One of our missions is to celebrate the diversity of the startup ecosystem in the CEE region and bring attention to female entrepreneurs, founders, partners, and investors that are succeeding in this field, which traditionally has been reserved mostly for men. This time, it is time to put the limelight on the great women from the ecosystem in Romania, fostering innovation, technology, and partnership in the country!
So without further ado, let’s meet them and learn more about their inspiring careers.
Edith Alibec
Co-Founder, COO & Head of Growth, Upgrade Education
Edith Alibec is a well-versed entrepreneur with a wide experience under her belt. She was active in the film industry, worked as a production manager, and later moved on to co-found her own edtech company - Upgrade Education. She assumed the Head of Marketing role and not only built from scratch a scalable customer acquisition machine, but also implemented and managed international digital marketing campaigns. The firm is currently headquartered in England and helps hundreds of students get into their dream universities.
Magda Baciu
Founder, Ads & Conversion Rate Optimization Expert, Growth Savvy
Magda Baciu is an educated and experienced entrepreneur, who has been recognized for her contribution to the business scene by Forbes' 30 under 30 ranking. She founded her first business venture in 2013 and later moved on to work for tech companies such as Unlock Scope and Omniconvert. She made the most of these experiences and in 2016 founded her own company Growth Savy, which specializes in digital analytics, advertising, and conversion optimization.
Simona Lapusan
COO & Founding Partner, Zitec and Mirro.io
Simona Lapusan has greatly contributed to the Romanian business scene with her impressive and diverse resume. She has a passion for tech and had built a career trying to understand people's behaviour in that space. She founded her first software company Zitec in 2003 and in 2018 she became the CEO and the founder of yet another venture - Mirro.io. This platform enables high-growth SMEs to build transparent and thriving workplace cultures that foster employee well-being and improve talent retention. On top of that, she is also a Board member of the Romanian business angel community - Bravva Angels.
Cristina Toncu
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Techcelerator
Cristina Țoncu is very much involved in the growth of the startup ecosystem in Romania and the SEE/CEE region, especially within the tech area. She has been in the startup world since 2008, after joining GEN Global Entrepreneurship Network, and later RICAP Romanian Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program. As a Co-founder & Managing Partner in Techcelerator.Ro - seed accelerator and investment partner for SEE high-tech companies, Cristina supports early-stage startups in their development process, being also their mentor and advisor. Moreover, Cristina currently works as a Regional Growth Senior Advisor at Romanian Tech Startups Association - the incubation program for early-stage tech startups from Europe. In the meantime, she engages as a speaker at various conferences and forums for the startup and investor communities.
Anamaria Hancu
Co-Founder, Board Member & Communication Consultant, Let's Do It, Romania!
Anamaria Hancu, for over 13 years, is an accomplished Co-founder, Board Member and Communication Consultant of the renowned social initiative “Let’s Do It, Romania!” - the largest social movement in Romania that has brought together over 1.9 million volunteers to help clean up the country. She also worked as Promotion Manager for INNA and has been part of the Global Records team for almost a decade, representing some of the most celebrated Romanian artists. In addition, she is also part of the SAGA Festival, ALDA Romania marketing team. People working with Anamaria admire her dedication to all projects and attention to detail, saying that she is a symbol of power and determination for the surrounding women.
Oana Csertus
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Cobalt Sign
Oana Csertus is a woman with many interests that she embraces to boost the growth of the startup ecosystem. She is an experienced software engineer, specializing in building mobile applications, UX design, digital products, and agile software development. Her enthusiasm for technology along with business expertise led her to co-found Cobalt Sign - full-cycle mobile app development for SMEs and startups, where she assumed the role of Managing Partner. In addition, she is an active volunteer - by using her tech skills, Oana launched Hello App - a summertime program aimed to educate high schoolers on the basics of creating mobile applications. Besides, Oana is a passionate traveller that co-founded Ready Set Holiday! - travel app which helps in trip planning.
Ioana Stupariu
Founder & Managing Partner, ReadyTech Consulting
Ioana Stupariu specialises in tech regulation, operations, privacy management and data compliance counselling. Attending law schools with Columbia Law School in the lead, engaging in various law projects and conferences as well as volunteering in many initiatives supporting civil rights and social activity led her to become the Founder and Managing Partner of ReadyTech Consulting - business consulting services for CEE companies specialized in the healthcare, telecommunications and tech industries. Before, she used to consult on GDPR compliance matters for Healcloud, a healthcare startup providing data management and analytics systems, where she took the role of Senior Manager and Compliance Officer. She has been involved in the scholarly discussion for 7 years, ascending to the finals of the most influential contests across the globe, including the European Universities Debating Championship (2014) and Oxford Intervarsity (2012).
