Makers of The Metaverse: Tsvetta Kaleynska Of Merse Advisory On The Future Of The VR, AR & Mixed Reality Industries
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Believe the unbelievable, have a great imagination and always think big pic.
The Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality & Mixed Reality Industries are so exciting. What is coming around the corner? How will these improve our lives? What are the concerns we should keep an eye out for? Aside from entertainment, how can VR or AR help work or other parts of life? To address this, we had the pleasure of interviewing Tsvetta Kaleynska.
Tsvetta Kaleynska is an internationally recognized marketer, TV commentator, SaaS consultant, and author on the topics of A.I. and technology and their impact on international development and safety. She is a founder of two boutique consultancies with headquarters in New York — RILA GLOBAL CONSULTING and Merse Advisory. Kaleynska has won multiple awards for her work, including a silver Stevie Award for “Women Helping Women Globally”; she works closely with the Peace Corps, the European Commission, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, focusing on establishing a safe online environment for adolescents, promoting female empowerment, and equality.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory and how you grew up?
Thank you so much for virtually having me! I was born and raised in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria — a beautiful town in central Bulgaria, surrounded by beautiful mountains filled with centuries-long history. Born during the last year of communism, I was named after my grandmother and as unique as my hometown, my name means “flower” in Bulgarian. I graduated from the language high school in my hometown, where I studied French and Spanish and had the unique opportunity to pursue my higher education in the United States. In 2008 I moved to New York City on an academic scholarship. I graduated from St. Francis College with degrees in Marketing Management and International Business and Economics. After that, I completed my Master’s in Public Administration at Baruch College and started my dynamic career in the business world right in the heart of New York.
Is there a particular book, film, or podcast that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
A book that shaped my mindset in my early 20s is the famous book called “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. It truly had a significant impact on my life as a quote stuck with me ever since I read it. The quote reads: “Instead of focusing on the world’s problems, give your attention and energy to trust, love, abundance, education, and peace.” The moment I read that line I felt a strange feeling of both agreement and disagreement with it. I felt likeI had to take care of my mental health but also realized I would never abandon my drive and passion for helping people. I always followed the motto that if we don’t strive to change the world, no one else would. This is why I was beyond honored to start my work with a nonprofit for female empowerment in the Balkans. The GLOW camp, abbreviated from “Girls Leading Our World” is a Peace Corps initiative that aims to unleash the full potential in adolescent females between the ages of 14–18 and to develop them as future leaders. I have been part of this organization for almost two decades now and always strive to encourage adolescent girls to believe in themselves.
Is there a particular story that inspired you to pursue a career in the X Reality industry? We’d love to hear it.
I have always been fascinated with Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, analytics and software. I have also always believed that AI and Virtual and Augmented Reality would be the future of the world and our generation’s impact on world history. The Metaverse and VR/AR, robotics were the only interception where I was able to combine my passion for technology and helping advance society through technology. Prime example of how VR/AR can improve life-saving fields is medical education — one can literally learn to become a doctor from anywhere in the world and learn from the best live. This is also why I chose to co-found Merse Advisory, a boutique consultancy helping brands make sense of the Metaverse.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this fascinating career?
For many years I worked at a large media agency in New York City, which offered various products and services. At first, my work involved a lot of writing, which was somewhat unnatural to me, given English is not my first language. I knew that in order to build my career from the ground up I had to step up my game, my English skills and to prove myself in the Big Apple. Since I began my career, I have been able to translate a client goal into a strategic framework and business strategy. The best outcome and story from my work has been the launch of virtual and augmented realities which have benefited people in impoverished countries. It was an incredible honor to be able to understand the client’s vision, create the strategy for it, and then be able to tell the story through visual and augmented boards, as well as a story which was shared online.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I wouldn’t even know where to start. Throughout my career, I have received numerous lessons and made funny mistakes. One of the most memorable one I can share was the time I set up a fundraising page with the goal of raising a few thousand. The thousand I had placed was in the wrong currency though. Of course, we hit our campaign goal in no time as the exchange rate was 1 to 1000. The lesson I learned then was to pay attention to detail as excellence can only be achieved through the small details. Although I am the type of person who doesn’t like to make mistakes, I somewhat enjoy it now, as every mistake makes me a better person, friend, and professional.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
When I was younger, I always thought my strong motivation for my achievements will never leave me. But moved abroad things drastically changed. I then realized how important it is to have a trusting and experienced mentor by your side. I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by remarkable mentors, cheerleaders, and to have a great support system and the best mentor I’ve had has been my loving mom. I am incredibly thankful to her for the amazing example she has given me. Needless to say, I wouldn’t be here without her in many senses of the phrase. She is also the strongest person I know, who has built her career up during communism when females were mostly expected to be housewives. Women like my mom, who have managed to be a successful mother, wife, entrepreneur and a dreamer are the ones we really need to celebrate!
