Silvia Floares: Building Communities through Culture, Creativity, and Courage

Silvia Floares is the founder of Mezanin Market, Weekend Sessions, and FactoryLab, as well as the coordinator of cultural and entrepreneurial projects developed through the Cultural Enterprise Association – initiatives that bring together artists, local entrepreneurs, and the general public in vibrant, accessible spaces where culture, creativity, and community naturally intersect.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in one sentence to spark the curiosity of those who don’t know you yet?
Silvia Floares: I’m constantly searching for brave, optimistic people who bring color to their surroundings through ideas, initiative, and the joy of creating – and I put all my energy into supporting their journey, amplifying their voices, and showing how much they enrich Bucharest and Romania – so that more and more people gain the courage to create, to come together as communities, and to leave their mark.

C&B: Looking at the narrative of your career or business, what were the key defining moments?
Silvia Floares: Launching Mezanin Market in 2018 was a key moment, but the thread of my professional journey began much earlier. I’ve been working for over 20 years, always in entrepreneurial settings and creative industries, with a constant appetite for projects that bring together diverse people – artists, entrepreneurs, companies, public institutions. I’ve grown among cultural projects, local brands, festivals, fairs, communication campaigns, and many ideas that initially seemed hard to implement but came to life thanks to solid teams and partnerships. I believe in long-term collaborations, in relationships built over time – not sprints – and in communities’ capacity to generate valuable projects when given the right framework. This has defined me all these years: the ability to create context, to translate between different worlds, and to make space for ideas that deserve to be seen.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far, and how did you overcome it?
Silvia Floares: Without a doubt, the pandemic was the most difficult moment, when we could no longer organize in-person events – which was our main activity at the time. It was a forced pause, but also a valuable training in agility and reinvention. Instead of stopping, we rethought formats and opened new directions: we launched Sorbitor, a platform dedicated to vintage decorations and objects with stories; together with UniCredit Bank, we created Roditor Food Market, a marketplace offering visibility to local food entrepreneurs; and during this time, one of our most important projects took shape – Weekend Sessions. It began in gardens and museums in Bucharest, we called it the “most well-behaved” festival, and it quickly became a cultural platform inviting people to (re)discover museums as places for connection, inspiration, and community. It was clear proof that even in a crisis, new and timely formats can emerge.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?
Silvia Floares: Yes – I’ve always wanted to create spaces where people feel seen, validated, and connected. I’ve been guided by the belief that creative initiative, even on a small scale, deserves the spotlight, and that people who create with their hands, hearts, and purpose need contexts where they can be discovered. My dream has always been to build platforms that not only showcase but also create real relationships between creators and audiences, between cities and their communities, between ideas and possibilities. There have been many obstacles, but the direction has always been clear: to bring closer everything that’s creative, vibrant, and capable of adding color to our lives.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you’ve transformed?
Silvia Floares: What made a huge difference in our growth over the years has been the consistent support and trust of partners who chose to be present long-term, not just for one-off collaborations. The fact that major institutions and brands – like Mezanin and Beans&Dots, the Bucharest City Museum, Aqua Carpatica, Domeniile Sâmburești, UniCredit Bank, Rompetrol, Raiffeisen Bank, or Promenada Mall – believed in our efforts from early stages gave us not only validation but also the freedom to build patiently and meaningfully. These kinds of partnerships allowed us to develop solid, consistent projects that are rooted in the community.

C&B: If we spoke with your team or collaborators, what do you think they’d say about you?
Silvia Floares: We have collaborators who’ve been with us from the beginning, and I’m deeply grateful for their constant trust, loyalty, and the way they’ve helped shape what we’ve built together. At the same time, we’re always welcoming new people – young individuals at the start of their careers, through internships or specific projects – who bring fresh perspectives and great energy. I hope they feel heard, involved, and part of a team that grows with every project, even in a field filled with unpredictability.

