Vanya Zlateva- Executive Director

Vanya fell in love with BEST’s mission as soon as she attended one of our competitions. With a master’s degree focused on Marketing and Business planning, as well as over 13 years of professional experience in various fields – media, e-commerce, digital marketing, sales, she wanted to apply her skills and knowledge in a way that would support Bulgarian youth. Vanya is a very results-driven and her self-starter personality has helped her launch and expand a number of different companies – magazines, an online store, a digital agency, etc. Her international experience has taught her the importance of foreign language skills, as well as critical thinking, public speaking and self-initiative and she sees BEST as a place where she can help young people foster that through the power of speech and debate. When she’s not dealing with the numerous responsibilities she has when it comes to running our community, she enjoys reading, yoga and swimming.

Tereza Todorova - Project Manager

Tereza has been part of BEST since 2017 when she attended her very first tournament and fell in love with debates immediately. As time passed she found herself not only interested in debating but also in the art of public speaking and that being part of a team is something really rewarding. That’s the thing that inspired her to be an SL in 2019 and later on a coach of her team in 2021. Apart from BEST, she is a third-year Chemistry student at Sofia University. She has a lovely dog called Tina and she listens to Twenty One Pilots. All the time.

Bilyana Bagrayanova - Judge Program Coordinator

Bibi has been part of BEST since 2017, first as a competitor, later as an SL, Coach, and after graduation - camp counselor and a judge. She graduated from The Maths and Science High School “Nancho Popovich” in Shumen and is now a fourth-year university student at the Agricultural University in Plovdiv. This is her third year in MT. She first was one of the SL Program Coordinators and this will be her second year as a Judge Program Coordinator. She is very excited to continue her work with the amazing judges in the 2024-2025 season!

Kameliya Hristova - Marketing Coordinator

Kamelia has been part of the BEST community since 2016 when she was a competitor. The primary events she competed in were duo, prose and poetry. After graduating from Aprilov National High School in 2021 she went on to study Digital Media and PR in University of Economics, Varna. Her passion for marketing and social media led her to become the Marketing Coordinator at BEST Foundation. In her free time, she enjoys a good cup of coffee alongside a good book or a cozy movie night.

Nedyalko Panayotov - Content & Media Strategy Coordinator

Based in The Netherlands, Nedyalko Panayotov is a Media & Marketing Professional with a Masters’ in Content & Media Strategy. He has been a part of the BEST Foundation ever since 2017, and in all these years, he has been a competitor, student leader, an intern and later, a management team member. He led the Social Media and Marketing department thought the time of COVID-19 and in 2024, he returned to develop a fresh new content strategy, and social media rebranding as part of the Marketing Department. Apart from his work for BEST, Nedyalko is part of the NHL Stenden University's educational staff, as an Assistant within the International Creative Business B.A. Program.

Kristiyana Kiranska - Tournament Administrator

Kristiyana has been involved in BEST since 2019. At first she participated with duo and was so amazed at the welcoming community that she decided to join and never leave. She has competed in Duo, Poetry, Prose and Debates and is very dedicated to her BEST team. Kristiyana graduated from the Student Leader Program in 2020-2021 and attended the 2021 Debate Summer Camp. Some of her hobbies include reading in her room, blasting music on the speakers when no one is around, baking and writing short stories and poems. Folk dances are one of her passions, she has been doing them for 12 years now. Kristiyana also has a soft spot for all things BEST and cats related.

Kelsey Walock - Balkan Voices Co-Coordinator

Kelsey Walock has been excited about BEST even from the application stage of her Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, and is looking forward to using her 8 years of various speech and debate knowledge in different and new ways with the foundation. She has previously ran a collegiate team, judged, coached, and been a competitor and avid lover of debate. She current works as an English Teaching Assistant in Dimitrovgrad, and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in May 2023. In college she majored in History and Political Science, and minored in Russian and Eastern European Studies and African Studies. Outside of her ETA position and BEST, she enjoys running, learning about art, and exploring new places!

Mia Griffin - Balkan Voices Co-Coordinator

Mia joined the BEST team as a 2024-2025 Fulbright ETA based in Sofia. She competed in public speaking throughout high school, where she developed her passion for both speech and the community that surrounds it. Her all-time favorite event is Original Oratory, which is reflected in her position as the Balkan Voices Co-coordinator on the Management Team. She is a recent graduate in economics from Amherst College and, in her free time, can be found reading or trying new restaurants.