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
With the extraordinary advancement of technology, the Metaverse, and virtual reality will inevitably be a part of our lives very soon. With the multitude of possibilities in Metaverse applications come the many complex questions. That is why I co-founded Merse Advisory — to provide clients with the best possible technologies and global experts in the virtual space. We work across a few super interesting projects both in virtual and augmented reality, however I’ll have to come back to Authority Magazine in a few months and share them once we’ve completed them!
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. The VR, AR and MR industries seem so exciting right now. What are the 3 things in particular that most excite you about the industry? Can you explain or give an example?
With our world becoming more and more digitized every day, new changes, improvements, and innovations are awaiting us at every turn. In the last couple of years, technology has developed so rapidly that no one would have believed we would live in such a digital life. But innovation never stops and Web3 and the Metaverse can begin a new era of revolution. Being online and digital can make our lifestyles and work way easier.
Firstly, I believe that the VR, AR, and MR industries bring a whole new level to simplicity in our digital journeys. I think the rapid innovation of different apps will inevitably make our lives easier even more than they are now. For instance, VR technologies can be a key element in the social life of some, especially for those with physical incapabilities. By entering the VR world, they can feel more freedom by accomplishing undone activities. Secondly, these technologies will not only be a new provider of highly interactive social life, but also a huge opportunity for businesses. VR, AR, and MR technologies can provide companies with important data circulation which will arise new paths for entrepreneurship developments. Thirdly, this industry will bring more potential in terms of advancement of education and medicine. This is one of the reasons I am so passionate about it as technologies can bring new paths for human development in terms of not only social interaction and entertainment but also learning and teaching.
What are the 3 things that concern you about the VR, AR and MR industries? Can you explain? What can be done to address those concerns?
As many others in the industry, a concern I have is related to human interactions and how the Metaverse can affect those in the future. In that light, I am also proud to be a builder of the Metaverse in order to ensure that I help evolve human interactions and not hinder them. I can list many more concerns I have related to technology, but they are mostly related to both [physical and digital safety.
I think the entertainment aspects of VR, AR and MR are apparent. Can you share with our readers how these industries can help us at work?
As we saw with the Covid-19 pandemic, the whole world had to adapt to a new digital environment and online workplace. This showed how valuable VR, AR, and MR technologies can be. We discovered ways to be more productive and efficient both at work and in learning / education. When speaking about the latter, VR, AR, and MR advancements gave new opportunities to teach audiences virtually in a digital, safe, and interactive environment. Think of students who do not have access to education or who are in countries where that is not accessible — VR, AR, and MR can provide an amazing opportunity for education to evolve and be implemented anywhere. For instance, nowadays thanks to inventive and innovative technologies, doctors can practice and improve techniques and surgeries virtually. This could give a huge advancement in the development of medicine.
Are there other ways that VR, AR and MR can improve our lives? Can you explain?
The possibilities are beyond our imagination. Besides the ones I mentioned before, another aspect that VR, AR, and MR can improve our lives is saving the planet by reducing carbon footprint. Nowadays you can literally visit any place you wish to see, even if it is on the other side of the world. One can travel using VR tools and preserve the planet and carbon footprint.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about working in your industry? Can you explain what you mean?
It is normal there are some misconceptions about the industry; a common myth to dispel is that the Metaverse already exists and is fully functioning. I am happy to share that is not the case and the Metaverse is in the process of being built 🙂
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The VR, AR or MR Industries?”
- Having a stellar tech stack knowledge.
- Understand and stay ahead of Industry trends.
- Being flexible and open minded as the industry changes nonstop.
- Believe the unbelievable, have a great imagination and always think big pic.
- Be positive and think big!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
As the times we live in aren’t easy, I think it is vital for us to save humanity in terms of caring more about our planet and people in general. This is why I believe in volunteering and helping poor regions improve their infrastructure, access to food, technology, among others. If I had the power to bring a movement with that force, I would definitely fight for establishing a stable and effective educational access in poor regions and empowering the young generation.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Among the top people I would like to have breakfast with is Sara Blakely. What an inspirational leader she is! I am amazed by how intelligent, fearless and hard-wrking she is. A true female leader who built her empire all by herself and now strives to help those in need. 🙂
Thank you so much for these excellent stories and insights. We wish you continued success in your great work!
Thank you for the opportunity!
Makers of The Metaverse: Tsvetta Kaleynska Of Merse Advisory On The Future Of The VR, AR & Mixed… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
