17 inspirational public figures, 140 guests, and 40 companies raised over 160,000 BGN at the 8th annual charity auction. The money goes towards the training and professional support of Teach For Bulgaria teachers.

What can unite some of the most popular contemporary Bulgarian actors, former vice president of Google, an inspirational ultrarunner who has run thousands of kilometers around the world, the most successful Bulgarian female tennis player, and a space entrepreneur who can teach you how to make your own satellite?

All of them and even more celebrities participated in this year’s Inspirational Leaders Charity Auction and supported Teach For Bulgaria’s cause – equal access to quality education – and the work of all Teach For Bulgaria teachers. The 8th annual charity auction took place at the Hilton Hotel in Sofia on Oct 16, 2019.

The Inspirational Leaders Charity Auction is an annual initiative organized by Teach For Bulgaria in partnership with the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum and is sponsored by the Hilton in Sofia, SEG, Villa Melnik, Kinstellar, and Coca-Cola HBC.

17 celebrities and representatives of over 40 companies from different business sectors participated in this year’s auction. The guests from the business sector had the opportunity to bid for two hours of the time of popular public figures with a variety of impressive backgrounds in extreme sports, arts, entrepreneurship, media, etc. The stars of the auction are Teach For Bulgaria supporters who donate their time to the highest bidders by hosting workshops, giving speeches, or organizing some type of team building activities. Over 160,000 BGN were raised at this year’s auction. This money is going to be invested in the training, support, and professional development of all current Teach For Bulgaria teachers who work at nearly 60 partner schools in 11 regions of the country.

“Teach For Bulgaria’s work and our community is a great example of what it means to have teachers who respect you as a person, have absolutely no doubt as to whether you have the potential to be successful, and give you the opportunity to express yourself and grow. This is what all teachers should be doing, if we want Bulgarian children to be in charge of their own lives and grow up as active citizens and entrepreneurs. We are happy to have so many like-minded supporters – inspiring professionals, successful business leaders – who take part in the Inspirational Leaders Charity Auction every year,” Trayan Trayanov, CEO of Teach For Bulgaria, shared.

“We’ve been successful in our unconventional approach to bring business leaders and famous public figures together which only proves that everyone can contribute to the cause behind this event in their own way. It has been an honor to partner with Teach For Bulgaria and support their mission to provide good education and an equal start to all children regardless of where they live or the social status of their parents. This is a key prerequisite for a better future for our country,” Levon Hampartzoumian, Chairman of BBLF, said in his opening speech.

The celebrities who supported the event this year were actors Alek Aleksiev, Ivan Barnev, and Margita Gosheva, stage director Yavor Gardev, ultra runner Krasi Georgiev, adventurer Philip Lhamsuren, serial entrepreneur from Silicon Valley Bogomil Balkansky, space entrepreneur Raycho Raychev, Vice President of Unicredit Bulbank Victoria Blazheva, Director of Sofia Philharmonic Nayden Todorov, tennis player and entrepreneur Magdalena Maleeva, Her Excellency Pooja Kapur, Ambassador of India to the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, sailor and adventurer Doncho Papazov, singers Hilda Kazasyan and Preyah, photographer Vera Gotseva (lomovera), and TV host Maria Silvestar.

Teach For Bulgaria’s mission is to recruit, train, and develop talented and motivated professionals in their long-term efforts to change Bulgarian education for the better. During the two-year leadership and professional development program all participants go through intense training and receive professional support to work as teachers at underperforming schools in different regions of Bulgaria. They continue to contribute towards better quality education in Bulgaria even after the successful completion of the program, regardless of the career path they choose to pursue.

308 participants have successfully completed the program so far. Nearly 80% of them are still professionally engaged in the education sector as teachers, social entrepreneurs, or by working at civic and advocacy organizations, etc.

Teach For Bulgaria has built a strong community of current participants, alumni, and key partners from all sectors in order to support and sustain the long-term access to quality education for all children in Bulgaria.

The organization was initiated and financially supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation. Teach For Bulgaria is part of the global network for equal access to quality education Teach For All.

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Find out more about the charity auction and what this year’s celebrities have prepared for their highest bidders here, here, and here.

Support Teach For Bulgaria’s mission by making a donation here.