A life-long learner, she has completed a certificate program in management from Harvard Business School and holds an MBA from the American University in Bulgaria, which she attended on a scholarship for NGO specialists. Joanna’s work is the recipient of numerous awards including the Universal Forum of Cultures in Spain by the United Nations, Harvard’s Harbus Award for Excellence in Journalism and Education, and a citation for the state of Massachusetts for achievements in youth work.

During 2020, she designed a project on Roma financial inclusion and led the first Eastern European team to compete and win the international Rockefeller Acumen Social Enterprise Accelerator.After over 25 years of living abroad, Joanna returned to Bulgaria in late 2016 in order to contribute her experience to the development of the NGO sector in her native country. With 14 years of experience and a proven track record in organizational leadership, Joanna has taken on the role of Executive Director at the “Lachezar Tsotsorkov” Foundation.

Joanna is a member of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Donations Forum and the Media Literacy Coalition. She is a member of the “Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria” and part of the ChangeMakers collective.