Ioana Mocanu: Purpose-driven entrepreneurship built around play and people

Ioana Mocanu, founder of Creative Board Gaming, shares her journey in entrepreneurship, community building, and the power of play as a meaningful, human-centered experience.

Ioana Mocanu is the founder of Creative Board Gaming (CBG), an organizer of board game events for all ages, operating in Bucharest and the surrounding areas. Since 2013, she has been bringing together people open to socializing on a daily basis, sprinkling the entire experience with playfulness, suspense, and smiles. Alongside this business, Ioana is the mother of a 5-year-old daughter and, in her free time, she practices Latin dances, dabbles in playing the guitar, meets up with friends and, of course, plays board games whenever she gets the chance.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, which were the key moments that defined you?

Ioana Mocanu: The first key moment was when I was proposed to start the Creative Board Gaming story. A second moment was when, after almost three years of trying the model of a board game shop combined with a leisure space, we decided to focus solely on events. We hadn’t managed to delegate properly and felt we were doing many things, but at a mediocre level. Around that same period, the partner I had started with decided to go in a different direction, so I continued on my own. The beginning was very uncertain, but I believe it was worth it.

Before Creative Board Gaming, during my bachelor’s and master’s studies, I worked in sales as a freelancer, then in a corporation and in two smaller companies. I feel all these experiences helped me later in business. Also, although I never ended up practicing what I studied, I believe it contributed to developing my way of thinking, my perspectives, resilience, and planning skills.

And to finish with key moments, the pandemic definitely has its place on the list. We struggled to create alternatives for people during that time.

C&B: What are the biggest challenges in running a business where the main product is entertainment, not just the sale of objects?

Ioana Mocanu: The fact that you constantly have to strive to be chosen. Especially in Bucharest, where there are extremely many entertainment options, it is both a joy and an honor that people choose to come to us. Another challenge is that entertainment is considered a pleasure, not a necessity, therefore during financially difficult periods people go out less and in smaller numbers.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Ioana Mocanu: I wanted my work to have meaning, to feel that I offer something that brings added value and, of course, that I enjoy. It is said that being self-employed brings freedom. In reality, you have less free time, but the satisfaction and even the adrenaline of making your own decisions can be defining if this suits you.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey and how do you feel you have transformed up to now?

Ioana Mocanu: At the beginning, I was very naïve. Gradually, I had to come down to earth. At first, I also believed I knew a lot. Now I understand how much I still have to learn and how fascinating that is. Also, at the beginning I didn’t have much to lose. Now I am much more responsible, especially since I also have a family.

C&B: If we were to meet your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Ioana Mocanu: I like to think they see me as a committed person who wants everything we do to turn out as well as possible. I also try to create a pleasant working environment, based on collaboration and common sense.

C&B: What is the most important decision you have made that changed your trajectory?

Ioana Mocanu: Starting to delegate. It’s good to learn everything, but you can’t be good at everything, and at some point you simply won’t have the time. It’s very hard to let go of the reins, and I still have work to do on that.

C&B: Your vision says that “the site calls itself a shop, but in fact we play them” — how do you explain the concept of an experience-based shop to someone who comes for the first time?

Ioana Mocanu: What we offer are beautiful moments, both alongside loved ones and alongside new friends met on the spot at events. I have nothing against objects, but we already all have plenty of them. An experience, however, shapes you, stays with you, and can reconnect you with yourself and with others. Daily worries pass more easily when you know that in the evening you will do something enjoyable that recharges you. Not to mention weekends, when you are not as pressed by responsibilities.

C&B: How do you differentiate yourselves from other online or offline board game shops, especially through your vision of “fun with friends/family/colleagues”?

Ioana Mocanu: We no longer sell games, so our relationship with shops is one of partnership. Our competition lies in other event organizers targeting exactly the same audience as us. We differentiate ourselves through meticulous organization, the fact that we address both adults and children (with separate sections), the option to purchase a gift voucher for someone dear so they can choose what they want from our offer, the fact that we rent games for home use as well, our corporate packages and, last but not least, our bonus points system. More precisely, anything you choose from what we offer, plus winning at our events, earns you points in your website account, which you can later use to choose rewards from the page called Prizes. There you’ll find all our partners listed, with options ranging from cocktails and relaxation massages to dance class subscriptions and even trips around the country. In addition, once every three months we give extra awards to the best players in each type of competition (besides social and relaxation events, we also organize championships for advanced players). We also offer personalized trophies, for proper recognition.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now and which moments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Ioana Mocanu: It depends on the day. Sometimes I work from home, other times I go to the locations where we have a permanent game collection available for people who want to go out and play with friends outside of events. For the most part, I try to spend as much time as possible with our daughter after we pick her up from kindergarten. The moments that bring me the greatest professional satisfaction are those when I hear clients laughing wholeheartedly and their phones remain untouched. They look each other in the eyes, talk, disconnect from stress and bring out the child in them through play. Not to mention how many people have, over time, become good friends, neighbors, colleagues or even couples.

C&B: What important lesson have you learned as the founder of a niche concept focused on experience and community?

Ioana Mocanu: That the beginning is much harder when the market doesn’t yet exist. In 2013, many people believed board games were slot machines and didn’t associate them at all with chess, rummy, Monopoly or classic card games. At that time, there were already thousands of titles worldwide, but in Romania there were very few players in this field and it was very difficult. In such a situation, you need either a lot of patience or very effective techniques to educate and attract the audience to what you offer. Luckily, we had the patience — the second part came later 🤣. In any case, today there are incomparably more players on the market: shops (physical and online), Romanian producers and distributors, plus other organizers, both in Bucharest and across the country. Competition, as a principle, gives anyone chills, but it also contributes to market creation and stimulates continuous growth. What helped us the most in CBG’s activity, however, was the idea of community, of belonging, of bringing together people with the same energy. This emotional aspect contributed significantly.

C&B: How did the idea of CBG Shop come about and what inspired you to turn your passion for board games into an experience-based business?

Ioana Mocanu: My former partner, Cosmin, came up with the idea at a birthday party of mine where, of course, we were playing board games. I was already working in the games industry at the time, giving a lot of passion to my job, but the manager back then had started treating us very badly. When I told my friends I was about to resign, the proposal came up and initially, of course, it was a laughing matter. Until the next day, when I received a message from Cosmin with information about youth funding programs he had already found online that we could access to open the business. We were both just over 20, coming from ordinary families, without money or business role models around us. We started from zero and also rushed into large initial expenses, which was not good at all. My advice now would be: start wisely — not overly cautious, but don’t throw yourself into too much either. Grow gradually, with a plan, but with a lot of flexibility. Have patience and perseverance. Try, learn. Surround yourself with people who support you and, ideally, from whom you can learn. Do it as early as possible, so you have time to dedicate yourself before other responsibilities appear.

C&B: What is your vision for CBG Shop over the next 3–5 years — expansion, new locations, local gaming communities, partnerships?

Ioana Mocanu: A game collection in even more venues in Bucharest (we currently have 6 partners), events for even more game titles — at the moment we have Catan, Whist, Table, Dungeons & Dragons, Puzzle, Board Game Nights where we play all kinds of games, and many others. Collaborations with more afterschools and schools (for programs like “Școala Altfel” and “Săptămâna Verde”), with more companies for team buildings and employee benefits, plus more partners for the prizes we offer at events. And last but not least, I wish to continue waking up in the morning with enthusiasm and energy, because life flows very fast, and being able to work at something you love seems to me one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.

Ioana Mocanu’s story is one of courage, patience, and purpose in an industry built around joy and connection.