Cristina Mihalachioiu
Co-Founder, Legal & Communication, INVOLI
Cristina’s areas of interest reach Banking & Finance, Real Estate & Construction, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate & Commercial, and Employment. She is a business law attorney, holding a Business Law master and for over 10 years, she worked as a Corporate Lawyer for top law firms in Bucharest. Moreover, she is an expert in Worldwide Drone Regulations coordinating the Swiss Remote ID Drone Master Agreement (SUSI-BAZL). That knowledge nudged her to co-found INVOLI - a Swiss firm that produces systems to monitor air traffic for professional drone usage providing exclusive low-altitude air traffic data to make drone flights safer. In addition, Cristina also completed a degree in Communication and Public Relations, which gave her the necessary skills and insight to efficiently manage INVOLI's communication strategies.
Oana Man-Kesselheim
Founder, Centricity
Oana Man-Kesselheim has successfully launched three innovative national brands with exceptionally talented people: Creștem Idei (crowdfunding), Port Originea cu Mine (sustainable fashion identity) and Centricity (CX consulting). She has designed, implemented and managed Endava's Global Customer Satisfaction Program and supported CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) to become a strategic goal for Endava. Oana won the Best European Service Desk Award with Endava Managed Service Desk. She graduated from the Bi Norwegian School of Management with an MSc in Service Marketing and holds certifications in Strategy, ITIL and Training. She is certified in Strategy (brand, loyalty) from Kellog School of Marketing and @Section4 - NYU. Oana is passionate about people, nature, and Romania and loves Southeast Asian food.
Elena Carstoiu
Co-Founder & COO, Hubgets & 4PSA
Elena Carstoiu is an experienced co-founder of two companies focusing on improving team collaboration and communication. The first one - 4PSA, which she is developing for over 20 years now!, specializes in engineering technology allowing service suppliers to provide cloud services to both small and big businesses including automation, PBX for enterprises, voice, video, instant chatting, and mobility. The other one - Hubgets is a business instant communication platform aiming to improve the way people communicate at work by changing chat, voice and video options into searchable knowledge. She believes that human relations and a friendly work environment are key to successful development.
Ruxandra Creosteanu
Co-Founder, Babele
Ruxandra Creosteanu is a multi-skilled professional specializing in project management and sustainability consultancy. She gained her knowledge and experience while working in big corporations such as Deloitte, Carrefour, and Axa Investment Managers, as well as in the startup environment. All of her actions are impact-driven, that’s why she decided to establish Babele - a technology and consulting firm that develops programs and implements strategies to involve stakeholders in sustainable development. Ruxandra always follows her deep sense of idealism and integrity, as well as the need to constantly challenge herself. Moreover, she has a triple Master's diploma with distinctions from ESCP Europe. She is also very much involved in many startup events as a speaker and mentor, sharing with other founders insights on how to successfully create and coordinate communities.
Ioana Guiman
Managing Partner, Allevo
Ioana Guiman works in fintech since 2003 with a technical background in computer science. She calls herself a “Geek with social skills”. Her passion for startups comes from her love of imperfections and possibilities offered by the tech world. Currently, Ioana assumes the role of Managing Partner in Allevo - a company developing software solutions to process financial transactions and achieve compliance, as she focuses her career on solving financial inclusion and driving more transparency in banking. Besides, Ioana engaged in many startup conferences and events such as Sibos, Innotribe, Next Bank, Money2020, SWIFT Business Forums and Regional Conferences, Startupbootcamp Fintech, FinTechStage, Finextra Future of Money, Internet & Mobile World and more.
Diana Gabroveanu
Partner & CMO, Advocacy Maven
Diana Gabroveanu is an experienced professional in advocacy marketing and program management. For over 10 years, she used to work as Social Media, Customer Advocacy and Program Manager at Oracle - a cloud technology company providing computing infrastructure and software. Later, she founded Octopus Marketing - a company providing marketing research, strategy, content creation, and outsourced community management to fintech and blockchain startups, and assumed there is the role of the CMO. Currently, she is a Co-founder and CMO of Advocacy Maven - a niche marketing agency developing customer and employee engagement programs and creating advocacy content. Her coworkers think of her as hard-working, customer-focused and highly analytical.
