ING Bank and Visa announce the finalists of the She's Next programme

Ten women entrepreneurs have been selected within the Visa She’s Next programme, launched by ING Bank Romania and Visa, in partnership with Impact Hub Bucharest. The finalists will benefit from personalised mentoring sessions, focused on the development needs of their businesses, as well as group coaching sessions, with the aim of interacting with the entire community of entrepreneurs in the programme.

Cristina Bâtlan (founder of Musette), Ioana Hasan (cofounder of SmartBill), Alina Donici (cofounder of Artesana), Oana Craioveanu (cofounder of Impact Hub Bucharest) and Ana Diceanu (founder of Brain4Strategy) are among the mentors who will guide the participants in this professional development journey, along with financial experts from ING.

„Over 1000 women entrepreneurs have signed up for our first edition Visa She’s Next programme. These results make us very happy and demonstrate the interest of entrepreneurs for this kind of programmes that offer a valuable mix of resources, financing, but also networking. Percentage wise, when it comes to enrolments, 2-5 years old businesses ranked first (35%) and were followed by those with 6-10 years of market activity (23%). Start-ups accounted for 18% of enrolments, while businesses with over 10 years of service accounted for 13%. Selecting the finalists was not easy at all, but the mentors carefully analysed the registrations, looked at the impact and authenticity of the business, the objectives, the results, and the way obstacles were overcome. We aim to continue giving women entrepreneurs the courage to pursue their dreams, so we will run Visa She’s Next in the next year also.” – Luana Sorescu, Head of Clients, Business Banking division, in ING Bank Romania.

The mentoring and coaching sessions are held over a period of 5 months (June-November) and will prepare the entrepreneurs for the pitch at the end of the programme. In front of the jury, the finalists will present the project they want to develop in their business. Three of them will win grants worth 10,000 euros to carry out their plans and take their businesses to the next level.

„We are pleased to see that the global programme launched by Visa five years ago is also very successful in Romania this year, since the first edition organised in partnership with ING Bank and Impact Hub Bucharest. We believe that women entrepreneurship has a lot to say and show, and the need for this programme locally has been validated both by the results of the recent study Visa and ING, and by the number of applications beyond expectations. We were glad to have an equal share of the business enrolled in the programme in the capital and in the country, reflected among the 10 finalists, which shows us once again the fantastic potential that small businesses in all areas of Romania have. Thus, the second edition of Visa She’s Next comes as a natural continuation of our initiatives to support the efforts of women entrepreneurs in the country to finance and develop their own business.” – Elena Ungureanu, Country Manager Visa in Romania.

„We are delighted to be part of She’s Next, an initiative dedicated exclusively to supporting women entrepreneurs. At Impact Hub Bucharest, we actively promote gender equality and we are convinced of the extraordinary potential women have in business. Our participation in the programme reflects this commitment. We firmly believe that by providing the necessary support, women entrepreneurs can radically transform the economic and social landscape. We are proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to seeing the positive impact we will have together on the business community and on the economy as a whole.“- Oana Craioveanu, Cofounder Impact Hub Bucharest.

Who are the 10 finalists of Visa She’s Next

Amaya Bags, Oradea – from the story to the souvenir; the business supports the tourist attractions to tell their history and local characters, offering personalised souvenirs for each tourist attraction in Romania, with drawings made by a local artist.
OilRight, Timisoara – provides collection services for used food oil and produces scented candles and DIY kits from reused food oil.
Woolina Clothes, Bucharest – makes clothes from natural materials and provides workmanship and transformation services for recycled clothes.
Data Detectives Technologies, Alba Iulia – develops software and medtech for children diagnosed with autism.
Next Interior, Bucharest – offers complete interior design services for the residential segment, covering all stages of a design project.
Moogu Design, Bucharest – engaged in the production of contemporary jewellery, with a presence already in several countries: Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
Cloudless Stage, Brasov – offers an experience, not just an accommodation, in the 5 small cottages “My little Village” in Poiana Mărului, Brasov.
Speaking Concept, Bucharest – provides communication and public speaking trainings.
Arta Sinelui, Cluj Napoca – provides counselling, coaching and facilitation of personal development workshops, business leadership consultancy and leadership of a high-performing team.
Germanis Forum, Iasi – provides online and in-person German language courses, creates interactive learning materials for foreign languages and organises language competitions.