Maria is Director of the Bulgarian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) and she is in charge of the overall organization and strategy of the association. Previously, she was part of the team at the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, Invest Europe, based in Brussels. She worked on industry promotion and member relations with more than 600 member firms and 600 affiliate members – from seed and venture capital funds to mid-market and large-buyout. Maria has proven professional experience in the spheres of business, finance, and education. In Brussels, she was part of the Business Confederation UNITEE and the Institute for European Studies, IES. In Bulgaria, she negotiated and executed executive programs for C-level professionals for firms such as VMware and AG Capital, during her business development work at the American University in Bulgaria. Maria holds MSc in Communication Studies, MA in Diplomacy and BА in Business Administration.