Jennifer Austin
Founding Partner, Risky Business
Jennifer is originally from the US, but currently, she resides in Romania, where she merges global practices with the local context, supporting startups, SMEs, global multinationals, and universities, from strategy through implementation. She has been contributing to the startup scene since 2014 when she built and managed Spherik Accelerator, recognized by the European Startup awards as the best entrepreneurship program in the country. She is also a Senior Investment Partner in ROCA X and an innovation and commercialization strategy consultant at a Romanian university. On top of that, she is a founding partner of Risky Business, the first pre-seed and accelerator fund in Romania.
Mihaela Mureșan
Founder, Marketing Strategist & Brand Architect, BRAND ESSENCE
Mihaela has many years of business experience under her belt, launching new brands, synergic planning, budgeting, and integrating work processes across borders. She channelled all this know-how to start her own company Brand Essence Romania, where she works as a marketing strategist and a brand architect, advising other firms on their brand and marketing strategies, helping them find their unique edges, create or sharpen their identity, and set future goals. She is also a business mentor at the Antreprenoria - a program of the Romanian Business Leaders Foundation.
Dania Șelaru
Founder, Management Advisor & Sales Coach, DigiQuery
Dania is yet another highly-skilled entrepreneur that has greatly contributed to the development of the Romanian business scene. She has held senior positions at international companies in Romania such as Telekom or IBM and in 2016 she moved on to start her own company - Manager Pro, an advising and consulting company with the mission to build a sustainable performing Romanian IT industry. Later on, she created her second business venture - DigiQuery, a women-led business consulting firm bringing a fresh, inspiring, and unique business consulting methodology for entrepreneurs, CEOs, and executives who want to lead teams efficiently and grow their businesses with confidence and vision.
Alexandra Anghel
Director AI Engineering, Algolia / Managing Partner, StepFWD
Alexandra is a highly skilled professional, with a proven track record, having founded her first business venture whilst still in college. For more than 10 years, she has managed tech teams and worked as a full-stack software engineer. In 2018, she co-founded and became a CTO of MorphL, a widely recognized AI platform for e-commerce, which used machine learning to increase engagement and conversion rates by predicting user behaviour in digital products & services. The company was a recipient of the Google Digital News Innovation Grant and an alumnus of many influential acceleration programs. In 2021, it was acquired by Algolia, where she currently holds a Director AI Engineering position.
Ioana Alexandra Frincu
Founder, Ioana Frincu / CTO, EQIBank & EQIFi
Ioana is an entrepreneur well-versed in all aspects of modern digital technology - from DeFi, web3 and blockchain to banking. She has an expansive and impressive resume, which includes positions such as Data Analytics Engineer at PTC, COO at Creative Tim, Advisor at Recomedica, CTO at EQIBank and EQIFI as well as Senior Advisor to LA-based Beyond Enterprises. She co-founded Romania’s first blockchain development company, as well as Planning Atlas - a platform gathering all productivity tools. On top of all that, she also offers software product management consulting services and serves a role of a technology advisor to Bucharest-based Hellen’s Rock Capital.
Ioana Dragomir & Larisa Burcă
Co-Founders, TULIPR
Ioana Dragomir and Larisa Burcăis are well-known names in the Romanian business community. They have co-created TULIPR - a rising B2B marketplace, bringing digital transformation to the event industry, with the mission to empower event organizers in building outstanding events, through automation and digital tools. Prior to starting TULIPR, Ioana worked at Genpact in Bucharest and co-founded The Inside - supporting and educating the millennial workforce toward emotional and mental well-being, and Larisa had run an event planning company.
Catrinel Hagivreta
Co-Founder & CEO, MEDIJobs Romania & MEDIjobs US
Catrinel is an entrepreneur from Romania who has found international success in her career. In 2013, she co-founded ADOM Romania, the first Romanian association reuniting specialists in Dental Office Management. In 2015, she moved on to co-found MEDIJobs Romania, a well-known platform for medical professionals - a place to look for jobs, get hiring advice, receive career support, and connect with other professionals from the field. The company went worldwide in 2019 when she co-created and assumed the CEO position of MEDIjobs in the US.
Cristina Ciocoiu Oprea
Co-Founder, QTeam Solutions
Cristina is a highly experienced professional with an international background in software engineering, business, and tech. In her expansive career, she has co-founded two ventures. In 2020, she co-created Lopi.AI, an advanced platform for retailers in the fashion & furniture industries that solves product discoverability in online stores with visual search, similar items, and auto-tagging, allowing online stores to increase sales efficiently. The second startup with Cristina on board is QTeam Software Solutions, operating in the scene since 2016. QTeam builds and delivers complex digital solutions in various industries, like e-learning, digital marketing, digital communities, and much more.
