University of Utrecht

Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania

Colegiul National Andrei Șaguna

Co-Founder at ROMO

Brasov County, Romania

ROMO solves the need of consumers to access quality food and the need of local producers to market their products simply and efficiently.ROMO is the first Romanian farmer's market inspired by the REKO model from Finland, adjusted to local specifics.

ROMO

Co-Founder

We are piloting the first pastured poultry farm in Romania. We chose this model for its many advantages in terms of environmental protection (with a focus on soil regeneration), animal welfare, the quality of the produce and the profitability of the small farmer.

Păsări Pășunate

Farmer

We have a beautiful apartment downtown Brașov that we rent on short term. After giving up a property management contract that we were not happy with, we started managing it ourselves with quite a good dose of success. In three months we moved from 4.5 total rating to 5. The platforms that we use - Booking and Airbnb gave us the Superhost title. Occupacy rate ranged 70-90% when Corona virus hit.

Wine Cellar

Dedicated Host

Our successful holiday home rental in Cheia, Prahova. Became a leader on Airbnb in its area. After 3 months of hosting, we received the Superhost title. But the most important was to get to know amazing people, some became loyal customers. Behind the renting business is our family connection to this cabin, and short renting was the best solution to continue investing in it. We strive to surprise our guests with something new every year.

Cabana Cheia Fericirii

Happy host

Sustainable Ventures is a consultancy company offering services in robotic process automation (software-based), marketing, project management, training and holiday home renting. Our clients come from various fields: environmental protection, rural development, horeca or financial services.The company kicked off by engaging in the SALSA project, focused on the research about Romanian small farms and small food businesses.We also contributed to an evaluation study of the payment for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment ("greening" of direct payments) coordinated by the international consulting company Oréade-Brèche. Under this work that looked at various case studies across Europe and beyond I have assessed the agro-environmental measure (AEM) 5 “Adaptation to climate change” of the Romanian Rural Development Program 2014-2020 that supports change to practices and cropping systems generating water savings.

Sustainable Ventures

Managing Partner

Researcher and project manager in the Horizon 2020 funded project AGRILINK. I have conducted studies among Romanian small holders and also implemented a Living Lab - a space to work directly with small producers and assist them with their financial needs.AgriLink aims to stimulate sustainability transitions in European agriculture through better understanding the roles played by farm advice in farmer decision-making. To this end, AgriLink will analyse and improve the role of farmer advice in 8 innovation areas that combine challenges identified in the “Strategic Approach to EU Agricultural Research & Innovation”. AgriLink builds on the premise that the full range of advice-providing organisations need to be included in the assessment of service provision and innovation adoption. I am the lucky responsible of the Transylvanian Living Lab - where we will try to understand what role the advisers and advisory services have for Romanian farmers, with a focus on Transylvania and its High Nature Value Farmlands. We will also aim to test some ideas we will collect from farmers, researchers and advisors all together.

Highclere Consulting SRL

Associate Consultant

I have designed and crafted the first online course on environmentally friendly agriculture now available for Romanian Specialists in Protected Areas. I contributed as a teacher and content designer for the online course (developing the lessons, assignments and evaluation forms), as a trainer for face2face sessions and as a coordinator of the team responsible for developing the Management for Sustainable Agriculture module course.The course was developed during the project "Increasing education opportunities for Romanian protected areas' specialists"  implemented by ProPark together with EUROPARC throughout December 2013 - June 2016.  The projects aims to create specific mechanisms and to use innovative approaches in order to increase knowledge transfer among protected areas personnel regarding biodiversity conservation and its integration in everyday practice. More on the project here (in Romanian): <a href="http://www.proparktraining.ro/static/despre-proiect.html">http://www.proparktraining.ro/static/despre-proiect.html</a>

