It was an excellent evening, and I was delighted to see so many friends again. Honored to be one of the 4 young innovators awarded at the Young Innovators “4 under 40 Gala”, organized by Rotary Club Bucuresti Nord. Thank you for the laudatio and this incredible honor. To have stood there as one of the „4 under 40” was truly humbling. And I must say, I almost missed the nomination by a hair since I’ll be turning 40 next year!

Last night, I chose not to speak about myself or my achievements, which are not actually mine but those of the teams I have the joy and fortune to work with. Instead, I spoke about innovation and Romania.

We live in a dynamic present while simultaneously building and imagining the future. Innovation is often seen as a solitary endeavor, a flash of genius from a lone inventor. But as Walter Isaacson beautifully illustrates in his book, „The Innovators,” groundbreaking advancements are often the result of collaboration, perseverance, and a bit of humor along the way.

The McKinsey & Company insights highlight the eight essentials of innovation: aspire, choose, discover, evolve, accelerate, scale, extend, and mobilize. These essentials form a framework that not only drives innovation but also ensures its sustainability.

Longitudinal analyses, such as those from the World Economic Forum and OECD Skills Outlook, show an increasing demand for non-routine cognitive and interpersonal skills—those that generate innovative solutions.

We, Romanians, whether at an individual level or as companies, are receiving open recognition for the value we create through our work. It’s not just about the effort but the intelligent, adaptable, and valuable outcomes. These results demonstrate our inherent skills of intelligence and adaptability. Perhaps it’s in our ability to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be. We’ve always been dreamers, tinkerers, and creators. As a nation, we’ve consistently shown that constraints are merely stepping stones to greater achievements.

We have a rich legacy of innovation that runs deep in our DNA. We can look back at the genius of Henri Coanda, Petrache Poenaru, and Elie Carafoli, a pioneer in aerodynamics. Let’s remember Ana Aslan, who was in relentless pursuit of eternal youth, and Nicolae Paulescu. And we cannot forget Anghel Saligny, or Iustin Capra, an inventor of unconventional vehicles.

But innovation isn’t confined to science and technology. Think of Tristan Tzara, a founder of the Dada movement, who redefined art and literature. Mihail Sebastian, George Enescu, Brancusi, Celibidache and many many others.

As Rotarians, we have a responsibility to drive change and transformation in our education system. Inspired by Sir Ken Robinson’s vision, we must strive to help young people find their element. The current educational paradigm needs a transformation to unleash creative energy and innovation.

Special thanks to Rotary Club Bucuresti Nord for this recognition, and to Florin Leucă and Mihnea Ștefănescu!

I also want to congratulate my fellow awardees: Mihaela Onofrei, CEO & Founder Apollo AI Technologies, Medeea Katerina Petrovan, Founder Excelsum Consulting, and Cristian Avram, Marketing Director Opera Națională Română Cluj-Napoca.

A special mention to Angelina Rudneva, whose extraordinary voice added a magical touch to the evening.