powering

Telerik Academy Leadership Programs

Lead with confidence.
Grow beyond your role

Whether you’re stepping into your first leadership role or scaling a business, our programs provide clarity, confidence, and strategic tools to drive real growth.

Lead with confidence
Build strong business and strategic thinking
Communicate, influence, and deliver

Where leaders are built:
The three pillars of your transformation

Most programs teach leadership in theory. We train it in practice. Our methodology is built on three core strengths that ensure you don't just learn about leadership - you live it.

Practitioners not theorists

Learn from leaders who have built real companies.
Our trainers are Founders, CEOs, and Managers in Bulgaria’s most successful companies. They share "battle-tested", real-world insights-from scaling teams and launching products to growing businesses and navigating crises.

Hands-on methodology

Move beyond theory into action.
Through practical simulations, real-world business cases, and hands-on use of AI tools, you develop skills you can apply immediately and impact your day-to-day work.

Curated network

Join a community of ambitious leaders.
Leadership is built on relationships. Become part of a selected community network of peer professionals and alumni from Bulgaria's top business organizations.

What you’ll learn

Core leadership skills that drive real impact

Lead teams with clarity and confidence

Communicate with impact and influence others

Navigate challenges and manage team dynamics

Think strategically and make informed decisions

Build trust with authentic leadership

Adopt AI to work smarter and faster

Who is this for?

Our leadership programs are for you if you are:

Stepping into a leadership role

You’re transitioning from individual contributor to leading people and want to build confidence and structure from day one.

Managing and developing teams

You already lead teams and want to improve performance, feedback, and day-to-day leadership effectiveness.

Growing or scaling a business

You’re an entrepreneur or business owner looking to develop strategic thinking and take your company to the next level.

Driving change

You’re expected to drive transformation, introduce new ways of working, and lead with clarity, trust, and impact.

Choose your program

Upskill your team

Empower your teams with practical leadership programs designed for today’s challenges. Companies can enroll employees directly into our open programs and support their growth in leadership roles.

If you would like to enroll multiple employees or discuss a tailored learning path for your organization, contact us.

Contact us

Your team

Your trainers – leading industry experts

Bela Stankova

Executive coach, Managing Director
Genevva Coaching

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Genevva Coaching

Bela is an executive coach, facilitator, and Partner at Jonathan Warner, a Netherlands-based leadership consultancy. She has delivered 1,750+ coaching hours with senior leaders across technology, fintech, e-commerce, and professional service. Previously Learning & Development Director at Telerik, she built the company's first internal leadership program. Bela holds a Master’s in Executive Coaching and Sociology, with additional training from Cornell University and Harvard in leadership psychology and executive presence.

Mihail Valkov

Software Product Management and Engineering Leader

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik/Progress, Telerik Academy, Icanpreneur, OfficeRnD

With 20+ years in tech, Mihail has led high-growth engineering and product teams. At Telerik, he built the largest engineering group; at Telerik Academy, he reinvented the business into an award-winning tech training organization. As GM at OfficeRnD, he scaled cross-functional teams for a fast-growing SaaS platform. Mihail combines technical depth with people-first leadership rooted in trust, clarity, and continuous improvement.

Venera Alexandrova

Founder and CEO, axelerify

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Netage, Dir.bg

Venera is a startup mentor with extensive experience in supporting the launch and growth of new ventures. Leveraging a broad network of advisors, domain experts, and VCs, she delivers personalized support to founders. Ex-Telerik, Netage, and Dir.bg employee, she started her own ventures in the last seven years, one of which is axelerify – the growth consultancy.

Venera is actively contributing to the Bulgarian startup ecosystem by supporting organizations like BESCO, BIH, Able, Appolica Startup Studio, and icanpreneur.

Miroslav Miroslavov

Chairman/Founder,
OfficeRnD

Contributed to the success of:
OfficeRnD, Telerik, GWA

Miro is a programmer and technology entrepreneur. In 2015, he founded OfficeRnD, one of the most successful Bulgarian startups. In 10 years, the company has become a global leader in coworking management software, serving over 1,000 clients worldwide. It has attracted more than $30M in investments from European and American funds.

Veli Pehlivanov

Co-Founder & CTO
Resolute Software

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik/ Progress, Resolute Software

With 17+ years of experience in software engineering and scaling tech teams, Veli helps businesses transform digitally through the right mix of technology, data and people processes. His career spans across multiple engineering and leadership roles, from Technical Lead at Telerik, to VP of Engineering at Progress, and multiple product startups in-between. As chief technology officer at a fast-paced software consulting firm, he now leads a team of brilliant tech professionals that analyze, design, develop and deploy modern software solutions that create a positive business impact.

Rene Tomova

Head of Platform/Design Partner, Eleven Ventures

Contributed to the success of:
Eleven, Mobiltel, Creative Shower

Rene is a startup advisor with over 20 years of top-level management experience. She helps early-stage companies close critical gaps by asking tough questions, designing meaningful experiments, and applying design thinking to customer and product development. With deep expertise in strategy, leadership, marketing, sales, and organizational design, she supports startups in achieving product–market fit and scaling sustainably.

