Over time, my projects become more and more global, but I like to always have a piece of Bulgaria in them

Introduce yourself in a few words..

Elena Marinova, entrepreneur, philanthropist. For a quarter of a century, I was mostly “Elena from Musala” (co-founder and president of Musala Soft). We built a software company with global clients, supported the creation of the Bulgarian IT ecosystem and the international positioning of our country, and maintained one of the most consistent CSR strategies in our country — we invested millions, mostly in education. After a successful M&A deal in 2022, I withdrew from the operational business; today I have a portfolio of investments and, building on my experience in business and NGO boards, I am creating global networks of future leaders. My focus is on the smartest children of Bulgaria (through the Olympic association), on AI — simultaneously gathering the best students from around the world, and providing maximum access (through the International Olympiad in AI, IOAI), as well as in the younger age group through the European Youth Olympiad in Informatics - eJOI.

What does traveling the world mean to you?

“A person is a person when they are on the road,” right? :)

How many different countries have you seen so far?

About 70 — less than half the world. I travel with great pleasure and around Bulgaria.

Tell us an interesting story or highlights from your travels?

I love to take photos - it has brought me wonderful acquaintances, and tense moments: a platform in Harlem, the medina in Casablanca, in front of a mosque in Istanbul, near military sites (I collect “No Photography” signs), behind the European Parliament. Most surprisingly - in a supermarket in the USA, I was suspected of industrial espionage :)

Do you like to repeat destinations? Give examples and motivation “for” or “against”?

Yes - I take family and friends to favorite places. I return, but I always add something new.

What was your first trip that truly changed you as a professional and can be said to have changed your thinking?

My first professional trip was to the USA. It wasn’t then, but years later - and to this day, the brightest symbol of the USA for me is Disneyland in Orlando, which shocked me with its business model: every inch is designed for you to pay — with pleasure. Americans are virtuosos in monetization; we Europeans cannot do it for better or worse.

What do you learn about yourself and your professional skills when you are in a new cultural environment?

All of us are woven from stereotypes and every trip and meeting with a different culture removes a layer from them and brings us closer.

Have you met people or ideas during your travels that have influenced your career path?

Isn’t that the purpose of business trips? :) Of course. Literally every single one. You learn more about people, organizations, strategies, plans - everything that online is not as valuable or cannot be shared for some reason. In business, personal meetings are a source of early indications of upcoming changes.

Personal travels have a more human perspective and open opportunities beyond the “agenda”.

Do you think your travels help you expand your professional network? How?

Naturally - every meeting, every contact is a new beginning. It may not materialize immediately or even ever, but it is potential.

What skills do you develop the most when you travel, and how do they reflect on your work?

Traveling is stepping out of the routine, and that means - creativity.

Is there a city or country that has inspired you to start a new business or project?

There are quite a few.

For example, Cuba. I went there in 2018 after a board meeting at AUBG in Washington — to get to know the people and education and to see if there is ground for a future development center there after the country opens up, which will happen sooner or later. It turned out that there are excellent programmers. We changed our strategy: after months, the first colleagues from Cuba arrived in Bulgaria. In just 2–3 years, dozens of Cubans, along with their families, formed a Cuban core of highly qualified specialists in our country.

When you are in an unfamiliar country, do you feel more motivated or more distracted? Why?

More focused. The limited time makes me see and do more.

Are there destinations that act as a “restart” for your creativity and ambition?

The Rhodopes.

How do you manage the balance between work and pleasure when you travel?

I don’t. I take it to the max.

How have travels changed the way you perceive the value of money?

In many ways: money can buy a lot — and nothing. Luxury can be bought; views and some experiences are priceless. Happiness has no direct connection to wealth. Health can be bought, but only to some extent. With a little money, sometimes you create enormous value — education is the best example. 

Do you travel to find new ways to make money?

With the aim of how to create additional value. I believe that money is not a goal, but a means.

What lessons about financial independence have you learned from different economies and cultures?

Hustle and short-term planning (every Q must show progress) - USA, truly long-term (decades and centuries ahead) strategies - China, successfully exploiting “old laurels” - the large economies of Western Europe, “I know and can with 2 and with 200” - Eastern Europe, happiness with little money - Rwanda… In different situations, these lessons have been invaluable to me.

In your opinion, is it better to spend on experiences rather than material possessions?

Money is a tool. Things provide comfort, experiences — a horizon. Both are important, and the Bulgarian wisely said - “stretch yourself according to the rug”. Beyond personal material possessions and experiences lies a whole dimension — giving.

How do you see the future of digital nomadic life?

According to statistics from 2025, about 40 million people identify as digital nomads — approximately 0.5% of the population. However, these “nomads” can also be on their couch in their apartment across from the office. According to another statistic from 2023, 10% of American digital nomads live in a foreign country, the rest “nomad” within the country or with “business trips” abroad. In other words, traveling is easier than ever, but mass nomadism is unlikely to happen soon - for various reasons and ways our roots “pull”.

Are there specific countries that are more favorable for work and investments?

It depends on the investment profile. There are “cyclical” markets with high returns and high risk. There are also destinations with predictability, good regulation, security, talent, and reasonable returns - good for short and long horizons; Bulgaria is not “perfect”, but it is well positioned in this category.

If you could choose one place in the world, where would you develop your next big idea and why?

Everything I have done in my career has been international. Over time, my projects become more and more global, but I like to always have a piece of Bulgaria in them.

What are the destinations you would definitely recommend to be visited and why?

There are so many … some that impressed me recently - thousands of birds along the dozens of kilometers of deserted beaches, where the mountains of Oman plunge; the uniquely preserved ancient temples and the nature that engulfs them at Angkor Wat in Cambodia; live Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, and Hitman 3 End of an Era in Chongqing, China; the view of the sea sunset from my favorite hotel, Vico Equense, Italy; thousands of children  after school in perfectly clean clothes splashing on the red roads of villages in Rwanda; the waterfall before which you are left speechless - Iguazu, on the Brazil-Argentina border; dancing people literally everywhere, and especially while waiting at a red light in Rio, Brazil; the infinity of Patagonia, which in its part with long straight roads is the same as the central highway of Oman, but instead of camels, there are alpacas, the desert is rocky, not sandy, and the temperature is 50 degrees lower, Argentina; the gigantic icebergs further south in Patagonia; the burning sun at over 3000m altitude in Shangri-La, China; the sticky heat, the smells, and the colors in Bangkok, Thailand … 

… however, where my soul feels at home is the Rhodopes. Everything falls into place when, while the muzhgian patatnik is getting ready, we drink gin with Djamal and then he throws in such huge pine logs into the fire. This is an unhidden advertisement for Hotel Elegance, Borino.

What is the career advice you would give based on what you have seen around the world?

Without a lot of work, it doesn’t happen :)