Post by Green Transition Forum

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥? At Green Transition Forum #YouthForum, one topic consistently drew packed rooms and lively discussions: financial literacy. Because while education teaches us how to earn money, very few people teach us how to manage it, invest it, grow it or make it work for our future. Through interactive workshops, debates and hands-on sessions, participants explored what financial independence really means. From budgeting and saving to investing and building long-term financial security, the conversations focused on practical decisions every young person will face sooner or later. Moderated by Natalia Todorova, Financial Literacy Ambassador and host of the "𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐨?" podcast, the discussions challenged participants to rethink their relationship with money, wealth and financial responsibility. The entrepreneurial mindset was equally present throughout the day. Young founders from the Elevate AUBG Accelerator shared the realities of building companies from scratch - not just the successes, but also the failures, uncertainty, pressure and lessons learned along the way. Martin Angelov (Bolt Energy Gum), Georgi Buyukliyski (Falcon Delivery Solutions), Gregory-Leon Faurie (Robotnik) and Alexander Alexandrov (PetLawn) presented innovative solutions ranging from sustainable pet products and agricultural robotics to medical delivery drones and sports nutrition technologies. One of the most memorable moments came during 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬, hosted by Victor Goleminov of GreenDigi Hub. Participants pitched creative startup ideas to a live audience of "investors", proving that innovation often starts with imagination, courage and the willingness to put an idea into the world. The winning pitch earned its creator a one-month internship at the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, awarded by Manyu Moravenov Ph.D MRICS, CEO of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, who also led a practical workshop on how companies go from an idea to a publicly listed business. The day concluded with a founder-focused workshop led by Milena Stoycheva, former Minister of Innovation of Bulgaria, and Corinne Trang, Author and Global Business Development Advisor at NETZRO, SBC, who encouraged young people to think strategically, gain experience, build strong networks and understand the realities behind entrepreneurship. Their message was simple: 💡 Learn before you lead. 💡 Build before you scale. 💡 And remember that every successful company starts with someone willing to take the first step. Because financial literacy, entrepreneurial thinking and the ability to turn ideas into action may be among the most valuable skills of the 21st century. #GreenTransitionYouthForum #GTF2026 #FinancialLiteracy #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #YouthLeadership #Startups #FutureSkills #FinancialEducation #YoungLeaders