Meet The Facilitators

Ana Alibegova is an accomplished international development professional with over 15 years of experience at the nexus of program design and management, learning and development, and strategic communications. She has led complex, multi-sector initiatives focused on capacity-building of high-level stakeholders across the public, private and civil society sector.

Her expertise spans political management, effective leadership, and organizational development, having designed and delivered over 30 impactful programs for 700+ professionals across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. In North Macedonia, she has supported stakeholders in developing evidence-based, citizen-focused policies and advancing cross-party cooperation for meaningful policy reforms.
With a background in journalism and media, she brings a strategic communications lens to reform processes - crafting narratives that build public trust and foster civic engagement.

Biljana Sanev is a dynamic human resources leader with over 20 years of experience in the financial sector with focus on building inclusive workplace culture, developing talent, and aligning HR strategies with organizational goals.

Her academic background includes a law degree in International Political Studies from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje and an MBA in Human Resources Management from New York College in Greece. She also holds a cognitive behavioural coaching certificate from from Belgrade, Serbia, demonstrating her commitment to personal and professional development.

Beyond the office, Biljana is an active contributor to the Macedonian-American Alumni Association (MAAA), where she helps connect professionals across borders. She's a strong advocate for mindfulness, work-life harmony, and the power of authentic leadership. Whether mentoring young professionals or exploring nature with her family, she brings passion and purpose to everything she does.

Dr. Dehari is a seasoned expert with extensive experience in governmental institutions of the Republic of North Macedonia. He has previously served as Deputy Director of the Financial Police Directorate, as well as Deputy Director of the Public Enterprise “National Forests.” Additionally, he has held the role of Special Advisor to the Government on Security Affairs.He is a university professor and an alumnus of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) – Security World Track.Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Macedonian Alumni Association (MAAA).

Blagica Eftimova, an alumna of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (2021-2023) and has served as a Specialist for the 2024 cohort of the Community Engagement Exchange Program.

Blagica is a Program Officer for the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program, supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems in seven countries: Peru, Vietnam, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Blagica specializes in community building for startups in North Macedonia and MRM data analysis across these regions. She is passionate about empowering youth in North Macedonia and is committed to raising awareness about opportunities available to young people while providing them with the courage to lead. With extensive NGO experience, Blagica organizes and facilitates projects on crucial topics such as youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, peacebuilding, networking, soft skills, and data analysis. As a dedicated youth leader and trainer, she also volunteers as a project coordinator for two youth NGOs, leading international projects from development to implementation. 

Dr. Blagica Petreski is the Executive Director of Finance Think, a think tank based in North Macedonia and the leader of the Western Balkan Economic Think Tank Network - WEBecon. She is a committed advocate for effective economic policies as well actively engaged in shaping the public debate on economic issues in the country and the region. Holding a PhD in Economics from the University Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, she furthered her expertise as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Illinois in Chicago, USA, focusing on research in public finance management. As an Associate Professor at the University American College Skopje, Blagica imparts her knowledge in Public Economic Policy. With a 15-year career, 13 of which have been dedicated to labor market, public finance policies and socio-economic topics. Blagica's expertise lies in research and designing policy measures based on evidence. Published widely, including 13 papers in prominent peer-reviewed journals indexed on the Web of Science. Overseeing or contributing to more than 50 projects from international donors. She is the country representative in the Brussels-based European Economic and Social Committee. She is exposed to international research community, and is a Research Fellow of Partnership for Economic Policy. She is also an alumnus of Young Transatlantic Innovative Leaders Initiative.

Dancho Dimkov, MSc, Executive MBA, CMgr, CMC is a B2B management consultant, serial entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for entrepreneurial freedom. As the founder and CEO of BizzBee Solutions, he has helped over 400 companies scale, earning him recognition such as the ‘40 Under 40’ award. Dancho’s entrepreneurial journey began early, culminating in global recognition as a “Global Innovator” at just 22 years old—a title that took him from Macedonia to global stages in Brazil, India, and Finland.

With a career spanning marketing, software, and strategic consulting, Dancho specializes in helping service providers and start-ups build scalable business models. He is the author of several business books, including Sweet Leads and A Journey to Financial Freedom, and currently lives in Skopje, Macedonia with his wife and three children. 

Martina Dimoska is an internationally recognized, award-winning researcher, engineer, and the first female analog astronaut from North Macedonia and the Balkans. She is the founder of the International Space Alliance (ISA), a global nonprofit advancing space exploration by building capacity in underrepresented regions. Martina has taken part in NASA-, ESA-, and CSA-supported analog missions, is a NASTAR-certified Suborbital Spaceflight Ambassador, and actively promotes STEM education and equal access to space through innovation, advocacy, and international collaboration.

Monika Rizovska Tanevska is Global Community Director for Women in Tech across 68 countries and is the Country Director for Women in Tech Macedonia with a proven track record in the IT industry. She recently received Global Impact Award for leading the most impactful chapter among 100 countries for a second time.

Monika is also the co-founder of Ways2Help, a social impact initiative and winning solution at Startup Weekend Skopje, and a proud WorldChicago Fellow in Tech and Innovation (2021). Since then, she has been an active member of the Macedonian-American Alumni Association (MAAA).

Recognized as a community builder, keynote speaker, and mentor, Monika frequently contributes to regional and international hackathons, accelerators, and tech conferences. Her deep interest in artificial intelligence further shapes her strategic direction today, where she leverages her experience to support startups and young entrepreneurs, particularly through Balkan Digital, an organization founded by MAAA alumni.

She lives by the motto: “Think big, do it right, and do it with style.”

Experienced program manager and ecosystem builder with a talent for strategic collaboration. Bridging startups, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem actors, fostering funding and support for startups.
Specializing in program management, business development and storytelling, and excels in crafting innovative solutions and managing impactful programs and initiatives.
Appointed advisory board member of the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA) and the Western Balkan Startup Alliance (WBSA).

Multifaceted legal and business executive with 15+ years of progressive leadership across the legal, corporate, and NGO sectors. Proven expertise in legal compliance, corporate governance, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication. Adept at leading nonprofit institutions, managing international donor-funded programs, and advising C-level executives on corporate responsibility and cross-border operations. Recognized for driving institutional reform, empowering youth leadership, and building impactful partnerships across the Western Balkans and EU.

Sara Milenkovska is a feminist activist, researcher, and program manager based in North Macedonia. She co-founded the Stella Network, an intersectional mentorship platform empowering girls and women across diverse communities, and works with Coalition Margins to counter anti-gender movements and shrinking civic space in the Western Balkans. Sara’s work focuses on gender equality, youth empowerment, and justice-centered policy reform. As a 2023 alumna of the IVLP program on youth, historical memory, and civil society, she continues to amplify youth voices in transitional justice and democratic resilience across the region.