Speakers
Host of the event
Spas Kyosev is a public figure with over 20 years of experience in media and business, leaving a significant mark in various fields of journalism and public communication. For 17 years, he was the main anchor of BNT’s flagship news program “Around the World and at Home,” establishing himself as a reporter, editor, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker. In addition, for eight years, Spas Kyosev was the author and host of more than 600 episodes of the public affairs reality show BNT Taxi. The show earned him three journalism awards, and he also contributed as a director and executive producer within the team. In the past three years, Spas has served as Chief Visibility Officer of the Bulgarian Entrepreneurs Association, where he has played a key role in bringing the causes, stories, and positions of Bulgarian entrepreneurs to the primetime of major media outlets and the public agenda. He is also a public communication expert and consultant, host of numerous events and discussions, as well as a prominent figure and participant in various social and civic campaigns and initiatives.
Mr. Ivanov is former Ambassador of Bulgaria to the European Union (1993-1997). His diplomatic career includes also the positions of Third Secretary in the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations, New York, US; Director in the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations; Deputy National Coordinator of the EC PHARE Program for Bulgaria; Coordinator of all assistance programs of Japan for Bulgaria.
Evgeniy Ivanov has a degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna and from Moscow State Institute for Foreign relations (MGIMO). He has specializations and trainings: in alternative dispute resolution (Washington D.C, Chicago IL); in public administration (ENA, Paris); in privatization techniques (PWC London); in coordination of Japanese T/A programs (JICA, Japan); in democratic leadership of Employers Unions (Berlin, Dresden), etc.
Mr. Ivanov is permanent Member of the European Economic and Social Committee since September 2015. He was Executive Director of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum affiliated to the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum, at present King Charles III, UK (1998-2000); Secretary General and Member of the Board of the Employers Association of Bulgaria (2000-2006); Vice-chairman of the Bulgarian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce – ICC (2007-2011).
Welcoming Remarks
Sirpa Rautio is the Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Previously, she served as the first Director of the Finnish National Human Rights Institution, the Finnish Human Rights Centre, which she established and led from March 2012 to February 2024. From March 2022 to 2024, she also chaired the European Network of Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).
Before returning to Finland in 2012, Sirpa spent approximately 20 years abroad, holding expert and managerial positions in international organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the EU.
Sirpa was a member of the FRA’s Management Board from 2015 to 2020, serving as Chairperson from 2017. Her work has focused on human rights and the rule of law, both in the field and at headquarters, with extensive experience in post-conflict settings and countries in transition.
A lawyer by profession, Sirpa holds a law degree from the University of Turku, Finland.
Welcoming Remarks
Nancy Schiller is 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.
Welcoming Remarks
Dr. George Welton is the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Georgia, where he has worked since 2011. AmCham Georgia is the country’s largest and most influential international business association, with approximately 280 member companies. The organization operates a wide range of committees covering sectors such as legal, tax, environmental policy, energy, FMCG, tourism, agribusiness, construction, education, and innovation. As a founding member of the Investor Council, AmCham meets quarterly with the Prime Minister of Georgia and key economic ministries to address business and economic development issues, solidifying its role as a vital player in shaping the country’s economic landscape.
Beyond his leadership at AmCham, Dr. Welton is an accomplished researcher and the founder of GeoWel Research, established in 2009. GeoWel specializes in conducting impactful research for major development banks, including the World Bank, EBRD, Asian Development Bank, and KfW, as well as for prominent development agencies such as USAID, European Union Aid, UK’s DfID, SDC, UNDP, and UNICEF. Over the past two decades, Dr. Welton and his team have completed over 150 research projects, providing critical insights across the region.
Dr. Welton holds a PhD in International Relations, a master’s degree in International Political Economy, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Philosophy. He is also a partially qualified member of ACCA, adding financial expertise to his extensive academic and professional portfolio.
