In October, the Executive Director of PRESTIGE, Darina Stoyanova, took part in two significant events – the annual meeting of America for Bulgaria and Capital „Future of Work“ forum.

Sixth Annual Meeting of the America for Bulgaria Foundation

At the sixth annual meeting of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, held under the slogan „Optimism: Optimism without Illusions,“ PRESTIGE CEO Darina Stoyanova took part in the panel discussion „Optimism without Illusions in Philanthropy“ together with Milena Dragiyska, CEO of Lidl Bulgaria, and Presiyan Karakostov, co-founder of PubGalaxy.

The conversation focused on corporate philanthropy, which is viewed not only in terms of financial support, but also in terms of the value of personal involvement, time, and shared values. During the panel discussion, there was a strong emphasis on:

• what else businesses donate besides money – something much more valuable than money – time, personal commitment, shared values, and setting a good example
• useful tips and guidelines on how companies choose the causes they support and how organizations can prepare for partnerships with businesses

„What touches me the most is not when we donate money, but when we get personally involved, with hard work and when the ideas for which causes to support at PRESTIGE come from my colleagues,“ Darina shared in part of her speech.

In October, Capital held its Future of Work Summit, where Darina Stoyanova took part in the panel discussion: „The dilemma of leaders: how to prepare people for a future we cannot predict.“

Part of the panel were Daniel Kanchev, Product & Technology Director, SiteGround, and Dr. Momchil Karpuzanov, Academic Director of Master’s Programs, American University in Bulgaria.

„I believe that success today is not about how accurately we can predict the future, but how quickly we can learn and adapt. I see that for young people, it is becoming increasingly important not where they work, but why they work. That is why it is crucial for me to be able to help the people in my team find meaning for themselves in their work. In times of uncertainty, strength comes from culture. If people believe in the mission, in the team, and in you as a leader, it doesn’t matter what changes tomorrow-they will find their way,“ – Darina shared.

She added that security does not come from predictability, but from the trust and humanity with which we move forward together. These are the stable foundations on which everything else can be built – innovation, transformation, results.

„People need to know that there is meaning and integrity behind decisions. That their leaders tell them the truth, even when it is difficult. When there is trust, people have the courage to think, to suggest, to make mistakes, to learn. And the smarter machines become, the more valuable humanity will become.“