Milena Stoycheva
Former Minister of Innovation and Growth for Bulgaria, CEO, The Edge. Milena Stoycheva is a global technology and innovation evangelist and a recognized leader in entrepreneurship and education. She served as Bulgaria's Minister of Innovation and Growth in 2023/2024, shaping policy and building ecosystems at the intersection of technology, youth empowerment, and business. Milena is Managing Director of Precede Sarl and a member of the Investment Committee of SDV Precede Fund I, connecting entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, and access to capital. She was CEO of Junior Achievement Bulgaria for over 15 years and co-founded and leads The Edge: R&BD, a JA Bulgaria spin-off. She received JA Worldwide's highest global leadership award, "Soraya Salti," in 2021. Previously, she taught innovation and entrepreneurship at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, directed innovation and transformation at EIT Culture & Creativity, and was the first Dean of Student Affairs at the American University in Bulgaria. She co-founded and first chaired Bulgaria's cluster for digital healthcare solutions and has served on EC and OECD expert groups. A board member of the European Female Founders network, Milena advocates for gender-conscious investment and hosts the HER FUND Talks podcast. She holds degrees and specializations from Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski," Penn State, UC Berkeley, and MIT.