Meet Teodora Chizhbanoska Kalosheva | Co-founder of Challenger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teodora Chizhbanoska Kalosheva and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teodora, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
We started our business with the mobile application called Challenger and our slogan then was Community Builder. Our goal was to help people become more aware of sustainable methods of transport, to help and remind them to choose walking or biking daily, and to encourage them to maintain their sustainable habits. We wanted to have our community of Challengers who will be the ambassadors of green sustainable environments. We started small, with our home city of Skopje, and rewarded people for their green kilometers. Gamification was the key concept we used to motivate our Challenger community to be a better version of themselves. We visualized their progress and impact on the environment and helped them see there is a whole community that does the same. By using the mobile application Challenger, users directly engage into making the community better by reducing the CO2 emissions, while being aware that every time they choose a sustainable method of transport matters. Moving forward, we created our new product, Challenger @Work, where not only do we cultivate these habits for sustainable methods of transport, but we also picked up on a few other eco friendly habits (such as recycling, volunteering, etc), where we engage companies’ employees into healthy competitions. We expanded on the regional market, and we want to keep growing our Challenger story and have an even bigger impact on the community and the world. Together we have the power to make a difference in the world, which is why our most recent slogan is Human power ON 😊

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our product is a mobile application designed to help individuals and, as of recently, with Challenger@Work, companies, measure and track their environmental and community impact. What sets us apart from others is our focus on motivating end-users and employees within companies to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives. Through our gamified platform, we encourage employees to use sustainable methods of transport, recycle, and engage in team activities that contribute to a positive environmental and social impact.

Speaking about our latest product Challenger @Work, one of the aspects we are most proud of is the measurable impact of each action taken by employees. We provide transparent data on the number of CO2 emissions saved and impact points earned, allowing companies to track their progress towards their sustainability goals. By aligning with global trends for sustainability and community engagement, we empower companies to make a difference while taking care of their employees’ well-being.

The journey to where we are today has been a challenging one, but we have overcome obstacles through determination and innovation. We have continuously refined our product based on user feedback and market demands, ensuring that we provide a valuable and engaging experience for both employees and companies.

Along the way, we have learned valuable lessons about the importance of collaboration and partnerships. Our collaboration with the regional office of SOS Children’s village for the IT4SOS fundraising campaign has been particularly impactful. By leveraging our technology, we have enabled companies to donate money to children’s villages for every green kilometer tracked through our application. This initiative has not only created a positive social impact but has also strengthened our relationships with clients and expanded our reach across multiple countries.

What we want the world to know about Challenger is that we are committed to making a lasting difference in sustainability and community development. Our Challenger@Work platform provides an accessible and enjoyable way for companies to engage their employees in meaningful actions. By rewarding users with “challenger coins” for their sustainable activities, we encourage them to support local businesses and stimulate the economy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It was indeed a series of events, people, organizations, and fate, I must say, that brought us here 🙂

The first event of fate, or a key person, was Stefan (now a co-founder) accepting to join me at the startup weekend in 2018, where he presented the idea of Challenger because I have terrible stage fright. I am forever grateful he joined me because I would probably not even go to that event by myself. At that event, we met our Olga (our other co-founder) – and that was also pure destiny! Two other key people we met on our journey are our other 2 co-founders Mitko and Simon. So our joined efforts, support, understanding, and hard work, brought us where we are today.

I also have to mention here ARNO – which is a Macedonian organization that played a major role in our beginnings. They helped us win our first funding and gave us the opportunity to start building our app.

Website: https://challenger.mk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/challenger_mk/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/challengermk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChallengerMKD