OUR TEAM

We have a dedicated team of writers, editors, and photographers who are passionate about Bulgaria and sharing the wonders within. Equally as passionate and hardworking are our developers, marketers, designers, business developers, legal advisors, and producers. As Open Bulgaria expands to other cities; to provide a wider-reaching and authentic array of articles, we too need to expand the team. So, wherever you are, whatever your love and capability, you’re welcome to join us. Open Bulgaria is a unique place to work, as we are one big international family supporting each other.

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Giuseppe Di Benedetto

Founder, Managing Director

Giuseppe Di Benedetto

Giuseppe is a social entrepreneur and community manager who is committed to creating the largest online platform for internationals who have chosen Bulgaria. His goal is to contribute to a multicultural, inclusive, and open Bulgaria.

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Anastasiia Dehtiarova

Co-founder, General Manager

Anastasiia Dehtiarova

Anastasiia is one of the Co-founders and also the general team and strategy manager. Her experience lies in marketing and helping multicultural communities grow. Ana is passionate about personal development and business leadership.

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Hamid Reza Darabi

Cyber Security & Backend Developer

Hamid Reza Darabi

Hamid is from Iran and is a Backend Developer, he also looks after Cyber Security. His background is in programming and network security, for which he has 15 years of experience. 

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Afif Hosseini

Web Designer & Frontend Developer

Afif Hosseini

Afif is originally from Iran and is a Web Designer and Frontend Developer. She did her Master’s in IT in Iran and has worked in IT Management and Web Design. 

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Scott Green

Lead Editor & Content Manager

Scott Green

Scott is a Content Specialist from Australia. He served as a Rescue Services Operator for seven years and was a Carpenter for six years. He now studies Philosophy at Sofia University and is passionate about history, travel, and cultures.

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Andrea Vushkova

Senior Editor & Content Manager

Andrea Vushkova

Andrea was born in Sofia and is a Content Writer and Editor. She has a Master’s Degree in Health Psychology from Sofia University. She loves art and traveling; she’s also curious about meeting new people and their native culture.

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Bozhidar Ivanov

Marketing & Social Media Manager

Bozhidar Ivanov

Originally from Bulgaria, Bozhidar is the Marketing and Social Media Manager. He studied Marketing in the UK and began working with small publishers in Europe, helping them reach a wider audience. He enjoys writing and quirky literature.

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Manuel Gajo

Co-Founder

Manuel Gajo

Manuel hails from a small town in Italy and is the Technical Co-founder of Open Bulgaria. He studied IT and Business and has over 10 years of professional experience. His passion in life is to bring more love and kindness into the world.

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Aleksandrs Eniņš

Tech Team Lead

Aleksandrs Eniņš

Aleksandrs is the Tech Team Lead and was born in Latvia. He studied IT at the Technical College in Riga and worked in DevOps for five years. His passion is cooking, and he came to Bulgaria in 2019 to help find himself.

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Adriana Cigasova

Team Manager

Adriana Cigasova

Adriana is from Slovakia, has a Master’s Degree in Corporate Financial Management, and three years of experience as a Reporting Analyst. She likes exploring in all its forms, whether it’s in a new country, culture, or experience.

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Veronika Zver

Social Media Coordinator

Veronika Zver

Born and raised in Russia, Veronika moved to Bulgaria in 2019 to study Applied Foreign Languages at NBU. She is a Content Writer with experience in Customer Service. Her passions are languages, traveling, and reading.

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Anna Kerezsi

Content Writer

Anna Kerezsi

Anna was born in Budapest and is a Content Writer. She has a Master’s in Early Childhood Psychology and has worked as a Primary School Teacher. Anna loves singing, traveling, videography, and learning languages.

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Mila Boshnakova

Content Editor

Mila Boshnakova

Raised in the USA, Mila returned to Sofia in 2018 and has been enjoying rediscovering her roots. She enjoys camping and orienteering, has a degree in PR, and is passionate about education, travel, and the development of Bulgarian society.

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Nikolay Mihaylov

Designer and Business Developer

Nikolay Mihaylov

Nikolay is an artist, film director, and producer, currently working on the first book of a series “A Story of Wonder”, based on real-life metal sculptures. In Open Bulgaria, he helps with rebranding, web design, and business development.

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Atanas Yonkov

IT Advisor

Atanas Yonkov

Atanas is a blogger, web developer, and WordPress enthusiast. He got his MSc from Utrecht University and did an extra 2-year program for software developers. He loves volunteering, traveling, and supporting the open-source community.

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Sara Coll López

Content Writer

Sara Coll López

Sara is from Barcelona, Spain, and moved to Sofia for an ESC project. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and now works as a Project Manager in the education field. She loves photography, reading, and volunteering.

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Maria Stoimenova

Event Moderator

Maria Stoimenova

Maria has a Ph.D. in Natural Science and worked in Applied Science Research. She has experience as an educator, is an avid sci-fi and fantasy reader, a foody, and passionate about youth development and global citizenship initiatives.