Pro Park- Foundation for Protected Areas

Sustainable Development Specialist

I have coordinated a team of 6 experts in conceiving 6 course manuals addressed to small agricultural producers. I have also trained 12 community facilitators in rural marketing. The trainings materials were developed based on a training needs assessment questionnaire that I conceived, coordinated its application in the pilot areas and interpreted the data.Main activities and responsibilities:-  Responsible for the fulfillment of Outcome 2: Building capacity for High Nature Value (HNV) farmers to better make use of available opportunities to address market necessities and maintain HNV farmland functionality Specific tasks under this objective:-   Development of training materials: At least 3 workshop packages for 3 target groups: Individual farmers, Representatives of farmers Associations or NGOs and Institutional actors (Chamber of Agriculture, etc). The modules put an accent on best practices& case studies.-   Coordination of the trainers-   Maintaining an active communication with local partners from 6 study areas (Valea Barcaului, Maramureș, Valea Nirajului, Zarand, Pogany Havas, Tarnava Mare)-   Collecting data for the case studies-   Building up research materials (e.g.: training needs assessment questionnaire, feedback questionnaire, etc.)-   ReportingTraining materials were made available during the project “Rural Development of High Nature Value Farmland in Romania” implemented by ProPark - Foundation for Protected Areas together with ADEPT Fundation, WWF Romania and 5 local NGOs.

Pro Park – Foundation for Protected Areas

I have coordinated a team of 8 experts in the field of  rural development and agriculture for developing the first territorial planning guide that deals with the management of agricultural resources in connection with biodiversity conservation. The guide is addressing various actors – private (custodians of protected areas) and public (authorities under Ministry of Agriculture) and introduces the necessity of biodiversity conservation in the natural resource (here – agricultural) management. It provides a review of relevant legislation and a checklist for resource evaluation and steps to follow for each project phase (planning - implementation – monitoring).Our work is available here: <a href="http://www.emenatura2000.ro/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/managementul-resurselor-agricole1.pdf">http://www.emenatura2000.ro/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/managementul-resurselor-agricole1.pdf</a> The paper was developed during the project  ”Efficient Managers for an efficient Natura 2000” (<a href="http://www.emenatura2000.ro">http://www.emenatura2000.ro</a> ) together with 3 other guides on natural resources (water & fisheries, forestry and wild fauna).

I have released the new website of SDD, organised two conferences and a ethnic and gastronomic fair of national importance, one screening and debate on environmental issues, crafted and implemented the fundraising strategy and contributed to the implementation of an environmental education project.Main activities and responsibilities - in charge with all communication activities and aspects of the company (media relations, online, written and spoken communication) - development strategy for the organisation- responsible for CSR and fundraising strategy- quality control on the organisation’s projects and initiatives- research support- project management

Salvaţi Dunărea şi Delta/Save the Danube and its Delta NGO

Development and Communication Manager

The most challenging and rewarding (as the saying goes) is to work with your family. I am ever learning and enthusiastically contributing with strategic consulting, including business plan and sales strategy development for our family-run business with over 20 years expertise in cereals production & processing and agricultural services.

MAS AGRO SERV

Consultant, disciple

I founded the Marketing and Communications department of this small, style-bringing company, unique on the Romanian marketplace. I have contributed to both written (coordinated and contributed on the company's website and blog) and unwritten (PR lunches, events, networking, client counseling). This is the job the dearest to me given the ethical, friendly and supportive environment I was granted with by its owners and colleagues. I am proud to have contributed to building INTRO into the number 1 design & style reference in Romania.More specifically I was:- In charge with all communication activities and aspects of the company (media relations, online, written and spoken communication)- Conceiving, proposing and implementing MK&PR activities - Copywriting for an online written magazine supporting the company’s profile <a href="http://www.designro.net-">www.designro.net-</a> Selling attributions- Logistic support

Intro Design

Marketing and PR manager

This started as a personal initiative, aside my professional duties while I was working at Leo Burnett Bucharest. I have negotiated and directly managed a contract with a local gym (World Class Bucharest) for my colleagues, their families and friends.  For the first year, the contract was signed between the two companies with me as administrator and for the next two, as all parties agreed, I have taken over replacing Leo Burnett in the contract. By the end of the third year, I was managing a 200 persons list, with a 10 000 eur/month value. The collaboration ended as World Class decided to cease all contracts with individual persons. However, given the good relationships developed with the members on the list, we negotatied a new contract with another gym.

Leo Burnett

Contract Administrator

Together with my team we won the highest local distinction in marketing: a gold Effie prize for launching the campaign Tide for Supermoms.I was International Brand Communication responsible for the following brands Tide, Wella, Bonux . I was responsible for launching Tide coordination in Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Moldova - Brand communication responsible for local brands 24 FUN, Nutline and KLM Dutch airlinesMain skills: -  Project coordination -  Budget control and planning -  Providing market research and brand reviews   -  Ensuring the quality control on client’s communication materials  -  Team coordination (creative, production, media and DTP departments)  -   Providing regular status reports

Cosmina Dinu