Every weekend was a beautiful memory
My Activator story with Bhushan Trivedi
I was already working on a social entrepreneurship idea before I learned about ABLE Activator. The program’s content was exactly the fresh perspective I needed, but my main reason for applying ran much deeper.
After marrying my wife Sonya, who is Bulgarian, I moved to Sofia in the summer of 2019. Those who’ve lived abroad know this, but it’s never easy to move. You have to start your life from scratch—build your network, understand your new environment and appreciate the local culture.
The best way to do this is to meet people and learn from them. That’s why I was excited to apply for ABLE Activator. I wanted to understand Bulgaria by meeting different people from all walks of life.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Application Process
It’s a well-designed process. In the two motivation letters we were requested to write, I shared my raw, deeply honest thoughts. This already made me look at ABLE Activator differently compared to similar programs.
The interviews were a little intimidating, but fun. I realized that being a participant would be an achievement, especially when so many talented people applied.
Being invited to participate is not to be taken for granted. You earn your place through a challenging process, which is more satisfying in the end.
The program
Every weekend was a beautiful memory. Honestly, as participants we were privileged to have experienced such commitment and hard work from the ABLE organizing team.
It was a bit of a shame we had to transition online, but it worked well, too. All the speakers were inspiring, and we were humbled to learn they all volunteered to spend their time with us.
The community
ABLE is a rich and diverse community with a common mindset of helping each other. It’s a tremendous resource which opens doors if you know how to knock.
The strength of the community comes from the fact that we’re bound by the same ideology. This makes life easier, richer and a lot more fun.
The team project
I was thrilled to find five other participants with varying talents who wanted to join me and work together on my social entrepreneurship idea. We might have ended up as the winning team, but the biggest prize we won was getting to know each other and learning from each other.
Working together was the absolute highlight of the ABLE Activator. I loved hearing and discussing everyone’s perspectives and ideas. That’s the beauty of the program— five or six strangers coming together to work on an idea for the next two months.
I am thankful for the deep and long-lasting relationships we formed in those weeks. As I keep working on my idea—developing a prototype and speaking to Bulgarian farmers—I am excited to have my teammates to bounce ideas around and support each other.
Overall, ABLE Activator will challenge you and teach you an exorbitant amount in just over two months, but the network you gain and the friends you make will stay with you forever.
If you’re ready to learn and contribute at a high speed, you would fit right into the ABLE family.
