Ivaylo Penchev is the co- founder and CEO of
Walltopia, the largest
climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with manufactured grips (or "holds") for the hands and feet. Most walls are located indoors, and climbing on such walls is often termed indoor climbing. Some walls are brick or wooden constr ...
manufacturer in the world. He, along with Metin Musov, founded the company in 1996 in
Sofia
Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
.
Early life
Penchev was born in
Veliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo (, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. It is the historical and spiritual capital of Bulgaria.
Often referred to as the "''City of the Tsars''", Velik ...
on 10 March 1970 to Penko Penchev (born 1946) and Radka Pencheva. Growing up he became interested in physics and enrolled in
Sofia University
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" () is a public university, public research university in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Bulgaria.
Founded on 1 October 1888, the edifice of the university was constr ...
, studying
theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict List of natural phenomena, natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental p ...
. However, he dropped out in 1994 as he got involved in trade and, ultimately, the development of Walltopia.
Career
Penchev is the founder of other companies, such as HRT climbing holds, which is the largest producer of polyester resin climbing holds.
Social positions
Penchev and his company are staunch supporters of
LGBT
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
rights and adoption rights for gay couples in Bulgaria. He praised the efforts of
Sofia Pride 2018, stating, "I realized that they felt unaccepted and because of their difficult situation they are trying to find their own happiness. That’s why we decided to support Sofia Pride – people should not be afraid to be themselves no matter what".
In March 2020, the University Alexandrovska Hospital rejected a conditional donation offer by Penchev to purchase respiratory equipment as Penchev had tried to require that the employees of his company Walltopia have priority for use of the devices, including for those already in use by other patients. The hospital responded that only doctors decide who use medical devices.
Коронавирусът активира много доброволци и дарители и повдигна морални въпроси
Mediapool
See also
*List of Bulgarians
This is a list of famous or notable Bulgarians throughout history.
Bulgarian monarchs
* Kubrat
* Batbayan
* Asparukh of Bulgaria
* Tervel of Bulgaria
* Kormesiy of Bulgaria
* Sevar of Bulgaria
* Kormisosh of Bulgaria
* Vinekh of Bulgaria
* Tel ...
*List of outdoor industry parent companies
The following list is of outdoor fitness, outdoor brands that are owned by another entity. The brands listed are those specific to the outdoor sporting goods industry. Parent companies may own other brands that are not listed because those other ...
References
External links
Walltopia website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penchev, Ivaylo
1970 births
Bulgarian chief executives
People from Veliko Tarnovo
Living people
20th-century Bulgarian businesspeople
21st-century Bulgarian businesspeople
Bulgarian LGBTQ rights activists