The 6th edition of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Network Conference (CRAI), presented a refreshing opportunity for Academia and Startups to brainstorm, mingle and enrich knowledge regarding the challenges, opportunities and action plans that could pave the way to a stronger innovative ecosystem in Romania.
We had keynote speeches of local and international experts, as well as vibrant panels offering a diversity of approaches to promoting and cultivating entrepreneurship.
I saw a well balanced ecosystem, starting with young innovators, age 16, winners of international robotics competitions, through startupers mostly from Iasi up to academic researchers and scientists, some venturing into startups or in process with TTOs to commercialize their research.
Takeaways:
– Entrepreneurship is defined by actions no less than vision and intentions
– Startups are for everyone regardless of age, education background or social status its people’s business, regardless of the advancing tech around us. This is why building a supportive human community is imperative for the success of the ecosystem
– You snooze you lose! Time is of the essence and no one else can do for you better than you’ll do for yourself, so get going, better yesterday than today!
So no secret that I also carry Romanian citizenship which strengthens my will to engage and promote the local even more than it wants to do itself :))
I remain determined, to see Romania’s innovative ecosystem, and live up to its people’s potential.
I look forward to keeping in touch and visiting again the friends and colleagues I’ve met during this conference, and call other experts interested to dive into Romania to join me.
Timisoara Romania 2022
⭐ My visit to Timisoara included several interesting business meetings that hopefully will turn to actions.
I met with team of Growceanu angel investing platform, Ciprian Man, Adrian Gheorghe and Adrian Erimescu, for a talk about attracting more of the potential angels in Romania to join in.
Met with Adrian Mariciuc – Deputy General Director of ADRVEST and Marius Pantea to discuss the launching of a new pre accelerator later in the year. Met with Andrei Son Innovation Manager Continental Automotive Romania 🇷🇴 to learn more about cooperation potential.
⚡ Met with representatives of WEST University and Paul Stiegelbauer Universitatea ‘Politehnica’ Timisoara and later with Associate Prof. Octavian Madalin Bunoiu of West University of Timisoara and the innovation staff, Andrei Craciun, Alexandra Petcu, Andrei Pelin, Ana-Cristina Nicolescu to discuss enriching the entrepreneurial courses and potential academic accelerator.
👏🏼 Special thanks to Andrei Cosmin Munteanu for enabling the meeting and for being an over awesome partner!
Cowork Timisoara
Techstars Startup Weekend Timisoara 2022
🇷🇴 Techstars Startup Weekend Timisoara, was fun and exciting. 8 teams formed on Friday, with an awesome lineup of mentors, worked extensively during the weekend and presented their startups in front of a professional jury. all teams presented well and received supportive feedbacks. Congrats to the winners and looking forward to see the development of all as well as the local startup ecosystem in Timisoara and the region.
👏🏼 Special thanks to organizers Andrei Munteanu, Martin Andrle, Rebeca Vidoni, Loredana Murgu to the talented moderator Simone Demelas and jury, Ciprian Man, Ilinca Paun and the great lineup of mentors.
Well done to all participants and see you soon.
Thank you Iulian Popescu State Secretary, Ministry of Research Innovation & Digitization for a productive and informative meeting, with a future prospect of collaboration. I’m glad we seem to agree on the challenges as well as on the opportunities the startup ecosystem in 🇷🇴 Romania is facing as well as looking to improve. I look forward to the next step 🙂
Mokosi and Adservio Partnership 2022
🏆 Celebrating the signing of the partnership between Mokosi online tutoring platform from Lithuania and Adservio school management platform from Romania.
This cooperation is expected to speedup market expansion and customer’s added value. The cooperation is supported by Mr. Vasile Asandei Director General I Agenția pentru Dezvoltare Regională Nord-Est and Iasi Mayor Mr. Mihai Chirica. We look forward to grow both companies with more international partners as well as in global markets.
👏 Congrats to CEOs Jurgita Jaruševičienė and Alexandru Holicov and both companies teams!
RO Startup Conference 2022
Opportunity is knocking, potential is present, talent is abandoned, missing is a chef to mix the ingredients together 👨🍳
I was happy to get a warm embrace by friends and colleagues in the 🇷🇴 Romanian startup ecosystem and soon to discuss kickstarting several amazing projects in cities and companies that see startups as economic growth engines.
More to share soon 🙂
TVR Iasi 2022
🎤 Returning to TVR Iasi, meeting TV producer Maria Florea to speak about the impact of covid on startups and businesses, as well as it’s effect on remote education and employment.
