Expert panel

Each year GEM Bulgaria conducts its own survey with face-to-face interviews with a minimum of 36 experts – nominated by us and approved by the GEM consortium. All of the experts have worked in an area related to at least one of the nine framework conditions of GEM: Entrepreneurial Finance; Government Policy; Government Entrepreneurship Programmes; Entrepreneurship Education; Research & Development Transfer; Commercial & Legal Infrastructure; Market Openness; Physical Infrastructure; Cultural & Social Norms.

We nominate min 36 different experts, who cannot be interviews again for another 2-3 years.

The National Expert Survey panls come from a pool of Bankers, Business Angels, Venture Capitalist, Finance Regulators, Lawmakers, Policy-Makers, Ministers, Agency Heads, Consultants, Analysts, Specialized Journalists, Associations, Chambers, Trade Missions, Clusters, Local Agencies, Teachers On Entrepreneurship, Business Professors, University Heads, Incubators, Tech & Science Parks, Tech Institutes, Research Centers, Researchers, Inventors, Lawyers, Assessors, Accountants, Entrepreneurs, Consultants, Patent Specialists, Market Analysts, Competition Regulators, Brokers, Tax Advisors, International Corporations, Communal Services Provides, Telecom, Infrastructure Providers, Government Transport Bodies, Logistic Companies, Sociologists, Anthropologists, Women Associations, Youth Organizations, NGOs, Government Officials and more.

The experts express their personal opinion, not the organisation’s they currently affiliate with.

Our 2015 National Expert panel consists of:

  1. Andrey Lubenov – Director Digital Products and Operations at Capital, journalist
  2. Assoc Prof Antoniy Galabov PhD – Associate Professor at Dept of Political Science, New Blgarian University, columnist
  3. Beata Papazova – Adviser European Integration and Projects, Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  4. Boni Bonev – Board Director of JA Bulgaria, Nestle Bulgaria, Chairman of Bulgarian Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of Supervisory Board of Vaptech
  5. Borislav Stefanov – Investment Director, GlobeCap Investment, Director of Bulgarian Investment Agency 2009-2013, Member of the Advisory Board of Teach for All Bulgaria
  6. Vassil Terziev – Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Telerik Inc and Chief Innovation Officer at Progress Software
  7. Genoveva Hristova-Murray – Managing Director Ligna group, President of Bulgarian Furniture Cluster, Board Member of Association of the Business Clusters in Bulgaria
  8. George Brashnarov – CEO of Nemetschek Bulgaria, Board member of European Software Institute Centre Eastern Europe, board member of the Bulgarian Association of Software companies, AmCham
  9. George Ruitchev – Executive Director, Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum
  10. George Sharkov PhD  – Chairman of European Software Institute Centre Eastern Europe, board member of the Bulgarian Association of Software companies
  11. Darin Madzharov – Founder of Ucha. Se
  12. Dilyan Dimitrov – Founder at Eleven Startup Accelerator, working in Central and Eastern Europe
  13. Dobroslav Dimitrov – Co-founder at Imperia Online
  14. Evgeni Angelov – Economic Advisor of the President of Republic of Bulgaria
  15. Evgeni Jichev – Secretary General of Bulgarian Association of Licensed Investment Intermediaries (BALII)
  16. Evgenia Peeva – CEO of Teach for Bulgaria, member of the Teach for All network
  17. Evelin Velev – Partner/VP Business Development of Obecto
  18. Elitsa Panayotova – CEO of Sofia Tech Park
  19. Emilia Radeva – Former head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Economy
  20. Zlatina Karova – Director of Science Directorate at Ministry of Education and Science
  21. Ivaylo Grancharov – Head of SME Policy Dept., SME & Innovations Directorate, Ministry of Economy
  22. Ivan Toshev – Former vice-chairman of National Association of SME
  23. Assoc Prof Ivan Tchalakov – The Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge at Bulgarian Academy of Science, Board member the of Bulgarian Sociology Association
  24. Iordan Mateev – Executive Director of Association of Modern Trade, Editor in Chief of Forbes Bulgaria
  25. Malina Kroumova – Director of Systems for EU Funds Management Directorate at Council of Ministers of Bulgaria
  26. Assoc Prof. Margarit Ganev PhD – Member of the Scientific board of the Institute of Legal Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Science
  27. Mariyana Hamanova – Founder/CEO of Cleantech, founder of NGO Back2BG
  28. Metodi Drеnkovski – CEO of Superhosting.bg
  29. Prof. Mitko Dimitrov PhD – Director of Economic Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Science
  30. Nadezhda Savova Grigorova PhD – Cultural anthropologist, Founder of Bread Houses Network – social entrepreneur, Founder of the International Council for Cultural Centers
  31. Nikolay Stoynev – Vice-Chairman of Sofia City Council
  32. Petar Sharkov – Co-founder/President of Start it Smart
  33. Rossen Ivanov – Managing Partner of Black Peak capital
  34. Svetla Kostadinova – Executive Director of Institute for Market Economics
  35. Svetozar Georgiev – Co Founder of Telerik Inc and Senior VP at Progress
  36. Stefan Tzalov – Representative of European Investment Fund in Bulgaria
  37. Stoyan Bratoev – Director of Metropoliten, Sofia Municipality
  38. Teodor Panayotov – Founder and CEO of IT-instructor.com
  39. Teodora Georgieva – Mentor, Synovum Partners founder, ex-consultant at Enterprise Europe Network, entrepreneur and co author
  40. Zanni Sabev – Entrepreneur
  41. Tzvetelin Simov – Managing Partner at Business Logic & Argologic
  42. Tzvetelina Teneva – Co-founder of The Business Institute, Cisco Entrepreneur Institute Bulgaria
  43. Yasen Georgiev – Executive Director of Economic Policy Institute
  44. expert in the support industries, prefers anonymity
  45. expert in the finance sector, prefers anonymity

