Bulgaria, raise donations, communicate their achievements and participate more easily in the decision-making process.
Latinka Ducheva is the Engagement and Resource Mobilisation Director at WWF Bulgaria, where she leads the Communications, Individual Fundraising and Corporate Partnerships teams. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Latinka has worked across leading international and local NGOs, including Save the Children UK, UNICEF and the Centre for Inclusive Education.
Her expertise spans fundraising, communications and advocacy with a focus on developing national awareness, attitude change and fundraising campaigns, strategic donor engagement and corporate partnerships. Before joining WWF Bulgaria in 2022 she has worked as a Communication Consultant for UNICEF Bulgaria, Communications & Fundraising Manager for Centre for Inclusive Education and Communications Manager for Save the Children UK – Bulgaria Programme. Throughout her career she has contributed to advancing social inclusion, children’s rights and environmental causes through creative campaigning, resource mobilisation and stakeholder engagement.
Luben Panov is Program Director at the America for Bulgaria Foundation, where he leads strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening civil society in Bulgaria. Previously, Luben held several leadership roles at the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL). He has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and was the first director and later Board member of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL).
Iveta Shiligarova is a journalist and communications expert with many years of experience in television and digital media. She holds degrees in Journalism and Political Management from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” Her professional career began at Bulgarian National Television, and she subsequently worked as a reporter for news and current affairs programs at NOVA TV. Iveta combines journalistic precision with expertise in digital communications and marketing, and in recent years has focused on causes of public importance. Iveta is part of the team at the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law as Director of Communications, where she works on campaigns, events, and initiatives in support of the civil sector and the development of philanthropy in Bulgaria.
Alexandra Mircheva is Program Director “Education and skills” at Association for Innovation, Business Excellence, Services, and Technology (AIBEST). She has over 10 years of experience advocating for education policies at the local, national, and European levels. For two years, Alexandra coordinated social entrepreneurship programs at the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL) and participated in institutional advocacy on the topic. She is an ambassador for HundrEd, a global organization for innovation in education, and has been recognized for her contributions in Darik Radio’s “40 Under 40” ranking. At the International Fundraising Conference, she advocates for the cause that crossing borders today requires a new culture of collaboration, in which the business and civil sectors jointly invest in a sustainable future.
Theodora Ivanova-Valeva is a co-founder of Impact Drive Foundation. Her professional experience includes public sector expertise, management consulting, and capacity building of CSOs. She has been an expert at the Open Society Institute – Sofia (2011-2020), Partnerships Director at CSR Bulgaria (2016–2019), co-initiator of Diversity Pays Off and creator of the DigiComs. She is the author of training modules for NGO practitioners, including fundraising, communications, crowdfunding, donor programmes, and project management and co-author of the study “Diversity in the Workplace – Why and How?” (2019). In her work, Theodora applies experiential, values-based, and systemic learning approaches, encouraging self-directed development and the acquisition of practical skills leading to sustainable results and real change.
Zahari Iankov is a senior legal consultant in BCNL where he works since October 2019. Zahari has LLM from the University of Sofia “st. Kliment Ohridski” and a master in Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Europe (ERMA) with a double degree from the University of Sarajevo and University of Bologna. In his daily work, Zahari supports citizens and civic organizations through consultations on the legal framework and procedures for the initial registration, re-registration and registration of changes of non-profit legal entities, prepares legal documents and opinions.
The conference is initiated by Fundraising Club Bulgaria and organized by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL) with the financial support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation within the project “Stronger Together: Engaging Other Sectors in Civil Society Initiatives (2026–2028)”.
The event is realized with the support of Accenture Bulgaria, Fantastico, Vivacom, Merkato and The Democratizing Innovation Institute.
The event is held in collaboration with the European Fundraising Association (EFA) and the Social Impact Alliance for Central and Eastern Europe
The Fundraising Club Bulgaria is an informal network of experts committed to raising donations for civic causes. The Club’s mission is to unite the community of fundraising professionals in Bulgaria, to positively influence the philanthropic environment by sharing best practices in philanthropy and volunteerism, and to promote high ethical behavior.
The statements and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation.
