Entrepreneurship Program

The Embassy’s Entrepreneur of the Month is a way to highlight the great creativity and potential present here in Romania, and to spotlight those individuals and companies that have taken the risk to strike out on their own and create their own path. These local entrepreneurs are developing products and services across a multitude of industries in various regions in Romania.

Traveling around Romania, we witness firsthand the innovation and creativity evident in all segments of the economy.

Through this program, we highlighted individuals and companies in Romania that have recognized the potential of a new or emerging business idea, and then developed a focused approach with drive and courage to turn that idea into reality.

Through our Entrepreneur of the Month program, the Embassy showcase great local entrepreneurs developing products and services across a multitude of industries in various regions in Romania.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Senator Wine as January 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

What distinguishes Senator Wine among the many fine Romanian wine producers is the company’s focus on expanding exports abroad. Reporting shipments of close to 30 percent of total production to more than 20 countries, Senator bases its export model on Romania’s wide range of quality grapes little known outside of Europe. It’s more than100 full time employees and 150 part time employees produce almost six million bottles of Romanian wine annually. Along with five other wineries in Romania, both Romanian and foreign owned, Senator Wine applied for and received EU Funding in 2011 to promote its wines in the United States and champion a new market for a traditional Romanian product.

The Embassy takes this opportunity to note that the company would benefit directly from an elimination of tariffs should we conclude the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the EU-U.S. free trade agreement currently in negotiations. Without tariffs on European wines, Senator Wine asserts that it would be able to sell its wine for 15 to 20 percent less in the United States. This would put it on more competitive footing with wines from other countries, especially those nations now benefiting from free trade agreements with the United States.

We applaud Senator Wine’s initiative, and that of other Romanian wineries, that strive to raise the profile of a Romanian heritage product worldwide. As Romania continues to grow and develop, it will continue to benefit from entrepreneurs who build new companies, adapt and reform old ones, and lead the country into the future.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Mr. Andrei Pitis as February 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

The award recognizes Mr. Pitis’ dedication and commitment to promote, educate, and organize a community of entrepreneurs in Romania. He is an outstanding example of a successful businessman, willing to step forward and be a model and mentor not only for fellow entrepreneurs, but for the Romanian society as a whole.

The United States has a rich tradition of highly successful businessmen who become aspirational figures for the rest of society not only through their success, but through their dedication to help the very society which enabled that success in the first place.

The February award presentation was hosted by the Romanian American Foundation, an NGO dedicated to strengthening and promoting the conditions for a sustainable market economy and a democratic society to flourish. The Romanian American Foundation is where Mr. Pettis has worked to train and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurial talent.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Lunca Somesului Mic as March 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

The March award to Somesului Mic recognizes the great work this cooperative has made towards enriching the community by working together. This cooperative has shown that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Pooling their production, they were able to meet the minimum purchase order requirements of large supermarket chains in Romania. As individual producers, these farmers would not have been able to tap into such a large and stable market for their goods.

The United States has a rich tradition of cooperatives and associations working together for the betterment of the team while enriching each individual member.

The individual farmers of this Cluj region cooperative can now focus their full attention to expanding production instead of also worrying about logistics, marketing and selling their merchandise at the farmer’s markets.

The March EOM award presentation was hosted by the Civitas Foundation for Civil Society, a NGO working since 1992 to promote rural and regional development by strengthening civil society throughout Romania.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Atelierul de Pânză as April 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

On April 22, across the globe, the world celebrated Earth Day. Our April selection for Entrepreneur of the Month is fittingly focused on reducing plastic waste and innovative recycling. Atelierul de Pânză is a self-sustaining social enterprise project dedicated to reducing waste in the environment while providing fair employment opportunities to an underserved segment of the population. Started in 2009 by the NGO Viitor Plus, Atelierul de Pânză produces reusable canvas bags, many out of commercial textile waste, off-setting the use of environmentally harmful plastic bags. Atelierul de Pânză employees seven people some with disabilities and some from other vulnerable groups, helping them to enter the job market and providing them with a stable and steady source of income.

The U.S. Embassy applauds Atelierul de Pânză and its efforts to provide ecological alternatives to plastic bags and to the disposal of textile waste. This social enterprise and its success is a reminder to all of us that entrepreneurship can be motivated not only by financial gain, but also by the desire to better our society and environment for the next generation. As Romania continues to grow and develop, it will benefit from entrepreneurs who build new companies, adapt and reform old ones, and lead the country into the future.