Roxana Margan
Co-Founder & CEO, Oncochain
Roxana is a professional with a medical background and a passion for technology. She is an accomplished doctor and a medical graduate who has decided to use her expertise and skills to tap into the unused opportunities in healthcare technology, especially in oncology. She is a co-founder and a CEO at Oncochain, a tech startup that builds an ecosystem to collect, structure, and analyze real-world data in oncology, with the goal to empower cancer centres, clinicians, and life sciences companies with deep actionable insights in order to accelerate research and optimize treatment. Thanks to these efforts she can participate in the transformation of how cancer is treated and researched using digital tools.
Adina Wanda Fiat
Co-Founder & CEO, MediNav
Adina is yet another impressive presence on our list, with more than 9 years of experience in consultancy, data science and machine learning. She has worked on many international projects with a variety of partners, demonstrating her commitment to tech, AI, NLP, knowledge graphs, computer vision and recommender systems. She co-founded her first data science venture - Ars Analitica - in 2017, where she advised international clients on analytics, machine learning, AI and product strategy. Then she moved on to co-found and be an AI Lead at Maze56, a company focused on building prototypes, and MVPs as well as developing tech products. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she created MediNav, a software medtech startup, where she resides as a CEO and an AI expert.
Julia Draghici
Co-Founder & CEO, CPV Lab PRO
Julia is an accomplished entrepreneur, well-versed in project management and product development. Before founding her own company she was a web development project manager at UpTechVision and in 2018 she co-created and assumed the CEO position of CPV Lab PRO. It is a self-hosted ad tracker used to control and optimize all marketing campaigns in one place, helping marketers to manage, test and optimize campaigns from one single platform.
Oana Chifu
Co-Founder & CEO, Prodigy IT Solutions / CEO, Typeqast Romania
Oana Chifu is a highly experienced professional with 15+ years in leadership, IT business strategy and transformation, and operational management. She is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Prodigy IT Solutions, a computer science-based consultancy company, CEO of Typeqast Romania, which has been acquired by Valcon Cloud Software Engineering, Co-Founder of New Zone HR, consulting in HR-related matters, as well as the Founder of OwayLeadership. She has a proven track record of setting up, growing, and re-shaping product and outsourcing companies, and has led the rapid growth of several companies.
Andreea Tanase
Co-Founder & CEO, Hiroket
Andreea is an experienced entrepreneur, actively supporting tech companies with Hiroket, a firm she co-founded and currently manages as a CEO. Hiroket is a hiring platform, that matches the right talents with tech employees. It also has a strong base of women tech candidates, further empowering their development in the sector. Prior to Hiroket, Andreea worked as Partner Leadership Management International at LMI Romania.
Adela Grigoriu
Managing Partner & CEO, Co-Factor / Co-Funder, Code Of Talent
Adela is yet another proficient businesswoman on the list. She has a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry and strong entrepreneurial skills. In 2012, she became a managing partner and a CEO of Co-Factor, one of the most creative technology companies in Romania, developing a unique and proprietary Employee Centric Platform, that enables businesses and HR to mobilize employees in order to create superior value. In 2017, she also co-founded Code of Talent - a digital platform that guarantees an engaging and motivating learning experience for employees and a superior training ROI through its multidimensional execution.
Iuliana Floricică
Co-Founder & CEO, June Communications
Iuliana is a marketing and communications professional and entrepreneur with extensive experience in a variety of industries, including financial services and fintech, agriculture and agritech, legaltech, software development, automotive, industrial, medical devices, and retail. She has a proven track record in building brands from scratch and generating demand in close partnership with sales, and she specializes in corporate communication, digital PR, CSR, B2B marketing and distribution channels. Iuliana is the CEO and co-founder of June Communication, an agile company that helps active businesses access new levels of growth through marketing and communications.
Iustina Faraon
Co-Founder & CEO, Coreto.io
Iustina Faraon is a creative mind with a passion for applying solutions through technology and psychology. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Coreto, a social platform where experts and analysts from the blockchain space help non-professional investors make better investment decisions in blockchain projects. The platform utilizes gamification mechanisms and machine learning to provide users with a comprehensive and easy-to-use tool for researching crypto projects. Prior to her work at Coreto, Iustina was a Brand Manager and Founder at Marshmallow.ro, where she developed marketing initiatives and activities for the brand.