In addition, we discussed the effects of the war in Ukraine. Catastrophes create opportunities, and its up to people, regardless of their role, to help and support as well as innovate and accelerate.
The interview will air in April, a teaser will be shared in the coming days, stay tuned!
Romania Visit 2021
🇷🇴 Concluding a successful visit to Bucharest, meeting with new opportunities and friends.
2 major topics, EdTech and Cybersecurity being discussed with stakeholders, potential partners and future customers as well as promoting the startup ecosystem of Romania.
🔊 I was delighted to conduct productive talks regarding MOKOSI Tutoring Platform, presented by Jurgita Jaruseviciene Co-Founder & CEO of Mokosi, as part of the company’s expansion out of Lithuania. As remote education due to covid remains a struggle presenting low engagement results, Mokosi offers a smart and effective online platform, creating value to teachers, parents and kids, expected to launch in Romania later this year. For more: 📌 www.mokosi.com
🇮🇱 Had the pleasure of meeting Bareket Knafo Head of the Israeli Economic Mission to Romania, to discuss ways to proactively engage Israeli and Romanian innovations as well as to promote the initiative of Romania EdTech 1st. more details to follow.
I wish to thank my friends and partners for meeting and keeping in touch 🤝
Romania Visit
🇷🇴 My short visit to Romania last week was refreshing, meeting long-time friends and new ones, creating new opportunities & friendships.
💡 It was great meeting my dear friend Oana Craioveanu, co-founder of Impact Hub Bucharest and advisor to the Minister of Research, Innovation & Digitalization, Mr. Ciprian Teleman, to discuss ways of cooperation and promotion of the startups ecosystem. Later meeting Sergiu Popa, Executive Director of Spherik Accelerator, which I mentored in the past and hope to return to in the near future. Also met with a dear new friend Tova Ben Nun Cherbis, President of Complexul Educational Laude-Reut and her executive staff, to discuss integrating entrepreneurial program as well as ICT and cyber.🛡
🌟 In part of my visit I was accompanied by Jurgita Jaruševičienė, CEO of Mokosi.lt Tutoring Platform, an alumni of #TechHub under MITA – Mokslo, inovacijų ir technologijų agentūra. Jurgita presented MOKOSI receiving a supportive feedback and plans ahead.
📝 In between I was applying to receive my Romania passport😊
Romania remains one of my favorite countries and I look forward to my next visit.🛫
La revedere și ne revedem în curând😊
Challenge Accepted CODVidHack 2020 – Webinar by Tal Catran / 2020
💡Be proactive, create opportunities, keep engaging, stay on target.
📍As my Global Webinar Tour Challenge, picks up speed, Its becoming clearer there are Dreams, for more watch the full webinar on Youtube:👉 https://youtu.be/x8eUi01PNy4
✅Conducted during “Challange Accepted CODVidHack 2020” organized by Scoala informala de IT, in partnership with BCR (Romanian Commercial Bank) and Google.
“Mulțumim!”
Don’t Hesitate, Accelerate!!!🚀🚀🚀
Tal Catran
The Day After COVID-19- Webinar by Tal Catran / 2020
💡Invent yourself new, easier said than done, still, we all should try it during our professional years. As I continue my Global Webinar Challenge Tour🌏 I had the opportunity of sharing more insights with students and entrepreneurs in Romania.
✅Thank you Dan Zaharia of Fab Lab Iasi and Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi” din Iaşi Societatea Antreprenorială Studențească „SAS Tuiasi”, for hosting me.
As well as #education, #entrepreneurship, #startups are important, the most crucial thing that will help us to get ready for The Day After COVID-19 is to keep engaging🤝, in other words, to stay on target🎯.
💡Corona is a surprising event which is also “the biggest equalizer”. Learn how to tip the scales in your favor via these links below:
✅ Youtube: https://youtu.be/WCCB8iX2l-8
✅Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=296610478024885
Don’t Hesitate, Accelerate!!!🚀🚀🚀
Tal Catran
Actual Regional TVR Interview / 2020
“Nu Ezita, Accelerează!!!”🇷🇴
🎙Join me today on Actual Regional TVR Iasi for an interview with Mrs. Maria Florea and Mrs. Andreea Stiliuc, where I’ll talk about the implications of Corona on startups and businesses and offer some encouraging advice.
