Forbes Business Bridges

About Forbes Business Bridges

Forbes Romania, an institution at the forefront of the business and entrepreneurial community in Romania and across Central and Eastern Europe, is organizing the second edition of Forbes Business Bridges – a business event dedicated to strengthening the ties between the Romanian and the American business communities.

Following the extraordinary success of its two editions, Forbes Romania is inviting you on October 7 at the landmark Forbes on Fifth location in New York City for a full day of insightful discussions and exclusive networking with C-level professionals and thought-leaders from both sides of the Atlantic.

Our goal is to bring together American and Romanian visionaries in IT, finance, logistics & production, and real estate for meaningful conversations and new partnership opportunities.

See you in

  

Reasons to attend:

Experience Forbes on Fifth, the very core of business journalism for 109 years

Foster and strengthen business relationships between Romanian and American companies.

Connect with top executives and decision-makers from leading American and Romanian companies.

Gain unique insights from industry leaders and experts on the latest market trends, business strategies, and investment opportunities.

Build strategic partnerships and explore potential collaborations.

Learn best practices and innovative approaches to business challenges.

2025 Agenda

Forbes on Fifth Conference: Featuring 4 Engaging Discussion Panels in New York City

High-end Reception in New York City

Exploring Iconic New York City Attractions

Guests Arrival

Location: Forbes on Fifth Manhattan

09:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Forbes Business Bridges Opening Remarks

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Raluca Michailov, Owner Forbes Romania & Moldova

Kerry A. Dolan – Assistant Managing Editor, Global Editions, Forbes

Simona Florea, Consul General of Romania in New York

IT: navigating the new digital frontier – AI and beyond

10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Transformative Technologies: AI’s Role in Shaping the Digital Ecosystem

Global AI Collaborations: Building a Borderless Innovation Space

Ethics and Evolution: Navigating AI’s Expanding Influence on Global Systems

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Moderator: Mihai Ivascu – Founder and Board Member of Modex – Co-Founder of .Lumen –
Co-Founder of Aeronews – Board Member of Rayscape.ai – Managing Partner I64 Capital

Adrian Gociu – Lawyer, Founder & Managing Partner Gociu Lawyers, Founder LoContemporary.com
Marian Anghelache – Head of Technology and Innovation Global Vision
Constantin Gorgan – Founder @ CG Tech Labs & Co-Founder and CTO @ Giles AI
Andrada Morar – VP Customer Experience & Global Partners UiPath

One-to-One Session

11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Florin Enache – Owner TEILOR

INVESTMENT SHIELDS: the path to resilient wealth-building

11:30 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

Navigating disruption in a shifting financial landscape

Future-proofing wealth: tax strategies for high-impact investment

Global finance trends: opportunities and risks for investors in 2025

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Moderator: Jennifer Fondervay, Founder Day1 Ready™

Rebecca Rose Woodland – Founding partner Lonuzzi & Woodland, LLP

Joe Wickwire – Professor, CFA Bentley University, Former Gold Fund Manager Fidelity

One-to-One Session

12:05 p.m. – 12:20 p.m.

Mirela Dogărescu – Co-Founder Alma Health & Spa Retreat

Advanced production and logistics: redefining global supply chains

12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Smart manufacturing: Integrating AI, IoT, and robotics to create intelligent factories for the future.

Sustainable Logistics: Reducing environmental impact through green supply chain strategies and innovations.

Cross-border industrial partnerships: Strengthening Romania-USA collaborations for resilient and efficient global production networks.

***

Moderator: Raluca Michailov, Owner Forbes Romania & Moldova

Anca Damour – CEO & Partner DCraig Real Estate and Executive Board Member ELI Parks

Nunzio De Filippis – Co-CEO, CargoTrans | Licensed Customs Broker | Board Member, NY Alliance & Verde Fulfillment USA

Bjorn Bengtsson – Chief Product and Supply Chain Officer Untuckit LLC

Lunch & Networking

01:00 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.

One-to-One Session

02:00 p.m. – 02:15 p.m.

