About Counara

Global Footprint

🇧🇬 Born & raised in Bulgaria

🇳🇴 Lived 11 years in Norway

🎓 Additional high school education as Legal Office Assistant (Norway)

🎓 Bachelor in International Economic Relations (Bulgaria)

🌎 Long‑term journey across Latin America

🇺🇸 Lived on and off in USA for a year

🌍 Currently moving across Africa

The Story Behind Counara

Founded by Iliyana Hristova, Counara grew from real experiences of moving, adapting, and thriving across cultures. Born and raised in Bulgaria, Iliyana lived 11 years in Norway, volunteered in Brazil with an NGO, returned to Bulgaria for her bachelor’s degree, and later lived across Latin America, the USA, and now Africa. These journeys shaped a practice that blends practical strategy with cultural intelligence.

Iliyana's professional story is rich and varied. Her roots include the structured world of procurement and financial support for the oil and gas industry in Norway, followed by extensive client communication and, more recently, hands-on experience with emerging technologies as an AI Data Annotator and Prompt Engineer. This unique blend of corporate discipline, technical knowledge, and international volunteering experience informs a grounded, human approach to guidance.

Counara turns complex transitions into structured, meaningful steps. Since 2020, Iliyana has also been teaching Norwegian and Bulgarian, further expanding Counara’s intercultural approach to communication and learning. Current services don’t yet cover Africa, but the on‑the‑ground experience there continues to refine Counara’s view on global mobility and cultural adaptation