Oana Cătălina Tache (Țăpurică)
Co-Founder, CEO & Director, Synesis Partners
Oana Cătălina Tapurica is a highly skilled specialist in project management, organizational development, strategic management, and cost optimization. She holds a PhD in economics with a specialization in management and has extensive experience in coordinating and organizing the implementation of investment projects. Her expertise includes coordinating the overall activity of private economic organizations, and she has held management positions in various fields including consultancy, project management, R&D, construction and renewable energy. As a Co-Founder, Director and CEO at Synesis Partners, she acts as a catalyst for management performance and generates value for private and public partners to develop and optimize activities and projects. Through her work, she helps her clients understand the importance of professional and efficient management in securing the success of any project and generating new development opportunities.
Erika Kosa
Founder & CEO, Human Direct / Co-Founder, Sr. HR Consultant & Sr. Organizational Psychologist, Approach Academy
Erika Kosa is the Founder and HR Director of Human Direct Romania, a professional IT recruitment agency that focuses on creating innovative solutions to deliver a memorable experience for developers and their future employment. As the CEO of Human Direct, Erika leads a team that acts globally, offering open positions at all levels from graduate trainees to senior management in Europe and the USA. Erika is also the Co-Founder and Sr. HR Consultant/Sr. Organizational Psychologist of Approach Academy, a new project launched by Human Direct. The academy aims to provide valuable learning experiences for trainees who are new in the recruitment industry, with the goal of shaping the IT recruitment market.
Daniela Aldescu
Partner, VERTIK ROMANIA / Executive Director, ARIR - Romanian Investor Relations Association / Co-Founder & Partner, Smart Impact Capital
Daniela Aldescu is a highly experienced leader with a proven track record in investor relations, strategy, and project management. She is a Partner at Vertik Romania, a company that offers investor relations consultancy services, a think tank, and an investment vehicle. At Vertik, Daniela works to contribute to a long-term vision for Romania by enhancing the capital attraction capabilities of businesses and focusing on important topics such as entrepreneurial education and diversity. Additionally, she is a partner and co-founder of Smart Impact Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on growing impactful startups. Furthermore, Daniela is the Executive Director of the Romanian Investor Relations Association (ARIR) and previously held the position of Deputy CEO.
Daniela Serban
President & Co-founder Romanian Investor Relations Association ARIR, Managing Partner at Vertik Romania
Daniela is a name well known in the Romanian startup community, as she manages two companies from the ecosystem - Vertik Romania and ARIR. She is in charge of Vertik’s Think Tank and operates within the financing and investor relation advisory services. In ARIR, an organization set up to provide a platform for the development of Investor Relations (IR) professionals and contribute to the implementation of best practices in investor communication and corporate governance, she was one of the founders. Moreover, she has represented the Romanian capital market in meetings with institutional and retail investors and has managed one of the largest financial education campaigns in Romania, as an Associate Professor PhD student in Financial Markets.
Ilinca Paun
Founder, Bravva Angels / Partner, Impact Hub Bucharest
When it comes to the empowerment of women in the Romanian startup ecosystem, we must mention Ilinca. Ilinca Paun is the Founder of Bravva Angels, a community of business angels that invests in early-stage startups led by female founders and mixed teams. Ilinca is also a seasoned business leader, serving as a CEO and Board Member of The Entrepreneurship Academy, the first internationally accredited university for business administration with a specialization in entrepreneurship in Romania. She is also a partner at Impact Hub Bucharest, an organization that supports the development of entrepreneurial initiatives with positive impact through a coworking area, growth and incubation programs, conferences, events, and a crowdfunding platform. With her wealth of experience in business and entrepreneurship, Ilinca is committed to supporting and empowering female entrepreneurs to bring their innovative ideas to life.
Ruxandra Muys-Stoian
Co-Founder, WIT Angels Club
Ruxandra Muys-Stoian is a co-founder of the WIT Angels Club. The organisation aims to create a community for women to learn about becoming angel investors, review investment opportunities, consult with other potential angels and explore partnering options. The club is designed to be a cooperative group where members can discuss and analyse investment opportunities together and invest individually, rather than in a closed and competitive group. She is also an experienced HR Transformation & Technology consultant with leadership experience gained in international environments.