Simona Pelin – CEO S&P Group

Real Estate: future-ready spaces – reimagining investment and innovation

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

Sustainable growth: real estate innovations for an eco-conscious future

Tech-Driven property solutions for modern living and offices

Cross-border investments: bridging US and CEE real estate opportunities

***

Moderator: Raluca Michailov – Owner Forbes Romania & Moldova

Oana Ijdelea – Managing Partner, Ijdelea & Associates

Beatrice Dumitrașcu – CEO Residential Division One United Properties

Aaron N. Block – Co-Founder and Managing Partner MetaProp

Craig Nassi – CEO BCN Development

Bob Knakal – Chairman & CEO BKREA

Kent M. Swig – President Swig Equities, LLC

2025 Speakers

2025 Participants

Forbes Business Bridges – Highlights from 2024

2025 Partners

Managed directly by Michael Schmidt, Automobile Bavaria Group is a benchmark in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) automotive market. It has grown into one of the largest automotive groups in the region. Automobile Bavaria operates the largest BMW and MINI dealership network in Central and South-Eastern Europe, with 13 dealerships across Romania. The group also runs the only authorized Rolls-Royce service center in the region and includes Opel and VW dealerships.
The Catena brand was created in 1999, when Fildas Trading took over the majority of Argesfarm’s shares. Starting from 30 units, Catena managed to become, since 2012, the largest and most appreciated pharmacy network in Romania.
In its 23 years of existence, Catena has established itself not only as an authentic Romanian brand, but also as a profile leader in pharmaceutical retail, with over 900 units open nationwide.

TEILOR is a story that was born from the passion for beauty, in 1998. On the street that inspired its name, in Pitesti, a jewelry store that would turn a big dream into a surprising reality. Florin and Geanina Enache, the founders of the brand, set off, with confidence and curiosity, on a journey full of challenges, but marked by satisfaction and enthusiasm at every milestone that announced a victory.
The time spent in the master jewelers’ workshops, the lessons about the creation and production process, about aesthetics and functionality fueled their passion for jewelry and shaped the beginning of the vision of what TEILOR would become. In the first store, you could find gold pieces that attracted attention by their simplicity and elegance, but also by the fact that they adapted to the trends of the moment. From the first selections of gold pieces to the first collections of jewelry with precious stones were only a few steps – each, made with determination and a significant dose of courage.
CPI Property Group is a family-owned company founded in the Czech Republic more than 30 years ago. We are experts in owning and managing income-generating real estate.
CPIPG owns a property portfolio valued at over €20 billion, focused on the Czech Republic, Berlin, Poland and the CEE region. Nearly half of the portfolio consists of offices in key central European capital cities of Berlin, Prague, and Warsaw where we hold leading positions.
With 700 commercial properties, more than 8,000 international and local tenants, and exposure to multiple geographies and property segments, CPIPG’s portfolio is large and well-diversified.
International Alexander Holding is a privately owned freight forwarding company founded in 2003. The company’s headquarters is located in Arad, Romania.
Our company became an independent transport and logistics provider (3PL) with a focus on supporting our customers with value added activities to improve the supply chain operations.
With more than 2000 employees, the company is specialized in providing complex logistics and transportation services to customers in the automotive and technology industries.
Global Vision, founded by Sorin Preda over two decades ago, is a prominent leader in the Central and Eastern European real estate market. With over 1.8 million square meters developed and 800,000 square meters under management, the company has built a strong presence across the industrial, logistics, and commercial real estate
sectors. Renowned for its reliable commitments, Global Vision continues to attract international investments and positions Romania, the CEE, and Black Sea regions as key EMEA market destinations.
One United Properties stands as the leading green investor and developer of residential, mixed-use, commercial, and office real estate in Bucharest, Romania. Upholding a steadfast commitment to safe, energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthy building practices, the company has received numerous awards and recognitions for its exceptional performance in sustainability, energy efficiency, and wellness. The distinguished ONE brand is synonymous with quality, design, community, sustainability, and highly desirable locations.
For over 17 years, our law firm helps both local entrepreneurs and international corporations develop and implement integrated, innovative, and pragmatic strategies to achieve their goals.
Our mission is clear: To help clients build, consolidate and protect profitable businesses.
We provide advice on a wide range of matters, with a particular focus on Mergers & Acquisitions, Energy & Natural Resources, Corporate & Commercial Law, Dispute Resolution, Environmental Law, Regulatory and Compliance Matters, and Real Estate & Construction.

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