C&B: What’s the most important decision you’ve made that changed your trajectory?
Silvia Floares: One of the most important decisions was made during the pandemic: to keep going, rather than waiting for things to “blow over.” In a context where everything felt suspended, we chose to move forward, rethink formats, test new ideas, and maintain a connection with the community. That’s how projects like Roditor Food Market and Sorbitor were born. We also launched Weekend Sessions, which has since become one of the most enduring independent cultural projects in Bucharest.
Another essential moment came this year when we accepted a challenge from Promenada Mall: to build a new project – FactoryLab – in a very short time, a space dedicated to creative entrepreneurship in the heart of a mall. Raiffeisen Bank joined us immediately with enthusiasm and genuine support, and together we shaped the project quickly and organically. In less than three weeks, we defined the concept, selected the brands, designed the communication strategy, outlined a weekly activation program, and opened the space exactly as we envisioned – vibrant, coherent, and community-driven.
We also took the project outside the mall – to FITS 2025, where we presented it as an urban performance featuring “the world’s smallest showroom,” wearable display windows walked through Sibiu’s Piața Mare. It was perhaps our most intense launch yet – and proof that when there’s trust and flexible partners, valuable things can be built fast, without losing your essence.
To sum up, the decision to act instead of waiting, to face challenges with confidence, and to take on new spaces – even unexpected ones – has changed our trajectory and strengthened our belief that the best projects often emerge at the riskiest times.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style and decision-making approach? Was it natural or learned?
Silvia Floares: My leadership style is still evolving – it’s a natural process, but also a slow one. I’ve always paid close attention to the people around me – those who take initiative and show autonomy – and I’ve learned from their ways. I was lucky to work for many years with Marius Cristea at IQads and Andrei Bortun at The Institute – experiences that gave me solid benchmarks for rhythm, vision, and coherence. At different points, I also learned from Alexandru Aron, with whom I worked for two years at Mezanin Spaces, from Anca Ungureanu through her work at Beans&Dots, and from Valentina Vesler, who, with her entrepreneurial experience, mentored me at key moments.
An essential role in my journey is played by Robert Șopârlache, my partner and our creative director, who is consistently present in every project, supporting us with a coherent aesthetic that defines each step we take.
And perhaps most importantly: I’m constantly learning from all the artists and local entrepreneurs we work with – people who inspire me with their clarity, perseverance, and courage. My leadership is about trust, collaboration – and yes, sometimes organized chaos, but we adapt as we go.

C&B: What differentiates your business or professional approach from the rest of the industry?
Silvia Floares: What sets us apart is how we do things: quietly, without elitism or pressure. We don’t aim to impress through extravagance but to create vibrant contexts where people and ideas meet naturally. For over 7 years, through Mezanin Market, we’ve built a steady platform for over 400 local entrepreneurs, with 24 event days per year and tens of thousands of returning visitors drawn by the atmosphere, the products, and the connections.
With Weekend Sessions, since 2021, we’ve brought over 50,000 participants into gardens and museums across Bucharest, transforming them into relaxed meeting places with guided tours, concerts, workshops, and open-air cinema.
And with FactoryLab, we created Romania’s first entrepreneurial lab inside a mall – a space that constantly reshapes the urban landscape through seasonal collections and local entrepreneurs.
All our projects stem from a simple belief: that we need more humanity in how we relate to cities, culture, and entrepreneurship. And that this is built long-term, with care, patience, and joy.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the most satisfaction?
Silvia Floares: My days don’t follow a fixed pattern – each one is different, depending on the projects, the team’s rhythm, or what events are happening. What brings me the most satisfaction are the small, seemingly insignificant moments: when someone returns to an event and says they feel “at home”; when an entrepreneur tells us they met a new client, collaborator, or even a friend there; or when a museum partner says they were surprised by the weekend’s visitor numbers. These are signs that what we’re doing is alive and meaningful.

C&B: What values or principles guide your work, and how do you apply them daily?
Silvia Floares: Optimism, courage, and consistency. I apply them daily through how I communicate, choose collaborations, build relationships, and design projects – without gimmicks, with respect for people, and attention to what we leave behind.

C&B: How did the idea for your business come about, and how did you choose the names?
Silvia Floares: We don’t have an umbrella brand – though maybe we should create one. Each project emerged organically, from a real need, and with a name that reflects its spirit.
Mezanin Market was born in 2018, on the mezzanine floor of Palatul Universul – a cozy, light-filled space. It was the first place we brought local entrepreneurs together, in a laid-back fair with no rush or pressure. The name stuck – because it reflects both the physical level and the ongoing Mezanin Spaces event venue.

Weekend Sessions came from a desire to bring people closer to museums, but in a relaxed, garden-like format with music, tours, workshops, and outdoor cinema. The name clearly reflects the rhythm – weekends – and the informal, modular nature: the “most well-behaved” festival.

FactoryLab was conceived as a testing ground for local entrepreneurs – an open lab in the heart of Promenada Mall, with Raiffeisen Bank, where ideas, collections, and interactions are always changing. “Factory” refers to the hands-on, manufacturing side, while “Lab” points to creativity, experimentation, and adaptation. It’s a living, ever-changing space.

We chose to give each project its own name because each one has its own personality.
What unites them is how they’re built: with care, optimistic people, and the belief that cities need more space for creative entrepreneurship.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people following in your footsteps, what would it be?
Silvia Floares: Start. Action is always more valuable than the perfect plan. Test your ideas, put them out into the world while they’re still alive – don’t wait for everything to be flawless. If you truly believe in something, launch sooner rather than later – clarity comes from doing, not theorizing.