Desislava Taseva - Student Leader Program Coordinator

Desislava is an 18 years old senior at the “Akad. Sergey Korolyov” Maths and Science High School from Blagoevgrad. She has been actively involved with BEST Foundation since the autumn of 2019. Over the years, Desislava has gained valuable experience as a tournament participant, Student Leader, and volunteer. Additionally, she has been a participant at the BEST Foundation Summer Camp in 2021 and a counselor at its 2023 edition. Her evident love for volunteering is what makes her excited to be part of our team this year. Outside of the foundation and her high school, you can find her involved with other extracurricular activities as she thrives on challenging herself with new experiences . Desislava has a deep love for animals, particularly cats, as she is a cat owner.

Caroline Cassell - Coach Coordinator and Debate Program Assistant

From Woodstock Vermont, Caroline Cassell is an avid fan of hiking, swimming, apple cider, and naturally, speech and debate! They graduated Bates College in 2024 after studying Sociology, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Theater, and Education! As a current English Teaching Assistant and BEST coach in Smolyan, Caroline joined the BEST Management Team inspired by BEST’s emphasis on community and performance. Caroline is so excited to be connecting coaches with the resources they need for the BEST year ahead!! 

Emona Tsoneva - Reservation and Logistics Specialist

Emona Tsoneva is a third-year student in German and Scandinavian Studies, deeply engaged with languages, literature, and the cultural traditions of Northern Europe. With a natural affinity for the sea, Emona often finds inspiration in coastal settings and the lore of the North. Whether exploring German or Scandinavian texts, Emona is often found with a cup of coffee close by, fueling countless hours of study and reflection.

Aylin Ahmedova - Business Development Officer and Alumni Coordinator

Aylin has been a part of BEST since 2018. She started out doing Poetry but during her years as a competitor she tried every category and eventually fell in love with Duo. She has been an SL, a coach and after graduating - a judge and a camp counselor. This will be her first year in MT as a Business Development Officer and Alumni Coordinator. She keeps coming back to BEST because of its inspiring community. Aylin is a psychology student at SWU “Neofit Rilski”. Last year she spent the winter semester on an Erasmus exchange in Slovakia. She enjoys writing short stories, reading, drawing and singing (badly) in the kitchen.

Petko Stoychev - Tournament Policy Co-Coordinator

Petko is an experienced debate coach and judge, having dedicated over four years to honing his skills in this field. He works in money laundering prevention, showcasing his commitment to upholding the law and ensuring compliance with regulations. Known for his incredibly creative mind, Petko approaches challenges with out-of-the-box thinking, allowing him to devise innovative solutions. His diligent and meticulous work ethic further enhances his effectiveness, making him a valuable asset in both his professional and coaching endeavors. With a passion for law and rules, Petko is driven to ensure this season in BEST is as fun as it is rule-complaint.

Mercedes Janis - Tournament Policy Co-Coordinator

Mercedes Janis is a Tournament Policy Co-Coordinator for the BEST Foundation. She is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at Simeon Radev Foreign Language High School in Pernik and loves how BEST gives students new opportunities to use their English language skills. Mercedes is a graduate of New York University, where she studied theater and political science. Prior to BEST, she worked as a paralegal in New York City, focusing on real estate and estate planning law. In her free time, you can find her reading, listening to chalga, or training for her next road race.

Victoria Veselinova - Debate Program Coordinator

You may ask what a 3rd year medical student is doing in the Management Team of BEST Foundation? Despite the complex path of pursuing the career of being a doctor, Victoria is committed to her passions outside the medical field. She started her BEST journey 7 years ago as a competitor from FLHS ‘Ekazarh Yossif  I’ Lovech and then after graduation, she continued to come back as a judge. During her first tournament Victoria was way too mesmerized by debates and never stopped doing them since then. Later on Victoria joined the Bulgarian Debate Association and even created an online debate club in which anyone from Bulgaria has the opportunity to join! Now she feels that it is the right time to continue the debate spirit and pass her knowledge and experience to the students in BEST. If you catch Victoria at a tournament, you can always ask her to read your natal chart or give you a tarot reading and she will be more than happy to do it!