✅Join Facebook Live:👉 https://www.facebook.com/tvriasi/
Don’t Hesitate, Accelerate!!!🚀🚀🚀
Tal Catran
Actual Regional TVR Interview / 2020
I return to Romania🇷🇴 yet again this week, as part of my World Webinar Tour Challenge, participating in CyberShare Conference 2020, discussing Cyber Security opportunities created due to Corona pandemic, as well as how to turn the opportunity into action.
✅Register here and schedule your calendar!🗓
👉https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cybershare-conference-iasi-3nd-edition-29-may-2020-tickets-105217845408
Don’t Hesitate, Accelerate!!!🚀🚀🚀
Tal Catran
Empowering Women in Tech / 2020
💡 Femtech is the prime technological sector in which women entrepreneurs have an advantage since they are the end customers, they know the needs on a personal basis, and have probably experienced most of them on themselves. Hence, they are the perfect candidates to ideate and develop such products!
📈 The market potential of #Femtech is huge and growing quickly, same as interested parties – #women, #VC funds, #healthcare providers, #pharmaceutical companies, #insurers, and others.
💎2019 was the inflection point for Femtech, as the amount of money invested was the highest, reaching almost $800 million. The predictions are that Femtech will become the next big disruptor in the #global #healthcare #market and that it’s on the path of becoming a consolidated $50 billion industry (estimated for 2025 by Frost & Sullivan).
🗓 4th of June 4 p.m EST
📌 Join for free: https://bit.ly/FemTechWomen
📌 Hosted and supported by: Digital Innovation Zone ; EIT Health Alumni ; Atelierul de Idei
Don’t Hesitate, Accelerate!!! 🚀🚀🚀
Tal Catran
Business Summit Transilvania 2019
💡#BusinessSummitTransilvania offered a unique opportunity to feel the pulse of the Romanian #business and #startup ecosystem’s state of mind as well as its eagerness to accelerate. I sense capability, need, opportunity, #funding and above all motivated people are all in place.
⏳Politeness will not get you far, nor expecting someone else but yourselves to make it work.
✅You want it, You do it.
Thank you Bianca Tudor & Ciprian Faraon for inviting me, as well as to the supportive ELITE Business Women team and awesome audience.
Wirex, PIN Magazine, Fab Lab Iasi, Rubik Hub.. 2019
Most of what we know comes from someone else’s knowledge and experience. To be sure its so, we must first try it ourselves. Iasi, Romania decision makers, opinion shapers and startups, it’s your time to decide how we take it forward.
Meeting with Iasi Mayor 2019
Enjoyed a fruitful meeting with #Iasi Mayor Mihai Chirica, discussing action steps to promote tech #innovation and #entrepreneurial #education as well as involving stakeholders to support #startup activities. Hopefully more news soon to follow.
‘Start-Up 100%’ Video Production
Startups are about People, Ideation, technology, Team, Risk, Hard Work, Failure, Mentors, Funding, Delivery and Success. I’m excited to join hands with TVR Iasi Producer, Maria Florea and her awesome team, in recording the first 4 chapters of the series ‘Start-Up 100%’, From Dreamers to Doers, airing on Monday September 30th.
Sharing filming locations photos in Iasi. Special Thanks to my amazing partners, Violeta Greciuhin and Nicu Bagiu for making this idea materialize.
Watch on my Youtube Channel: http://bit.ly/TalCatran
Rubik Hub 2019
Pleasure meeting Rubik Hub Management team, it’s motivated startups in #RubikGarage and sponsor Agentia pentru Dezvoltare Regionala Nord-Est.
Operating out of Piatra Neamt Romania, it achieved in a relative short time, an impact in the region. I look forward to future cooperation with Rubik Hub and invite you to join.
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu 2019
Startups are not for everyone, but trying to turn an idea into a product and develop a solution for a need should be explored by all.
🏛Glad to share my experience with Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Entrepreneurship students led by Prof. Livia Ilie, and possibly make some turn their ambition into action.
<h4>Impact Hub Bucharest, Romania 2017</h4>
Startups pitch workshop, sharing best practices with an engaging audience.
Multumesc, pana ne vom intalni din nou.
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu 2017
Completing a weekend filled with excitement and achievement. Met students, university teachers, startups and friends from far and near. Sibiu is on the verge of a significant leap forward and we’re part of what’s about to come. Entrepreneurs, on your mark, get set, Goooooo
Thank you Livia Ilie, Vice Rector Sibiu University and to your amazing team, for all the efforts, support and a job well done, Ciprian Faraon for a gracious hospitality, and to to all that took part participants and Jury.