The U.S. Embassy has selected MIRA Rehab as May 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

Four IT students founded MIRA Rehab after participating in the 2011 Imagine Cup, a worldwide student technology competition hosted by Microsoft. Together they designed a software platform to make physical therapy fun and convenient for patients by transforming exercises into video games, using an external sensor to track and assess patient progress. They have successfully marketed their product in the United Kingdom where it is being used in the National Health Service.

MIRA Rehab has also used their success to address the need for improved healthcare here in Romania by creating an NGO in Cluj, Un Zambet cu MIRA, that focuses on treatment using the MIRA product, but offers rehabilitation to needy children at no cost.

The U.S. Embassy applauds MIRA Rehab and its founders – their courage and grit are testimony to the power of young Romanians to influence the course of their country’s economy. As Romania continues to grow and develop, it will benefit from entrepreneurs who build new companies, adapt and reform old ones, and lead the country into the future.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Clătităria ClaTos as June 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

In 2012, Alexandra Lipovan founded Clătităria ClaTos, a food truck in Satu Mare where she sells artisan, French-style crepes. Armed with little more than her love of cooking and her modest savings from a part-time job, Ms. Lipovan started this micro-enterprise while attending university in Cluj. She turned her passion for crepes into a thriving, successful business that employees two people. Her street cart is a beloved fixture of the picturesque streets of Satu Mare for delicious food at an affordable price.

Ms. Lipovan has also used her success to improve the lives of children cared for by social assistance programs as part of her humanitarian campaign “One Crepe for One Cause.” Under this campaign, she donates every Friday’s profits to the local municipality’s Social Assistance Service.

The U.S. Embassy applauds Ms. Lipovan for her success with Clătităria ClaTos. She reminds us all that business opportunities, both big and small, are plentiful in the Romanian economy and within reach for those with the courage to pursue them. As Romania grows and develops, it will benefit from entrepreneurs who build new companies, adapt and reform old ones, and lead the country into the future.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Cobrali 2000 as July 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

In 2000, the Constantinescu family founded COBRALI 2000 SRL. The business initially started as a small restaurant with two rented locations. As the business grew, they added a motel, pool, event hall, and were able to purchase their locations. Already an established business when construction at the Deveselu military base began in 2013, they recognized the military presence as a potential business opportunity. After making additional investments in the company, they were able to ramp up their operations to provide consistent, quality services to the base, thereby expanding and growing the business. Every day they deliver hundreds of hot meals to the soldiers stationed there, and also provide custom catering services for visiting military dignitaries and for special events. Excellent customer service is what distinguishes their business, and what will keep their clients both loyal and satisfied.

The U.S. Embassy applauds the Constantinescu family for their success with COBRALI 2000 SRL. Their business is a reminder that the expansion of the US-Romanian military partnership strengthens not only our military ties, but provides countless economic opportunities as well, including for local, family-run businesses. As Romania grows and develops, it will benefit from entrepreneurs who build new companies, adapt and develop old ones, and lead the country into the future.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Modpack System as August 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

Modpack System, which was founded in Prahova by brothers Bogdan and Valentin Malaescu. The Malaescu brothers clearly believe that multinational firms offer local enterprises a tremendous opportunity for growth. Modpack offers an excellent example of how.

Founded just eight years ago, in 2007, Modpack Systems recognized the need that export-oriented manufacturers would have for top-notch, customized packaging. In order to send their products around the world safely and securely, and thus cement Romania firmly in important, world-wide production networks, these companies were looking for dependable and responsive local partners – Modpack met those needs. Today they have garnered recommendations and the loyalty of companies based around the world, among them the major U.S. manufacturers located in Romania, such as Ford, General Electric, and Timken.

“Modpack System itself is now a multinational company, with operations in Poland and a joint venture in Prague – Modpack System Czech. Its goal is to reach a top position within the next few years among all of the European companies specializing in manufacturing wooden packaging and other packing services. We applaud their ambition! Standing here in this facility, which represents a major new investment, it is clear to me that Modpack System believes in Romania’s potential and is counting on continued growth. It’s also clear that Modpack and its US clients are adding to the sound foundation on which the economic and commercial part of our strategic partnership is built,” said Dean Thompson, Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Romina Furniture as September 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

In 2002, Florentina and Dumitru Toader founded Romina as a children’s furniture company. The Toaders noted an unfulfilled U.S. market niche: high-quality, eco-friendly furniture for children. Romina offers custom-made, “Made in Romania” products with strong environmental integrity. As a result, Romina has a loyal customer base; around the world there are over 10,000 children sleeping in customized Romina beds, mostly in the U.S. Building relationships and providing a high quality product has been Romina’s secret to success.