Rosen Razpopov - Debate Program Coordinator

Rosen Razpopov is currently a student at AUBG with a double major in Economics and Political Science & International Relations. He has always had a passion for public speaking and debate and was first captivated by BEST’s unique atmosphere during the Spring West tournament in 2022 and has been involved in the foundation’s events ever since. He has competed in multiple categories - Original Oratory, Prose Interpretation and Debate. The latter category is particularly close to his heart and in 2023 he and his team managed to become the Varsity Debate Champions in both Spring West and Nationals. As part of the SL programme in the 2022-2023 school year he has shown strong dedication to BEST’s mission and to his Team Plovdiv, and became a Student Leader of the year in the individual category. He sees his role as a Debate Co-Coordinator in MT as a way to give back to a community, which has continuously helped him grow.

INTERNS

Mel Decorte - Photography Intern

Mel strides through life with an artist's lens, forever chasing fleeting moments that whisper untold narratives. filmmaker and student of the enchanting universe of Film and TV at the New Bulgarian University, she seeks to uncover the extraordinary within the ordinary, etching her mark on the tapestry of human experiences.

Mihaela Mihaylova - Photography Intern

Mihaela's journey with BEST started five years ago in FLHS Yordan Radichkov Vidin's BEST Team. She competed in three categories - Poetry, Prose, and Debates throughout the years and she was a Student Leader & Team Coach. Mihaela is now a freshman at the American University in Bulgaria and her biggest passions are arts like literature and photography, although her major is Political Science. She loves learning languages and is a very extroverted person, open to creating new connections and making more friends in the BEST community. As a photography intern, she can't wait to take some awesome pics during BEST events and hopes to show how much appreciation and love she has for the community through her photographs. Don't be shy to ask her for a picture of you and your friends anywhere and anytime!

Zunayra Hemani - Debate Program Assistant

Zunayra is a current Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at Ekzarh Yosif Foreign Language High School I in Lovech. She graduated in May from the University of Houston, where she studied Political Science, Public Health and Biology. One of the reasons she applied to a Fulbright Award in Bulgaria was because of BEST. She loves working with students and helping them develop their confidence in being able to speak what is on their mind. In her free time Zunayra loves working out, drinking coffee, reading books, and exploring new places around Bulgaria. 

Viktor Zhelyazov - Graphic Design Intern

Viktor has been a part of the BEST Foundation since 2019, since then he enjoys prose and duo even though he has competed in every category. In the 2023-2024 school year, he graduated from the Student Leader program and won the prestigious "Kieselstein family community project of the year award". Now a graphic designer for BEST, Viktor is definitely not a swiftie.  

Vyara Bagrayanova - Student Leader Program Intern

Vyara has been a part of BEST since 2019. During her 5 years in BEST she competed with Prose, Poetry and Duo. She was a part of the 2021 Debate Summer camp, graduated from the SL program in 2022-2023 and was a Coach during her final year in high school. She recently graduated The Maths and Science High School “Nancho Popovich” in Shumen. She is a first year university student in The University of Food Technology in Plovdiv. This year she is joining the MT as the SL Intern and is very excited to help the students with their leadership skills and she can’t wait to continue being part of this community. Outside of BEST Vyara is very interested in make-up and because of that she graduated a professional make-up course. Despite being a proud cat mom, she also loves penguins and otters.

Beatrice Handlin - Judge Program Intern

Beatrice Handlin is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at Ekzarh Yosif Foreign Language High School in Razgrad. She will be serving as a coach and judge for BEST throughout the 2024-25 school year, as well as the Judge Program Assistant for the BEST Management Team. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a major in English, a minor in Creative Writing, and a track in secondary education. She is very excited to work with all of the amazing BEST judges and competitors! 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Paskal Zhelev - Board Chair

Paskal Zhelev holds a Ph.D. in World Economy and International Economic Relations from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia. Currently, he serves as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Journal of International Economics and Politics (2021–present) and as an Associate Professor in the Department of International Economic Relations and Business at UNWE-Sofia (2015–present). Previously, he held the position of Vice-Dean for Quality Assurance at UNWE-Sofia (2020–2023) and Vice-Rector for International Affairs at Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda State University in Kazakhstan (2019). In addition to his academic and professional work, he is an active member of the Management Committee of the Association of Economic Universities of South and East Europe and the Black Sea Region (ASECU) and serves on the editorial boards of multiple international journals.

Gabrielle Cascio

Gabrielle first learned about the BEST community in 2019 and has been involved ever since, as both a coach and Student Leader Coordinator. Outside of her involvement in BEST, Gabrielle has served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Sliven and currently works in Washington, D.C. to advocate for international exchange programs. In her spare time, she loves reading fantasy, talking about cheese, and traveling!

