Who will select the best business plans for NGO at LET’s GO 2026? Introducing the jury!
On October 30, 2026, participants in Let’s GO 2026 will reach one of the most important moments in the program – they will present their business plans live before a jury, an audience, and investors. The finals will be part of the LET’S GROW – Social Ideas and Business Solutions 2026 conference, which takes place as part of the entrepreneurial and technology conference Crossroads in Sofia.
But before taking the stage, the organizations from this year’s cohort went through months of work, learning, testing, and rethinking their ideas alongside business mentors from the School of Business Competencies. And when the time comes to present their business plans, they will face a panel of five professionals with diverse backgrounds—in entrepreneurship, technology, investment, corporate responsibility, and media.
From a Cause to a Viable Business Model
Let’s GO is a 7-month training and mentoring program run by the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law in partnership with the School of Business Competencies, which helps civil society organizations launch or develop business activities aligned with their mission. The program runs from April through October 2026, and participants work on business modeling, financial planning, marketing and communications, and developing sustainable sales strategies.
The 16th edition of the program welcomed 12 organizations with 12 different social enterprise ideas. Among them are solutions for improving mobility and employment for people with disabilities, corporate training on addiction prevention and mental health, debate training for students and companies, and a number of other models that seek both social impact and financial sustainability.
Over the course of the Let’s GO program, participants not only developed their initial ideas but also learned to view them through an entrepreneurial lens—who their customer is, what problem they’re solving, what value they offer, where their revenue will come from, how they’ll manage their finances, and how they’ll reach the market. Their work was supported by mentors and experts in business, marketing, advertising, and finance. Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law
This is also the big test at the end: a good cause must now be able to stand on its own as a viable, sustainable, and compelling business model.
The Finale: A Live Presentation Before an Audience, Investors, and a Jury
This year, the final presentation goes beyond the confines of the training room. Participants will present their business ideas during Crossroads, in front of business representatives, potential partners, investors, and members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It is precisely this event that gives organizations the opportunity not only to compete but also to gain real visibility, feedback, and new contacts.
On stage, they’ll have to answer the toughest questions: Is there a market for this idea? Who will pay for the product or service? Can the model scale and grow? What is the relationship between revenue and social impact? And why is this particular team the one that can make it happen?
The best business plan at Let’s GO 2026 will be selected by a jury of five professionals.
Petar Tornev – Managing Director of Technology at Accenture Bulgaria
Petar Tornev is the Managing Director of the Technology Center at Accenture in Bulgaria and has over 20 years of experience in the IT sector, technology, and business transformation. He holds a degree in “Computer Systems and Technologies” from the Technical University of Varna, completed the Leadership Development Program at Harvard Business School, and earned an Executive MBA from the American University in Bulgaria.
He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law. Over the years, he has been actively involved in developing leadership potential, education, and the ecosystem of civil society organizations and social entrepreneurs, including through the initiatives DarPazar, Shtrak, and Let’s GO.
Valya Nadova – Program Expert at the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation
Valya Nadova is a program expert at the “America for Bulgaria” Foundation, where she applies her experience from the startup ecosystem to the nonprofit sector. She is also the current president of the American University in Bulgaria Alumni Association (AAA), where she actively supports and develops the alumni community. Based in Sofia, she continues to support startups through her professional work and volunteer efforts.
Previously, Valya served as Operations Manager at LAUNCHub Ventures and was part of the Eleven Ventures team. She has actively contributed to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bulgaria, including as a co-founder of the Bulgarian Entrepreneurship Center—a nonprofit organization that builds bridges between Bulgaria and the United States.
Valya holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Journalism from the American University in Bulgaria, as well as an EMBA from Central European University.
Dean Bezlov – Co-founder and Head of Sales at MYX
Dean Bezlov is an entrepreneur and co-founder of companies, with practical experience in building and developing technology businesses. He graduated from the Sofia Mathematical High School and then studied mathematics and statistics at the University of Warwick.
After six years in the corporate sector, he returned to Bulgaria in 2019 and became actively involved in the startup ecosystem.
Today, he is a co-founder and Head of Sales at MYX—a technology company that develops solutions for the digitization and management of telecommunications infrastructure. Over the years, Dean has worked with a number of startups on topics such as go-to-market strategies, fundraising, product development, and sales—experience that will be particularly valuable in evaluating the business logic of projects in Let’s GO. MYX
Suzy Mansur – Corporate Responsibility Specialist at Paysafe Bulgaria
Suzy Mansour is a Corporate Responsibility Specialist at Paysafe Bulgaria and has been with the company since 2013. In her current role, she leads Paysafe Giving’s initiatives in the country, which focus on volunteering, supporting civil society organizations, and engaging employees in causes with a positive social impact. Suzy Mansur
Suzy has extensive experience in various areas of business and believes that corporate responsibility is most effective when it goes beyond mere philanthropy and empowers people to become active agents of change. She also works to build stronger communities both within the company and beyond through volunteer and community initiatives.
Marina Tsekova – Journalist and Host of “Wake Up” on NOVA
Marina Tsekova is a journalist and has been the host of the show “Wake Up” on NOVA since 2021. She studied journalism, communications, film studies, and political communications in Berlin, and her professional career includes work at Deutsche Welle, BNR, and NOVA as a reporter, host, and producer.
She has won journalism awards and, over the years, has been actively involved in social issues and has supported charitable initiatives. Marina Tsekova is a Bulgarian jour… Her experience adds another important perspective to the jury—the ability to transform a complex idea into a clear, compelling, and impactful message for the public.
Five Different Perspectives on a Single Business Idea
The jury’s composition is no accident. It brings together expertise from the tech industry, startups, and the investment ecosystem, as well as corporate social responsibility, sales, and communications.
This means that business plans will not be evaluated based on a single criterion. The jury will look for logic in the business model, a real need, knowledge of the customer and the market, financial sustainability, growth potential, and a clear social impact.
And participants will need to demonstrate not only what they want to do, but why their solution can actually work.
This is precisely the point of Let’s GO: to support civil society organizations in viewing entrepreneurship not as a compromise with their mission, but as a tool that can make their mission more independent and sustainable.
Who will be the winner of Let’s GO 2026?
The answer will be revealed on October 30 in Sofia, when the finalists take the stage at Crossroads to present their business plans to a jury, the audience, and investors.
There, a good cause will have to meet a good business plan.
And one of the teams will walk away as the winner of Let’s GO 2026.
You can buy tickets for the event HERE.
The “Let’s GO” program is being implemented as part of the project “Stronger Together: Engaging Other Sectors in Civil Society Initiatives (2026–2028)”