SiteGround, the technological software company whose idea was born at AUBG, invited 48 AUBG students to its headquarters – showcasing its forward-thinking premises and offering insightful lectures to the next generation.
In his opening remarks, Ivo Tzenov (‘03), the Founder of SiteGround, said: “The purpose of this visit is to show you what it takes to build a career or start your own company.”
The event offered a behind-the-scenes look at how the company started and how it operates. “We’ve heard many inspiring stories about Ivo Tzenov’s time at AUBG, which motivates us to stay actively involved in the university community. Drawing on our 21 years of experience, we are also committed to sharing valuable industry insights into the future of software development—helping students understand what to expect and how to prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead,” said Gloriya Ilieva, Senior Human Resources Generalist at SiteGround and one of the event organizers.
The visit is part of SiteGround’s broader philanthropic initiatives. It aims to go beyond showcasing the company and sharing professional advice.
“The purpose is to show students that there is potential to stay in Bulgaria and to have high standards when they graduate – to demand more from their future employers. That way, step by step, we can be changing the entire ecosystem here in Bulgaria,” said Kalina Decheva (’21), Talent Acquisition Partner at SiteGround.
Insights from SiteGround’s Growth Marketing Director
The day began with refreshments and a warm welcome, followed by a presentation by Monika Dimitrova, Growth Marketing Director at SiteGround. She shared her decade-long journey to becoming a key leader at a company that now serves clients worldwide.
Reflecting on SiteGround’s success, Dimitrova said: “We all have great ideas – but if your idea doesn’t solve a problem or help someone do something better, it’s not good enough.”
Instead of a traditional presentation, she led an interactive discussion, encouraging students to think in terms of real-life scenarios relevant to them. She also shared practical tips on building a strong, sustainable tech product, particularly in the web hosting and website creation industry.
Throughout, she urged students to explore tools hands-on, understand their audience, and build products that truly solve problems.
“We don’t want to just create for the sake of it – we build things that we actually use ourselves,” she added.
Into the world of AI
The second lecture focused on a topic that’s highly relevant today – artificial intelligence (AI). SiteGround’s team, drawing on extensive experience, offered students a hands-on look into its practical applications.
As Ivo Tzenov explained, the presenters came from the support, engineering, and product development departments, yet they took the time to share their knowledge with the students.
AI/ML Engineer Denis Rangelov and Product Manager Daniel Ivanov led a workshop demonstrating how various AI tools can assist with business creation and productivity. Instead of listing multiple tools, they walked attendees through the four key steps of creating a hypothetical business from scratch – ideation, market research, web development, and marketing – using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and NotebookLM.
The goal was to introduce students to lesser-known tools that could boost their productivity and inspire them to explore on their own.
“The more you use tools, the more you become oriented toward which ones are useful in which situations,” said Daniel Ivanov.
A second AI session, led by Zdravko Bondev, Technical Support Team Lead, focused on using AI for academic research and coding projects. He showcased real-world examples, such as analyzing job market trends from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report and evaluating academic articles.
“It’s like going to the library – you pull journals, highlight key parts, and then ask your AI assistant for insights,” explained Bondev.
Giving back and philanthropy at SiteGround
SiteGround is deeply committed to corporate social responsibility, investing in education and environmental efforts as part of its mission to build a better society. To highlight these initiatives, Svetoslav Dragiev, Head of Operations at Foundation Lead by Example (“Za primer”), spoke about the culture of giving back – whether through financial support or volunteering.
“One of the key areas needed for society to progress is education, and that’s why you’re here. We support AUBG in a broader way, through initiatives that help you become better students and people,” said Dragiev.
SiteGround’s philanthropic efforts include investments in educational programs, AI teacher trainings, scholarships, and supporting INSAIT. The company also supports environmental causes, including mountain safety and accessibility.
Dragiev also offered advice on how to make compelling requests for support, emphasizing clarity and professionalism in funding proposals. Like business pitches, strong proposals should be specific, measurable, and show a clear need and impact.
“SiteGround exists because we’ve always set goals others thought were impossible. We’ve done what we believed was right, regardless of others’ opinions. So take your own path, believe in yourself, and be great. That’s my advice,” said Tenko Nikolov, Managing Partner of SiteGround.
