Sevdalina Voynova

Director of Programmes
at Sofia Development Association

Sevdalina currently serves as the Director of Programmes at the Sofia Development Association (SDA). Established in 2010 by the Sofia Municipality, SDA has been at the forefront of urban innovations, pioneering various initiatives in Sofia. These include the inaugural innovation call for proposals, the establishment of the first public-private fund for innovation, the initiation of municipal hackathons, and the creation of the first innovation campus.
Under Sevdalina’s leadership, SDA has played a pivotal role in driving the innovation performance of Sofia and the surrounding region, contributing to an impressive 8.5% increase in recent years. Notably, SDA has earned its place among the top-tier Emerging Innovators + in the European Regional Innovation Scoreboard.
Sevdalina is a co-author of the Sofia Smart Specialization Strategy and other key strategic documents, and has successfully managed numerous innovation projects. Her notable achievements include overseeing the first Bulgarian project funded by the Urban Innovative Action initiative, which introduced on-demand public transport. Additionally, she played a key role in establishing the Sofia matching public-private fund for innovations.
Prior to her role at SDA, Sevdalina held positions at the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria and served as the country director of the National Democratic Institute for Bulgaria.
Educationally, Sevdalina holds an MA from Sofia University and Oxford University, along with a BA in communications. On a personal note, she is married and has two daughters.