Impact of the Foreign Agent Legislation on Georgian Business
Katarzyna Batko-Toluc (Poland) is the managing director of the Foundation for Poland and co-founder of a grassroots social movement engaging approximately 1,000 people, focused on government transparency, accountability, and freedom of speech. She led campaigns urging politicians to select civic-minded candidates for the Ombudsman role in 2015 and 2020. Currently, she coordinates a coalition dedicated to election integrity and mobilizing civil society organizations for the 2023 parliamentary elections, which played a role in safeguarding the rule of law in Poland. Katarzyna is a member of Ashoka and an alumna of the Recharging Advocacy for Rights in Europe (RARE) course. She also serves on the board of OFOP – the National Federation of Polish NGOs.
Lessons from Eastern Europe
Dávid Vig (Hungary) is the director of Amnesty International Hungary, one of the country’s leading human rights NGOs. He focuses on rule of law issues, especially safeguarding the independence of the judiciary, protecting LGBTQI rights, and defending civic space. He is a well-known expert and activist on civic space and LGBTQI rights in Hungary and has done research, media work, campaigning, and advocacy to resist the Hungarian government’s anti-NGO legislation and smear campaign against independent civil society in Hungary. A lawyer and a master in international relations by training, he obtained his PhD degree in 2014. Before joining Amnesty, he worked on torture prevention, fair trial rights. Prior to his previous role at the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, he worked as a researcher at the National Institute of Criminology, the Human Rights Program of the Open Society Foundations, and the Board of Budapest Pride. At present, he is also a part-time assistant professor at the Faculty of Law at ELTE University Budapest, where he teaches criminology, penology, and penitentiary law.
Regional Perspectives from Russia, Hungary, and Georgia
The European Perspective
Balazs Denes is a Hungarian lawyer and a human rights activist. In 1997, he joined the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), and after holding various positions, he served as its Executive Director from 2004 to 2012. From 2013 till 2016, he worked as the Director of the European Civil Liberties Project at the Open Society Foundations. Since early 2017, he has served as the first Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Union for Europe, a European human rights organization. He focuses on rights and liberties, communication, and new forms of civic advocacy and activism and lives in Berlin, Germany.
Communication: The Civil Society Perspective
Bálint Farkas has been working on communications at Ökotárs Foundation and for the Hungarian civil society network Civilization Coalition for 5 years. He has been active in the coordination of civil society organizations fighting the shrinking civic space and working for an enabling environment for civil society on the local, regional, and EU level.
Communication: The Civil Society Perspective
Waltraud Heller leads the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s (FRA) work on civic space and human rights defenders. Her expertise includes civil society development, network building, communication, and participatory engagement and facilitation. She joined the Agency’s predecessor, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), in 2005 as a communications officer and later became the Agency’s spokesperson. From 2014 to 2022, she led FRA’s work with civil society. Before joining FRA, she worked in communications, including roles with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and a development cooperation NGO. She also served as a speechwriter for a European Commissioner and worked for The Wall Street Journal Europe. Waltraud Heller holds a master’s degree in social and economic sciences and a postgraduate degree in European studies from the College of Europe in Bruges.
The European Perspective
Veronika Mora has been with Ökotárs – Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation (HEPF) since 1997 and has served as its director since 2007. Previously, she worked as the national consultant for the Dutch foundation Milieukontakt Oosteuropa and at the eco-counseling office of the Ecoservice Foundation. Throughout her career at HEPF and beyond, she has addressed a range of issues, including ecological consumption, genetic technologies, and public participation. Since 2003, she has led HEPF’s Civil Partner program, which focuses on improving the legal and fiscal environment for civil society. She also has extensive experience managing and overseeing grant programs of various scales, including the Hungarian NGO Fund under the EEA/Norwegian Financial Grants and the EU-funded Our Union Values program. In addition to her full-time work, Veronika holds voluntary roles with several NGOs, including serving as chair of the Hungarian Donors Forum. She holds an MSc in biology, an MA in organizational psychology, and most recently earned a diploma in environmental law.
Lessons from Eastern Europe
Hanna Surmatz leads policy work at Philea and is an expert in philanthropy and foundation law. Her primary responsibilities include monitoring, mapping, and analyzing developments that impact the operating environment for foundations and funders in Europe and beyond, as well as strengthening engagement with policymakers. Since 2017, she has represented the philanthropic sector in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Private Sector Consultative Forum (PSCF), and since 2019, she has been a member of the OECD Tax Business Advisory Group. In 2021, she joined GECES, the European Commission’s expert group on Social Economy. Hanna also represents Philea in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) CSO Liaison Group and serves, together with the ONCE Foundation, on the board of Social Economy Europe.