Romina’s foothold in the American marketplace demonstrates the importance of free trade between the U.S. and the EU. This mid-sized, family-owned firm has been able to thrive thanks to the close trading partnership between our two continents. In 2014, Romina exported 90 percent of its finished products to the United States. The Embassy takes this opportunity to note that the company would benefit from more efficient customs procedures, simpler paperwork and internet transactions and faster shipping should we conclude the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, an EU-U.S. free trade agreement currently in negotiations. We applaud Romina Furniture for its initiative and for keeping true to their roots in Romania. As Romania continues to grow and develop, it will continue to benefit from entrepreneurs who build new companies, adapt and reform old ones, and lead the country into the future.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Bucharest Walks as its October 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

Our Entrepreneur of the Month program highlights individuals and companies that exemplify the best attributes of entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur sees the potential in a new idea and then takes a bold, often risky step, using only his or her ability, drive and courage to turn that idea into reality. Through our Entrepreneur of the Month program, the Embassy showcases individuals who have seized the unique opportunities that Romania has to offer across a wide range of industries, services and regions.

In 2013, Alex Grigorescu founded “Bucharest Walks” after 12 years working for large tourism agencies in Bucharest and Romania. He noticed that most tourists arrive in Bucharest and go straight to other Romanian cities for sightseeing. He decided to focus on Bucharest and offer small, specialized walking tours highlighting Bucharest’s architecture, its history and the rich heritage of its minorities. By designing his own website and working with online platforms such as viator and getyourguide.com, Alex Grigorescu can now reach tourists all over the world and schedule tours for them even before they arrive in Romania.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Montessori School of Bucharest as November 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month.

Ana Maria Brezniceanu spent 3 years in Canada pursuing a doctoral degree in global education and studying various educational approaches, including the Montessori Method. Upon her return to Romania, Ms. Brezniceanu was unhappy with the kindergarten options available to her child. In 2007, she opened the Montessori School of Bucharest (MSB) serving 8 children, including her daughter. In 2008, MSB became the first educational institution offering the Montessori curriculum to receive authorization from the Ministry of Education. MSB has grown to a school of 140 children aged 2- 12 years, with 22 teachers and teaching assistants.

Ms. Brezniceanu’s passion for children’s education and her entrepreneurial spirit drove her to establish this school. By doing so, she gave other parents in Romania an additional choice in education, a school with a unique curriculum. She recognized an unfulfilled market niche in Romania’s educational space and a strong parental desire for choice for their children’s education. She incorporated the knowledge she acquired abroad to create a school that employs a unique curriculum and meets all national curriculum requirements.

As we celebrate Global Entrepreneurship week and International Education Week, the U.S. Embassy applauds Ms. Brezniceanu for founding the Montessori School of Bucharest.

The U.S. Embassy has selected Qodemo as its December 2015 Entrepreneur of the Month

In 2014, Stefanel Carlescu co-founded Qodemo by merging Tevelop, a small Romanian outsourcing firm he owned with Teodor Loghin and Dreamups, a research project led by Tudor Tarlev and his team which won the Best European Social Startup in Monaco. Qodemo is a research lab that operates under the open engineering or Maker[1]movement and creates a set of digital tools that help people around the globe transform their ideas into real hardware projects. Qodemo now has 8 employees with ambitions to expand in ASIA and continue to help people turn their ideas into physical, useful objects. The Dutch organisation DOEN backed their project and helped them achieve promising results.

Mr. Carlescu’s work in creating Qodemo showcases that businesses can be built from the initial stage as a global business; technology makes that happen and building bridges across national borders is easier now than ever. Mr. Carlescu’s pioneering work in open engineering demonstrates how Romanians can capitalize on their outstanding skills in math, science, and technology, and pair those skills with others in the international arena to create new things. His efforts embody the concept of entrepreneurship: innovation, resourcefulness, ingenuity and most importantly, teamwork. Internet connectivity is as significant as roads, electricity and other traditional infrastructure for sustainable development. We applaud Mr. Carlescu for creating a global business that seeks to increase universal connectivity and provide a space for creative minds to collaborate.