Celebrating Bojidar Neytchev, winner of Dare2Scale Mentor for 2024!
Our yearly Mentor Awards recognize the mentors who have made the greatest contributions to our network. The awards are divided into three categories, based on data analysis from 2023, reflecting the following criteria:
- Hours dedicated to mentoring sessions and supporting our investor network
- Participation in events and overall engagement
- Feedback and evaluation of mentoring effectiveness
The categories are:
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Mentor of the Year – The mentor with the most hours donated in support of Endeavor’s regional and global network and Endeavor entrepreneurs.
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Most Endeavorized Mentor – An Endeavor ambassador who actively contributes through introductions, being an ambassador, or otherwise demonstrating commitment to our mission.
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Dare2Scale Mentor – The mentor with the most hours donated in support of the Dare2Scale program, including workshops, interviews, mentoring sessions, and other activities.
Bojidar Neytchev has been with Endeavor since 2017. First as a mentor, then with PwC as they support and guide Dare2Scale companies, and finally, since last year—as an Endeavor Bulgaria board member.
It is no surprise, then, that he won the “Dare2Scale Mentor” Award at the 2024 Mentor Awards. To celebrate this achievement, I wanted to look past his 30 years at PwC, past the numerous boards he serves on, past the many amazing initiatives he’s spearheaded, and into the person who stands behind it all.
Bojidar spoke in many examples and metaphors. It was a pleasant surprise how easy it was to get him to open up, but that might not be surprising as it is not his “first rodeo” doing interviews. (It certainly is mine.)
In a Tuk-Tam interview from 2022, Bojidar describes himself as an “enthusiastic youth of 53, father, husband, and friend.” He still describes himself the same way, with just a few differences. “With a little bit more emotional baggage, which can transform into new knowledge depending on your outlook on life. Everything,” he says, “can either fuel you or hold you back.”
“When you go hiking,” Bojidar explains, “your backpack helps you move forward. What you choose to put in it can either weigh you down or propel you further. It all depends on what kind of baggage you decide to carry along your path.” Experiences, he believes, can either hold you back or help you grow—it’s all in how you perceive them.
When I ask about his three decades at PwC, Bojidar lights up. “When you work for such a company—or rather, because such an organization works within you—it places you in countless diverse situations and experiences. I’d say there are only a few other professions that expose you to such variety. You learn what matters to a bank, but also what’s essential for a mining operation. On top of that, you’re immersed in a very cosmopolitan, international culture. When you mix this with the company’s core value of ‘doing the right thing,’ it helps you grow into a well-rounded person.”
"All of life is essentially debits and credits—what you give and what you receive. At Endeavor, when we talk about giving back, it’s the same idea. You accumulate wealth—not just material wealth—and what do you do? You give back to the society, friends, and community that helped you grow."
Talking about giving back, you joined Endeavor in 2017 but you mentor in different organizations as well. What do you get out of mentoring?
“When I was a kid dreaming about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I decided that I didn’t want to grow old. So far, I’ve done well. I realized that staying young means surrounding yourself with young people—not necessarily by age but young at heart. Teaching is perfect for this. You’re always around students—they’re quick thinkers, progressive, and full of energy. That rubs off on you. I didn’t become a teacher; I became a consultant, which in many ways is similar. You’re successful as a consultant when your client feels you’re genuinely invested in their challenges—not just the business side but the emotional side too. Mentorship takes it a step further. You fully immerse yourself in someone’s perspective, challenges, and decisions.
What I get out of it is what we call “reverse mentoring.” I learn things I’d never encounter otherwise.”
He quotes Henry Ford: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
For Bojidar, the past three years since he received the Mentor of the Year award haven’t significantly changed his views on mentorship. “If anything has shifted, it’s not in the heart of mentoring,” he says. He recounts stories of entrepreneurs he’s mentored calling him years later for advice or just to reconnect. “It’s incredibly rewarding. You feel valued, and it’s refreshing to engage with young, ambitious, entrepreneurial minds.”
Bojidar reflects: “People are shaped by two things—the decisions they make and the people they surround themselves with. Endeavor is an environment where we actively influence and shape those within. Our job is to help them grow into better people.”
In 2022, you were part of Tuk-Tam’s jury for their “Go, Learn, and Come Back” initiative. You’ve also led initiatives like PwC’s “25 Reasons to Choose Bulgaria.” Supporting young talent in Bulgaria seems close to your heart. Why is that?
“My personal cause is to help Bulgarian talent establish itself, whether here in Bulgaria or abroad—and encourage those abroad to return. For example, I serve on the board of the ‘For Our Kids’ foundation, where we focus on giving every child a chance to create their own path. That’s where this process starts.”
You seem to serve on many boards, yet your LinkedIn doesn’t mention them!
“That’s true, and I probably should update it,” he laughs. “But one of my mentors once told me: if you’re going to give back, don’t mix it with marketing. You’re either building a brand or doing community work—choose one.” This advice explains why he isn’t as vocal about his contributions.
Switching gears to a favorite question of mine – is there a piece of advice you find yourself giving over and over again?
“It’s always said differently, but the essence is this: decide if you’re in a sprint or a marathon. Sometimes you need to make quick, dynamic decisions to meet tight deadlines. Other times, you need to slow down, think deeply, and acknowledge that a task can’t be rushed. Balancing these two approaches is difficult, whether in business or personal life. There’s no universal formula.”
In 2021, you said courage is the defining trait of entrepreneurs—three different forms of it. Today you echoed this sentiment. How did you arrive at that philosophy?
“Courage and determination are central. The difference between entrepreneurs and everyone else is that entrepreneurs don’t just gather information—they act on it. Most people procrastinate by overthinking. Entrepreneurs act, knowing things might not go as planned. That’s courage. And entrepreneurship is definitely a marathon. It’s not easy or quick, but you find ways to keep pushing forward.”
Bojidar ties this to his sprint vs. marathon concept. Entrepreneurship is definitely a marathon. Obstacles are inevitable, but resilience is key.
A few times you’ve said that while most of us call it an “entrepreneurial ecosystem” you call it a “community”, and today during the video interview you said “philosophy”. Why “community” and not “ecosystem”, what is the difference?
“‘Ecosystem’ feels narrower—like a smaller version of a community. In Bulgaria, all the players working to support entrepreneurship are interconnected. In a small country like ours, we need to maximize what I call the ‘coefficient of useful activity’—essentially, efficiency—to support those driving prosperity.”
OK, that makes sense. You’ve said it before, it is also a part of our mission at Endeavor, that we need to find ways to open up this community and let it grow. Alright, last question – you travel, you are in the board of numerous organizations, you mentor, you work a lot, you’re a father and husband, how do you manage everything? Do you find balance?
“Oh, I don’t!” he laughs. “I am not looking for balance, balance finds me.”
How does it find you? What’s the secret formula?
“I wouldn’t say that I do something specific to try and organize everything and achieve balance. Let’s start there – balance is not static. What matters is that whatever you’re doing at the moment, you put your heart in it, giving it your all. Whether it is work, leisure, or anything else.”
He recalls a seminar where a young manager asked him about work-life balance. “There’s no such thing,” he told them. Separating the two, he explained, diminishes both. “When you dedicate yourself to what you’re doing, balance finds you naturally.”
What a fitting conclusion. Sitting in the board room at the Bulgarian PwC office overlooking the city center, it felt like I was drinking right from the source.
No wonder the Dare2Scale Mentor award went to him.