Ivailo Iliev

Partner,
Ninety Nine

Contributed to the success of:
Ninety Nine Assessment, Management Systems Consulting Corporation, Giunti Psychometric Bulgaria, International Debate Educational Association (IDEA)

Ivailo is a seasoned consultant with over 20 years of experience in designing and leading soft skills and leadership development programs for fast-growing organizations. He has supported several of the most successful Bulgarian tech-entrepreneurial companies in their journey to sustainable growth and building organizational capacity. He holds a master’s degree in organizational and labor psychology, and several professional certificates and licenses from CIPD, Management Systems, Human Synergistics.

Galina Chuleva

CHRO, People and Culture, Yettel

Contributed to the success of:
Telenor, Leo Burnett

In her role at Yettel Galina oversees teams dedicated to people and performance management, corporate culture, and organizational design to drive business success. She holds a master's degree in economics from the American University, Washington DC, USA, and is an alumna of the American University in Bulgaria.

Svetla Lesova

Founder and CEO,
VIDAS Company

Contributed to the success of:
Gillette, Procter & Gamble and Mondelēz International (Kraft Foods)

Svetla has over 20 years of experience in fast-moving consumer goods, with a strong track record in both entrepreneurship and corporate leadership. She spent 18 years in global roles, managing business for major FMCG companies like Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and Mondelēz International, with responsibilities across 90 countries in the EEMEA region.

Svetozar Georgiev

GP at Eleven Ventures, Co-Founder of Telerik, Telerik Academy, Campus X

Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Telerik Academy, Campus X, Eleven

Svetozar is a co-founder of Telerik, Telerik Academy and Campus X. He is an active angel investor in up-and-coming Bulgarian startups and an active mentor to young entrepreneurs. He is a Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Startup Association BESCO. Svetozar mentors, advises, and invests in numerous startups and community organizations, aiming to strengthen Bulgaria's tech and startup ecosystems.

Diana Stefanova

Ex CEO of VMware Bulgaria

MP of BrightCap Ventures

Contributed to the success of:
BrightCap Ventures, VMware, Sciant

Before joining BrightCap, Diana spent 16 years at VMware, establishing its presence in Bulgaria and making it a key global R&D center. She held various leadership roles, overseeing R&D centers in EMEA and global site strategy. With over 25 years of experience, Diana excels in supporting startups, general management, corporate development, and finance, with a focus on high-tech in Silicon Valley and Europe. Diana advocates for improving Bulgaria's business climate, increasing women's presence in tech.

Emil Tabakov

Product Manager, Icanpreneur

Contributed to the success of:
Coursera, Progress, Telerik

Emo has more than 10 years of experience in the Software Development field. He has a solid technical background as a software engineer and leader of engineering teams with all kind of technologies. Recently, he enjoys the role of a Product Manager at Coursera - a leading world-wide online learning platform, focused on revolutionary hands-on learning experience.

Choose your program

Pick the leadership path that matches your goals:

Open admission

mini MBA

Think like a CEO. Master business and product strategy, gain financial acumen, and get comfortable with high-stakes decision-making.

Learn more

Open admission

Tech
Leadership

From Developer to Tech Leader. Lead teams, scale culture, and drive technical strategy.

Learn more

Open admission

Women in
Leadership

Lead with clarity and purpose. Focus on authentic leadership, executive presence, and navigating complex growth with confidence.

Learn more

Inspiring passion for learning. Changing lives and businesses.

Violeta Slavova

Professional Services Lead,

SoftwareOne

One of the most valuable lessons I took away during my participation in the Women in Leadership program is the power of reframing – a tool I have begun to use in both my personal and professional life. I also developed a deeper understanding of the complexity of work–life balance, the necessary compromises that come with success, and the nuanced role that office politics plays in effective leadership. This program encourages deep self-reflection, reminding us that meaningful growth starts by looking inward, because a large part of leadership is rooted in inner harmony, resilience, and adaptability.

Madlena Ivanova

Test Lead,

Flutter International

The Women in Leadership program was a luxurious and transformational journey back to myself. In a world that constantly demands performance, results, and perfection, this experience gave me the rare gift of pausing, reflecting, and reconnecting with who I truly am—beyond job titles, roles, and expectations. It felt like a personal retreat, a therapy session, and a leadership course all in one.

Elena Naydenova

Talent Acquisition and Development Manager BG,

Kamenitza AD

This program was one of the most meaningful and inspiring experiences in my personal growth. The teamwork, self-analysis tools, and examples from experienced women leaders were highly motivating. I built a network of friends and like-minded people. I also developed the ability to pause and reflect, and became more confident in my decisions. I now face challenges more calmly, embracing them with their full richness. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to any woman ready to connect with herself, meet inspiring leaders, and take the next step in her leadership journey.

Ready to get started?

Browse programs

Lead with confidence.
Grow beyond your role

Where leaders are built:
The three pillars of your transformation

What you’ll learn

Who is this for?

Upskill your team

Your trainers – leading industry experts