Our 2016 National Expert panel consists of:

  1. Anna-Marie Vilamovska– Former Secretary For Innovation And Healthcare At The Administration Of The President Of Republic Of Bulgaria
  2. Anton Gerunov– Former Chief Of Staff And E-Governance Lead To The Deputy Prime Minister (2014-2017)
  3. Antonii Todorov – Sociologist, Political Analyst
  4. Christo Moskov– General Manager Of Sofia Business Park
  5. Diana Nikolaeva– Partner In Transaction Advisory Services At EY
  6. Dimitar Dimitrov– Corr. Mem. Full Professor, Аdvisor To The President Of Bulgarian Academy Of Science
  7. Evgeni Evgeniev– Vice Rector At University Of Finance, Business And Entrepreneurship
  8. Filip Genov– Vice President Of Unicredit Bulbank
  9. George Parvanov– Member Of The Management Board, Bulgarian People Management Association, Member Of Eapm
  10. Hristo Georgiev– Board Member Of Startup Foundation
  11. Hristo Stoyanov– Regional Mandate Manager, European Investment Fund
  12. Iliyana Tsanova– Deputy Managing Director Of The European Fund For Strategic Investment (Efsi)
  13. Ivelina Peneva– Director General At Ministry Of Economy, DG “Eu Funds For Competetiveness”
  14. Juliana Antonova– Sales Director, Epay
  15. Kiril Petkov– Ceo Of BDC
  16. Krum Hadjigeorgiev– Ceo At Melon, Member Of The Board Of Directors Of Bulgarian Software Development Companies
  17. Lyubomir Yanchev– Founder Of Melissa Climate
  18. Milena Stoycheva– Ceo Of Junior Achievement Bulgaria
  19. Miroslav Stoyanov– Former Director Investment Banking & Member Of The Board Of Elana Trading
  20. Nayden Nikolov– Political Analyst And Entrepreneur
  21. Nikola Yanev– President Of Start It Smart
  22. Nikolay Denkov– Former Deputy Minister And Operational Program “Science And Education For Smarth Growth”, Ministry Of Education And Science, Bulgaria 2014-2016
  23. Nikolay Yarmov– Founder And Ceo Of CEED Bulgaria – Centre For Entrepreneurship Education And Development
  24. Peter Ivanov– Former General Manager, Microsoft Bulgaria
  25. Richard Clegg– Partner At Wolf Theiss
  26. Sasha Bezuhanova– Founder Of Move.Bg
  27. Stanimir Nenov– Founder And Ceo Advokatami.Bg
  28. Stefan Hadjitodorov– Аdvisor To The President Of Bulgarian Academy Of Science, Prof. At The Institute Of Biophysics And Biomed Engineering
  29. Svetlin Nakov– Co Founder Of Software University
  30. Tania Hristova– Mayor Of The Town Of Gabrovo
  31. Teodora Vasileva– Deputy Editor Of Capital Weekly
  32. Tunio Zafer– CEO At Pcloud.Com
  33. Tzvetana Ivanova– Manager Of Regional Information Centre In Town Of Vratza
  34. Vladimir Popov– CEO Of Vaptech
  35. Yassen Guev– Former Chief Corporate Affairs At Telenor
  36. Yuriy Valkovski– Director Of Reach For Change Foundation

Our 2017 and 2018 National Expert panel will be revealed later this year with the combined 2017-18 and 2018-19 report.