I’m an only child, first generation immigrant. I was born in Bulgaria, then my parents and I moved to Australia after the Soviet Union collapsed in the mid 90s. I was very young and learnt English while at school: an all-girls private boarding school. Those early years were a struggle, but shaped me. Everything I learnt about resilience, resourcefulness, and social psychology I attribute to my upbringing.

At 16 I started my first company, B2C software, as part of the Young Achievers program (think YC meets Dragon’s Den, but with teenagers..). I was CEO, team of 12, with my angel mentor who I consider to this day one of the most influential people in my life. She shaped my view of leadership, culture, and strategy. Most critically, she taught me that a CEO’s role can be summarised in 3 words: Vision; People, Resources.

I went on to Law School and Business school, but knew I wanted something deeper, something more aligned with the “why” that drives us. So at night I also went to Music school, and graduated from all 3 degrees to my good fortune at almost exactly the same time, and turned to DJ-ing and writing music full time.

I toured, played festivals, got a record deal, released music, and generally had a very fun time while getting a crash course in navigating the political dynamics of the music industry - which, as it turns out, are not so different from what makes the startup world tick!

After 7 years playing some of the biggest festivals in Oceania, I moved to London with one ambition: to discover how the power of music can be scaled beyond an artist’s work. I wanted to understand where the future of sound was heading and how I can help shape that path. I freelanced in Advertising, then Immersive Tech and Gaming, eventually building up to Head of Audio of UNIT9 - working with the likes of Google and Meta. I learnt pitching, marketing, brand positioning, and most critically, how to capture consumer attention and hold it.

But then something shifted. In recent years I have watched (and been a participant in) society’s dive deeper into consumerism, escapism, and a harmful dependency on technology. The underlying anxiety, dread, and unease that seem to permeate our society like a background static - depleting our sense of self, our peace, and our ability to give attention to the present moment. 

I thought back to my younger years; turning to music before I could speak English as my connection to the world. Then later, as a touring artist; looking to the crowds of people lost in the moment listening to music with goosebumps. Pure joy. The connection to the present, to ourselves, to each other. This is the antithesis to a world growing more disconnected.

From this seed GOGIA was born; an amalgamation of my life’s work. The tool I originally designed just for me, for regaining my own sense of equilibrium, after early prototypes proved successful and the demand grew from others to get involved we are now building up to help millions.

Throughout my journey my “why” has remained the same: Elevate the power of sound to help as many people as possible. At GOGIA we are guided by that “why” to one mission: Transform the world from frantic to flow through sound, light and the power of play, something the world needs now more than ever. This is the future of health. This is the deeper transformation we are seeking in the AI age.

— Dani