The European Perspective
Kirill Koroteev is a Russian lawyer who litigates cases of human rights violations in domestic and international courts. He represented multiple organizations and individuals affected by the Russian Foreign Agents’ law in Russian courts, the European Court of Human Rights, and the UN Treaty Bodies. He also advises human rights NGOs in countries where similar laws have been or are being adopted.
Regional Perspectives from Russia, Hungary, and Georgia
Tamar Gurchiani is an Associate Professor and Human Rights Chair at Ilia State University School of Law, and Deputy Chief of Party at USAID Civil Society Engagement Program implemented by EWMI in Georgia.
Tamar is one of the participants of the Edmund Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program and earned her LLM from William and Mary Law School in the US in 2011. She received her LLB from the department of law at Tbilisi State University in 2003 and studied philosophy and social science in 2003–2006 at Ilia State University. Tamar was also a participant in the Fulbright Faculty Development Program in 2023 at WCL, American University in Washington, D.C.
Tamar worked for Tbilisi-based human rights NGO Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) for 6 years. She served as an instructor in human rights at the Academy of the Ministry of Interior of Georgia for two years. She has been working as a trainer at the Legal Education Support Foundation (GYLA) for 4 years. In 2011, Tamar worked as a visiting fellow at the National Security Archive (a non-profit organization at George Washington University) and the Sunlight Foundation in Washington, D.C. From 2012 to 2015, Tamar worked for different organizations on human rights, democracy, and elections in Georgia, Ukraine, Iraq, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. She is currently a member of the board at Brussels-based international human rights NGO International Partnership for Human Rights.
Regional Perspectives from Russia, Hungary, and Georgia
Communication: The Civil Society Perspective
Nadia Shabani is the Director of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL), where she leads initiatives focused on the legal and financial frameworks for civil society organizations (CSOs), human rights protection, and good governance. She works closely with public officials at both central and local levels, as well as with lawyers, professional associations, civil society activists, parental organizations, and social service providers. Her efforts include developing policies and strategic documents, drafting legislative amendments, and conducting impact assessments that shape and protect civic space in Bulgaria. Under her leadership, BCNL has successfully advanced over 24 legislative acts and policies that empower CSOs in Bulgaria. These reforms have improved their ability to operate effectively, raise funds, communicate their achievements, and engage more meaningfully in the decision-making process.
Part 2. Closing Remarks
Louisa Slavkova is a political scientist and the founder of the Sofia Platform Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting civic education and addressing the legacy of the communist regime, particularly in smaller communities. Under her leadership, the foundation has achieved significant milestones, including advocating for the integration of civic education into school curricula, transforming the former Belene labor camp into a site of remembrance, and advancing efforts to establish a Museum of Communism in Sofia. An accomplished author of analyses and textbooks, Louisa also lectures on civic education, sharing her expertise with diverse audiences. In 2021, she co-founded THE CIVICS, the first pan-European organization focused exclusively on civic education.
The European Perspective
Atanas Politov earned a law degree from Sofia University in 1998 and an LLM from Columbia Law School in 2002. Currently, Atanas is the Europe Director of Positive Impact and Pro Bono for Dentons. He joined the law firm in 2016 to coordinate Dentons’ pro bono work across continental Europe and globally. Before joining Dentons, Atanas worked for the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights and PILnet, the global network for public interest law. Previously, he developed large-scale civil society, anti-discrimination, and legal aid reform projects in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans and oversaw the development of PILnet’s pro bono efforts in China, Nigeria, Russia, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Spain, France, and Poland.
Part 2. Closing Remarks
Petia Dimitrova is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Management Board of Postbank, as well as Chairperson of the Board of the Association of Banks in Bulgaria.