Morgan Rowe

Morgan Rowe has been involved in the debate community for over a decade. As a high school student, she competed nationally in the United States in both speech and debate events. During her time at Temple University, she helped coach students and helped run one of the largest high school tournaments in the United States, the Pennsbury Falcon Invitational. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Morgan came to Bulgaria to teach English in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria and work on BEST's Management Team as the Tournament Policy Coordinator. She'll often tell people that BEST is THE reason she chose to teach in Bulgaria. She's currently getting her Master's degree in Political Science at the London School of Economics. Outside of BEST, Morgan is an avid reader and enjoys creating and sending cringey memes to anyone and everyone.

Julia Lynch

Julia Lynch has been a passionate member of the speech and debate community for almost a decade. As a competitor on the international stage throughout college, she experienced the power that debate and dialogue hold as a means of intercultural communication and understanding. She graduated from the University of Miami in 2020 with a degree in Finance and Business Law. Seeking to combine her love for debate with her background in teaching, Julia joined the BEST Foundation as the Debate Coordinator while serving as a Fulbright-America for Bulgaria English Teaching Assistant in Dobrich in 2021. During her two-year term, she developed a deep connection to BEST and was inspired by the support and dedication of the students and community. Upon her return to the U.S., Julia began her studies at Harvard Law School and enthusiastically joined the BEST Board of Directors in 2023.

Radoslav Nedelchev

Radoslav is currently Chief Operating Officer and Chief Client Officer of Dentsu Southeast Europe, where he is responsible for Dentsu’s integrated growth strategy, leading client management and innovation teams. In addition, as Country Manager, Dentsu Romania, he is also focused on making Dentsu Romania the most integrated & progressive marketing solutions company, designed for what’s next.
With more than 20 years’ experience in media and marketing, he was two terms Chairperson of IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) in Bulgaria (2019-2020), Member of Policy Committee of IAB Europe;
Member of the Supervisory Board of Bulgarian Association of Communications Agencies – BACA (2019-2022). Currently he is a Member of CIM – The Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. In 2023, he won the #OnCon Icon Award in the global Top 50 COOs.
Radoslav is very committed in creating positive change, and a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone, acting as a Social Impact Champion for Dentsu, as well as a board member of BEST Foundation since August 2023.

Angela Rodel

Angela Rodel came to Bulgaria on a Fulbright grant in 1996, lured by the mystery of Bulgarian voices. Having fallen in love with Bulgarian folk singing and Bulgarian language, she decided to make Bulgaria her permanent home as of 2004. In recent years, she has become a leading translator of Bulgarian literature into English, with seven novels published in the US and UK, as well as plays, poems and essays by leading Bulgarian writers. As of 2015, she has served as executive director of the Bulgarian-American Fulbright Commission. Her exceptional work as a translator contributed to the success of the book "Timeshelter" that earned the prestigious 2023 Booker International Award, solidifying her position as a luminary in the world of literary translation. At her first BEST tournament, she was blown away by the students’ talent, intelligence and artistry – and immensely proud of the Fulbright/ABF ETAs who founded this wonderful organization.

Alex Kieselstein

Alex Kieselstein was a two-year Fulbright ETA and BEST Coach at Second English Language School in Sofia. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Kenyon College and a Master's Degree from Middlebury College. Currently, Alex is the Academic Placement Advisor for Humanities fields at the Institute of International Education.

Anjela Deyanska

Anjela is passionate about making education better both in terms of improved access and quality. This and her interest in sustainability in the nonprofit sector brought her to Bulgaria after over a decade in Canada, where she obtained her degrees (Honorary Bachelor's in International Relations and a Masters in Public Policy & Governance from the University of Toronto). Since 2016 she has overseen Fundraising and Development at Teach For Bulgaria, with a specific focus on diversifying sources of private funding to the organization and increasing recurring giving as a way to contribute to organizational sustainability. Anjela believes in BEST's mission and is thrilled to support the organization's efforts so that more and more Bulgarian students can develop critical thinking skills, broaden their horizon by meeting people of diverse backgrounds and join a community of engaged citizens eager to strengthen Bulgaria's democratic future. In her spare time, you will most likely find Anjela reading nonfiction, drawing or being outside, preferably near a sea or an ocean.