VentureConnect has an advisory board comprising well-known local entrepreneurs and experienced attorneys who are also licensed to practice in the US, with their primary roles being to review project applications and to mentor the selected participants who will pitch their projects before the attending investors.
The advisory board includes, along with attorney founders:
Ana Maria Andronic (Senior Associate with Biriş Goran)Mary, as her friends call her, developed and co-founded VentureConnect. A seasoned attorney who firmly believes that action — and not chance — determines progress, she is an achiever with an unswerving desire to rise up to any challenge and to make things happen.
She stands out among her peers due to her unique blend of continental and US legal experience: after serving as a judge in Romania, she was recruited by the American Bar Association (ABA/CEELI) branch office in Bucharest, then earned an LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Internet Law in the US, and was recently admitted to practice in the state of New York. People who work with her often say that she is a lot more than they bargained for.
Likewise, she loves to work with “those on the move“, and that is why she matched strides with the Biris Goran law firm where she regulary advises foreign investors interested in Romanian IT entrepreneurship. Her vision is to make VentureConnect the ultimate point of entry for venture and growth capital in the Romanian IT/on-line market sector.
You can get in touch with Ana-Maria on: @Merisor or [email protected]
Daniel Visoiu (Partner at Biriş Goran)Although a lawyer by training and profession, Dan has been doing his best to bring out the entrepreneur in him. Instead of choosing a safe path to law firm partnership in sunny and peaceful Florida, Dan decided in the mid-1990s to return to his country of birth and partake in Romania’s transition (still ongoing) to a fully functional free market economy.
Since then he has been involved in a couple of successful start-ups, including the Biris Goran law firm which recently celebrated its 5th year anniversary. In the IT/online sectors, he has advised various multinationals, institutional investors and entrepreneurs since 2000 in the Central and East European region including Romania.
And speaking of Romania, he is firmly convinced that VentureConnect will launch a few millionaires, in fact billionaires in the next few years.
You can get in touch with Dan on: [email protected]
Marius Ghenea (a renowned entrepreneur and business-angel)Marius Ghenea is a renowned Romanian entrepreneur, the business man to go to when you have a golden idea, and the person to trust for guidance in case of business challenges.
His entrepreneurial efforts have shown off in a series of successful businesses, being present in the Forbes and Capital Entrepreneurial Count Down in the past years. Marius Ghenea was included in the 2004 Classification provided by Ziarul Financiar for the Best 10 Romanian Business Man. He also enjoyed a leading position in the Top Romanian Entrepreneurs count-down by Revista Biz in 2010.
Some of his day to day professional responsibilities include being President for the Romanian Association of E-Shopping; Board Advisor Maastricht School of Management Romania; and Board Member in the Community Foundations Program. Always a member of the business TV show Arena Leilor, co-organizer and lector of the entrepreneurial School for StartUps, he still finds time for writing his first book dedicated to the entrepreneurial field and the Romanian business market: “Antreprenoriat, drumul de la idei catre oportunitati si succes in afaceri”.
You can get in touch with Marius on: @Marius_Ghenea or on www.ghenea.ro
Radu Georgescu (a well-known entrepreneur and President of Gecad)Radu Georgescu has extensive experience in serial entrepreneurship and long-time investor in software, Internet and tech companies under GECAD brand name. Built and developed businesses in antivirus, eCommerce, ESD (Electronic Software Delivery), electronic messaging and security industries. Gained significant M&A experience during two major exits: in 2003 when Microsoft acquired RAV Antivirus technology from GECAD and in 2010, when Allegro/Naspers acquired eCommerce company ePayment from GECAD.
He is majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board for Axigen/GECAD Technologies (http://www.axigen.com/), Avangate (http://www.avangate.com) and GECAD NET (http://www.gecadnet.ro). He is Director of the Board for GECAD ePayment. His specialties are entrepreneurship in software & Internet areas, corporate structuring, corporate strategy, M&A, business development, business international expansion.
You can get in touch with Radu on: www.radugeorgescu.ro
Orlando entered the Romanian online market in 1996, when internet connectivity in Bucharest was reduced to a handful of users. In this newly emerging sector, his business-oriented attitude made an enormous difference when it came to building a stable team in an unstable environment.
In 1998, Orlando started his work for Ad.ro – an online advertising agency – which was the first one to hit the Romanian market, thus having a salient role in actually creating the advertising field. In 2001, after joining Netbridge, Orlando became the leading figure in creating Boom Advertising, which from 2001 up to 2006 was number one agency on the online market. His approach in handing Project Management activities, recommended him for Managing Director.
Soon to come, in 2006, Orlando joined Mediapro Interactiv/Apropo Media, the online division of Mediapro. Starting April 2011, he is in charge of Mediafax Group (Apropo Media, Mediafax and Publimedia), the most important non-TV media group. MediaPro Interactiv/Apropo Media holds the leading position on the Romanian online market, both in terms of unique visitors and income.
Apart from businesses which need Orlando’s guiding advice, he is also an adventurer in the online women and music field, with individual platforms dedicated to covering these topics.
You can get in touch with Orlando on: @OrlandoNicoara or Orlando.ro
Dragoş Rouă (an experienced online entrepreneur)Dragos Roua started a network of websites in 1999, thus being a true representative of the online Romanian field. In 2009, he boldly went where no other online entrepreneur has gone before – personal development. Presently, his blog is one of the most cited ones in the field of personal growth and life seeking journeys.
From national entrepreneur, Dragos broke the rules once more and started a successful international business in New Zeeland, while still maintaining his blog active – an online journal of the experiences which form him as a business man, mentor, father, and indeed as a person.
You can get in touch with Dragos on: @DroagosRoua or on www.dragosroua.com
Peter Barta (Executive Director at Fundatia Post-Privatizare)Péter Barta is a man with entrepreneurial spirit and a can-and-will-do attitude. He is highly experienced in both the private and public sectors, serving companies, institutions and NGOs.
Péter’s work has been focused on management and consultancy, being involved in numerous national and international programs for both US organizations (“Academy for Educational Development” Foundation and Development Alternative Inc., within a local program financed through USAID) and European ones (Council of Europe). Péter joined SMURD Târgu Mureş (the best provider of emergency medical services) as manager, where he as in charge, among others, of the 2% fundraising campaign, recognized as the most successful one in the country at that time. Afterward, Péter chose to bring a change in the public sector, through his position as advisor for the Secretary of State for SMEs.
Péter is currently the Executive Director of the Post-Privatisation Foundation (FPP), the only organization in Romania focused solely on entrepreneurship and on the promotion of entrepreneurial skills among Romanians.
You can get in touch with Péter on: @BartaPeter