Real business strategies
Conversations that go beyond headlines — how elite Bulgarian founders actually build and scale.
Current Project
Silicon Valley Vanguard, hosted by Stephanie Zlateva
Stephanie Zlateva founded and hosts Silicon Valley Vanguard, a media platform and podcast designed to bridge Bulgarian business leaders directly to Silicon Valley capital, resources, and world-class investors.
Why I started it
The reason behind Silicon Valley Vanguard is simple: there is a lack of direct access to knowledge and capital from Silicon Valley for the Bulgarian startup ecosystem.
As a Bulgarian founder who went through the heart of the tech world — winning Startup Weekend San Francisco at 17 and running Campus ChitChat LLC for four years with teams in India and the Philippines — I have direct experience with international operating models. This podcast is how I bring that experience back to Bulgaria.
I want every episode to feel like that room at Stanford: intense business conversations, real operators, and the kind of energy that pushes people to build bigger.
Featured Forbes 30 Under 30 guests
Vasil Bakalov
Forbes 30 Under 30 — from building Mushpresso to recognized young founder in Bulgaria.
Emo Tonev
Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni featured on the platform.
Gero Pishkov
Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni featured on the platform.
Gabriela Belnikolovska
Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni featured on the platform.
What we cover
International operating models
Managing distributed engineering and operations teams across time zones, from India to Thailand to the Philippines.
Cross-border payments & compliance
Practical frameworks for payroll, legal, and financial operations when your team spans continents.
Investor readiness
Preparing local talent for the global market and connecting them with foreign investors.