Louisa Slavkova is a political scientist and author with extensive experience in foreign policy, democracy development and civic education. She received her MA in political science, history and American literature from the University of Cologne and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Sofia. Louisa has held various positions throughout her career, including a visiting fellow at Columbia University, programs manager at the European Council on Foreign Relations and adviser to Bulgaria’s former foreign and climate ministers.

In 2013, she founded the Sofia Platform Foundation, a non-governmental organization focused on civic education and dealing with the country’s communist past. She is the co-author of two textbooks on civic education in Bulgaria and has authored and edited several books and publications on foreign policy and democracy development.

In 2021, Louisa co-founded THE CIVICS Innovation Hub and now serves as one of its three managing partners, overseeing operations in Sofia. She is also a civics course instructor at New Bulgarian University and a frequent contributor to Bulgarian and international outlets on democracy in Bulgaria and the region.

Borislav has an extensive experience in human rights. Before joining Sofia Platform he worked as a legal consultant for the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and project coordinator in other non-governmental organization on a wide array of topics such as rights of ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, refugees and asylum-seekers, rights of the child, protection from torture and ill-treatment, freedom of expression and association, problems of the criminal justice system.

Leonie holds a MA in Peace and Conflict Research from the university in Frankfurt am Main and studied politics and sociology (BA) in Eichstätt and Brussels. Before joining Sofia Platform, she was working with the Berlin-based NGO Steps for Peace (2014-2016) focusing on  social and political transformation processes in fragile contexts. Leonie is also project coordinator at THE CIVICS Innovation Hub since 2022.

Ana holds a master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the European Programme of the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice and a bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies and Philosophy from Amsterdam University College. Her personal interest lies in the protection of the environment - she wrote her Master’s thesis on the topic of Environmental Ethics and their effect on environmental law under the supervision of Åbo Akademi in Turku, Finland. In her personal life, she has been active in volunteering and supporting organizations committed to human rights, democracy, and environmental protection.

Denitza has ten years of professional experience in the field of education, having worked for a number of Bulgarian and international organizations.  Prior to joining the Sofia Platform Foundation team, Denitza was a consultant in a boutique global education consultancy firm in the UK, where she worked on evaluation and research projects and also managed learning assessment, girls’ education and refugee education projects. She has also worked as a teacher. Denitza is interested in supporting the teaching and learning of civic education and developing initiatives that forge civic skills and competencies.

Kameliya has over nine years of professional experience working with high-performing international civil society organisations. The areas in which she specialised include organisational effectiveness and good governance, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. As part of her various roles at Accountable Now, Transparency International, Greenpeace International, and Vessy.com Kameliya reviewed and assessed the management and governance systems of small, medium, and large entities and provided guidance on how to improve their management strategies by focusing on transparent and accountable processes and practices. Kameliya has a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Bristol, having studied Contemporary Identities and Multiculturalism whilst also volunteering with a campaign to defend the rights of asylum seekers in the UK.

Prior to joining the "Sofia platform" team, Kristalina gained diverse experience as a journalist, article author and content writer for online media, press and television. She was also engaged in translation of fiction, marketing and event planning. Kristalina coordinated foreign PhD students' educational process in Bulgaria while being part of an international company. She has graduated in "Sociology" and has a Master degree in "Media, communication and culture", a shared program held in three universities in Bulgaria, Germany and France.

As a student, Mirena started working as an intern in the marketing department of a large international company. New technologies have always excited her and marketing in a digital environment immediately grabs her. After graduating Business Management at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", she also gained experience in the Key Account Department. For several years she has been successfully partnering with Bulgarian and international companies, many of which have a strong online presence. Before going on maternity leave, she managed to combine her two passions and work as a digital and e-commerce manager.

Sevdalina is currently studying PR & Communications at Sofia University and is part of the Digital Marketing for Worthy Causes fellowship program of the America for Bulgaria Foundation. The program gives 12 young people the opportunity for an internship in NGOs, as well as for an introduction into the marketing world. Sevdalina chose to be an intern at Sofia Platform Foundation because of her interest in the history of the recent past and her aspiration to learn more about it.

Teodora has a bachelor's degree in French Philology from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". Before becoming part of the "Sofia Platform" team, she worked as a teacher-suggestopedagogue, as well as in managerial positions in companies in different areas.

Momchil Metodiev is professor of history in the New Bulgarian University, Editor in Chief of the Christianity and Culture Journal and Research Fellow in the Institute for Studies of the Recent Past, Sofia, Bulgaria. He has authored four monographs and numerous articles and took part in the compilation of several documentary collections published by the Bulgarian Dossier Commission. He also worked in several Bulgarian and international projects researching the communist past.

Research and Analysis Director, Director General a.i. at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. Segal Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute For Near East Policy. Formerly Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. He was formerly Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq and Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2010 – 2013) and Defence (2009 – 2010).

Programme Director and Head of the Sofia Office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Previously, she was Director of the Wider Europe Programme at ECFR (2013-2015) and Spokesperson of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2010 – 2013).

Senior Policy Advisor to the European Climate Foundation, Minister of Environment and Water in the last Bulgarian interim government (2013), Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian School of Politics (2006 – 2013).

Former senior government official and ambassador of Bulgaria to Iraq, expert at the Center for Security and Defence Management at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, associated senior research fellow at Geneva Centre for DCAF, with 34 years of military experience