Under her leadership, Postbank has successfully executed three major acquisitions within just a few years. These include the acquisition and rapid integration of Alfa Bank – Bulgaria Branch, followed by Piraeus Bank Bulgaria. In 2023, Postbank completed the acquisition of the commercial enterprise and operations of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, the Bulgarian branch of BNP Paribas Personal Finance S.A., France. As of June 2023, the branch’s activities have been integrated into Postbank and continue to operate in the Bulgarian market under the brand PB Personal Finance by Postbank. These strategic deals have further solidified Postbank’s position as a systemic player in the banking market and expanded its customer base.
Mrs. Dimitrova is a member of the Management Boards of the “Atanas Bourov” Foundation and the Endeavor Bulgaria Association. She also serves as Vice President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria, a member of the Management Board of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG), and a member of the University Council at the American University in Bulgaria. Additionally, she is on the Board of Directors of Borica AD and the Hellenic Business Council in Bulgaria.
Mrs. Dimitrova is a member of the Industrial Advisory Board of CITY College, International Faculty of the University of Sheffield, and is affiliated with several prestigious organizations, including the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the Young Global Leaders Forum of the World Economic Forum, and the Gerson Lehrman Group Accounting Council in London, UK. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute in the UK and a co-founder of the Public Council of Women in Business.
Part 1. Closing Remarks
Emanuela Ivanova is an editor with over 15 years of experience in Bulgarian media. She began her career as a radio host on NJOY Radio and as an editor for the news site Actualno.com before joining the digital department of bTV, where she covered cultural and art news and events for six years. She has also worked as an editor for two shows on Bulgaria ON AIR television and as an author and editor for PROGRAMATA magazine. In 2017–2018, she served as PR and Marketing Manager for the Bulgarian market of the Serbian music festival EXIT. Since October 2022, she has been part of the TimeHeroes Foundation, where she is editor-in-chief of timeheroes.org, Bulgaria’s largest platform for volunteer initiatives, and acts as an NGO liaison. She is responsible for planning and executing digital communication for the platform’s initiatives and the campaigns TimeHeroes develops in their support. Additionally, she contributes to creating projects and activities that promote a culture of volunteering in Bulgaria. She currently serves as the acting Director of the Foundation.
Communication: The Civil Society Perspective
Miroslav Tsekov has been the Chair of the Citizen Participation Forum since 2024. Prior to this, he was part of the National Youth Forum starting in 2017—initially as a volunteer, later as Secretary General, and from 2020 to 2022 as the organization’s Chair. In 2021, he briefly served as an advisor at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He contributed to the development of the Draft Law on Volunteering, the amendments to the Youth Act in 2021, and the National Youth Strategy 2021–2030. At the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, he chaired the Public Council for Citizen Participation at the 49th National Assembly’s Committee on Direct Citizen Participation.
Part 2. Closing Remarks
Dobromir Ivanov is the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Startup Association (BESCO), which boasts over 600 members from dozens of different industries. His experience as an entrepreneur includes founding the largest online platform for bus ticket sales in Bulgaria. In 2017, he served as an advisor to the Minister of Economy during the then caretaker government.
The Perspective of Bulgarian and International Businesses
Zornitsa Rusinova is the Chair of the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria. She holds a master’s degree in International Economic Relations from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) and a master’s degree in Bulgarian and English Philology from Sofia University. From 2012 to 2020, she served as Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy in three different governments and as Minister of Labor and Social Policy from 2016 to 2017. She has been responsible for labor market policies, social inclusion, labor law, European affairs, international cooperation, and the management of European funds. She has extensive experience in managing European funds and projects and has held senior positions at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and the Ministry of State Administration and Administrative Reform. Zornitsa Rusinova has been a long-standing head of the Managing Authority of the Operational Program “Human Resources Development.” She has also served on the Supervisory Board of the Fund of Funds and as a member of the Expert Group on the Future of Cohesion Policy, established under the initiative of EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira. She has successfully led international projects for the United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations Development Program, and the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Program.
