The Leva Foundation was formed by Vinex Slavyantsi, their Swedish partner Giertz Vininmport and a representative of the Roma community in 2008. The need for social change and economic support to marginalized groups was then and still is a big issue in Bulgaria. Vinex Slavyantsi had for a long time had the desire to do something to change the status quo in the region and to help its development with “wisdom, patience and positive thinking for the future”. In Sweden Fairtrade wines had been popular for many years and now the idea to do something similar I Bulgaria came up. The Leva Foundation was born.