AnaMaria Onică
Co-Founder & CEO, VoxiKids
AnaMaria Onică is the Co-founder & CEO of Voxi Kids, the first digital clinic dedicated to speech therapy, offering a selection of high-value materials, online and in-office speech therapy as well as management tools that streamline the collaboration between parents and therapists. Prior to starting Voxi Kids, AnaMaria was a Program Manager & Executive Associate at Commons Accel, an independent, equity-free accelerator that helps startups grow by connecting smart and sustainable projects to top mentors and industry experts. She is also a mentor at ProManagement, mentoring people in UI/UX Design for mobile apps.
Evelina Necula
Co-Founder & CMO, Kinderpedia
Evelina Necula is a senior marketeer with a background in education, B2B, real estate, construction, and hospitality. She is the Co-Founder and CMO of Kinderpedia, an innovative platform and app for education that provides all the digital infrastructure necessary for educational institutions to work smart and communicate efficiently and transparently. Since 2012, Evelina also has been a Managing Partner at OneTouch Advertising, a boutique of ideas and communication solutions for visionary companies, brands, and people.
Manuela Ticudean
Co-Founder & CPO, Cyscale
Manuela Ticudean is a specialist in the field of cloud security and compliance. She is currently the CPO and Co-Founder of Cyscale Cloud Security, a company that is building a cloud security platform to help companies stay secure and compliant in the cloud. In her role as co-founder, Manuela manages multiple aspects of the business, but her main focus is on ensuring that the product roadmap aligns with the needs of customers. Prior to her current position, Manuela was a Senior Software Developer at various companies.
Diana Elena Ciobanete
Partner, Smart Impact Capital
Diana has vast experience building and supporting startups, as an accomplished entrepreneur, startup enthusiast and investor. She currently works as a startup consultant at Kickstart My Business, an agency she co-founded in 2022, using her expertise in customer research to help startups appeal to their ideal customers. Diana is also a co-founder and a Program Director of one of the best Startup Accelerators in SEE - Commons Accel - an independent accelerator that connects smart projects to top mentors and industry experts, as well as empowers students to follow their passions early in life. She is also a partner at Smart Impact Capital, a micro-investment fund that focuses on impact businesses with a solid social or environmental return.
Alexandra Roata
Co-Founder, Softlead
Alexandra is a woman in tech, an entrepreneur, and a co-founder of Softlead - an integrated B2B software marketplace that generates leads for end-users across industries. She is experienced in lead generation and business analysis and is passionate about software and technology. Alexandra is also actively supporting the community of Romanian businesswomen - as a member of ELITE Business Women EBW and a startup mentor at StepFWD, an 8-week pre-accelerator program aimed at fuelling growth for tech companies with gender-balanced teams.
Andra Malina Platon
Investor & Strategic Advisor, parol / Strategic Advisor, Binalyze, DRUID AI & FLOWX.AI
Andra is a global entrepreneur originating from Romania, with a truly international career spanning across continents. She is a sales, marketing, and business development professional with over 12 years of experience in various IT industry areas, including hardware and software, services, and solutions. She has worked with global and regional companies, as well as startups. In 2016, she joined UiPath, the global leader in Robotic Process Automation (RPA). She also held positions as an investor and strategic advisor for Parol, where she helped shape the company's strategy and product development, and also worked as a strategic advisor for DRUID AI, where she supported the Romanian company's expansion into the Asia Pacific region. Currently, she serves as an advisor for European-based startups looking to expand into Asia and establish a headquarters in Singapore, as well as consulting and mentoring startups looking to expand globally.
Diana Dumitrescu
CEO, InnovX
Diana is a name worth remembering when it comes to the Romanian startup ecosystem and business climate in general. She is a University Professor with a very wide and interesting career in the industry. Throughout her career, Diana has held several senior positions, including Chief Executive Officer at InnovX, one of the leading innovation accelerators in Europe, based in Bucharest. She also has experience as an expert in innovation ecosystems at the European Commission and is a co-founder of the European Center for Services Investments and Financing (ECSIF) in Bucharest. Additionally, she has coordinated entrepreneurial programs and led outsourcing teams for implementing regulatory projects and contributed to the startup ecosystem in Romania as a Co-Director of Startup Grind Bucharest.
Maria Țărmure
Co-Founder & CEO, Small Academy
Maria Țărmure is a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree and the co-founder and CEO of Small Academy, a STEAM education hub that offers technology, programming, and robotics classes for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Maria's passion for teaching led her to create Small Academy, with the goal of shaping children's mindsets to be more global and teaching them how to find and solve real-world problems through technology and innovation. As a TEDx speaker, Maria is committed to sharing her vision for empowering children to become technology creators, inventors, and problem-solvers.
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