The Perspective of Bulgarian and International Businesses
Giorgi Kldiashvili is a founding member and Executive Director of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI). He has over 10 years of experience working on openness and anti-corruption policies in Georgia and internationally. Giorgi has implemented projects, conducted studies and assessments, and delivered training for various international organizations, civil society groups, and government entities. He is the author of numerous publications on access to information, anti-corruption policy, good governance, accountability and transparency, e-governance, e-democracy, open data, civil service, public administration, media, and the internet. In addition to his applied policy research with IDFI, Giorgi is a historian by training, with academic credentials in American and Soviet studies. A professional archival researcher, he has worked in historical archives in Georgia and abroad for over 20 years. Giorgi holds graduate degrees in Contemporary History and has served as a professor of American Studies at the Institute of American Studies at Tbilisi State University. Giorgi Kldiashvili was a member of the CSO Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2017–2020.
Lessons from Eastern Europe
Luben Panov is a Program Director at the America for Bulgaria Foundation. Previously, he worked at the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), providing technical assistance and expert support to local partners on creating an enabling environment for civil society. Luben has managed and implemented programs in numerous countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He was the founding director of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL), one of Bulgaria’s leading civil society organizations. From 2015 to 2017, he served as Chairperson of the Public Council of the Parliamentary Committee on Interaction with Civil Society and Citizen Complaints in Bulgaria. Since 2021, Luben has been a member of the Steering Committee of the global Open Government Partnership, a community of 77 countries.
Regional Perspectives from Russia, Hungary, and Georgia
Teodora Bakardzhieva graduated from the Technical University of Sofia but has spent the past 20 years working exclusively in the civil society sector. She has been part of the teams of various Bulgarian CSOs with diverse profiles, including the SEGA – Start for Effective Grassroot Alternatives Foundation, the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation, FORA – Community Development Foundation, and the Bulgarian Food Bank. Since 2016, she has been with the Bulgarian Donors’ Forum, a philanthropy infrastructure organization, where she oversees research and analysis on philanthropy, giving, and volunteering. She has extensive experience in capacity development initiatives for CSOs, as well as in community facilitation, fundraising training, and project evaluation. Her primary professional interests include developing and implementing mechanisms for effective collaboration between the public sector, civil society organizations, and donors, as well as measuring the impact of socially responsible investments. Since March 2022, Teodora Bakardzhieva has served as the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Donors’ Forum, overseeing its operational management.
Lessons from Eastern Europe
Mariyan Ivanov is the Manager of the Open Banking and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) team at DTC Sofia Commerzbank. With extensive experience in leading digital technology initiatives, Mariyan specializes in developing secure, stable, transparent, and efficient tech systems. Through Commerzbank’s Open Banking strategy, Mariyan has played a pivotal role in expanding collaborative ecosystems that empower customers, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive technological innovation.
The Perspective of Bulgarian and International Businesses
Raycho Raychev was born on July 14, 1983, in Sofia. His professional journey includes participation in the Brazilian Space Program, the Institute for Space Research, Stanford University, and NASA. He is the first Bulgarian to participate in the Singularity University program and serves as Bulgaria’s representative on the UN Space Advisory Council. Raycho Raychev is the founder and CEO of EnduroSat, a leading company in satellite and space technologies. The company is among the global leaders in its field and employs over 200 engineers, programmers, and scientists. EnduroSat’s clients include major space agencies, universities, and companies worldwide. He is also the founder of Space Challenges, a free educational platform dedicated to space sciences and research. This initiative is not only the only one of its kind in Bulgaria but also the largest space education program in Europe. Raycho Raychev is the European Innovation Council Ambassador for Bulgaria and was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Forbes DNA of Success Awards for 2023. He was awarded the title Man of the Year for 2023 and received a special award for leadership of a successful company registered in Bulgaria with exemplary business practices in 2024.
The Perspective of Bulgarian and International Businesses
Tenko Nikolov is part of the management team at SiteGround, a Bulgarian product company and an international leader in IT hosting technologies and web services. Under his leadership, together with the company’s founder Ivo Tsenov, SiteGround has established itself as the largest independent company in its field globally. The company has received numerous awards for its commitment to social responsibility and has been recognized as one of the best employers in Bulgaria. Tenko Nikolov and Ivo Tsenov are co-founders of the For Example Foundation, whose mission is to support the development of Bulgarian education, sports, and healthcare. Tenko Nikolov is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who actively supports the advancement of Bulgarian education and the technological ecosystem.