Adriana Preda is a social innovator, strategist, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience at the intersection of social impact, business, and systemic innovation, known for building and scaling programs and platforms that create real opportunities for young people and vulnerable communities in Romania, Central and Eastern Europe, and more recently in the United States, working across both the non-profit sector and the areas of strategic consulting and initiatives with integrated social value. She is currently a Board Member of The Social Incubator Association, a strategy, impact, and ESG consultant at Nimble Minds, and is developing a startup in the impact-driven advertising space, focused on models through which marketing budgets can support concrete social change.

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

Adriana Preda: If I were to look at my career as a narrative thread, I wouldn’t say it was built on spectacular moments, but rather on a few decisions that changed its direction and proved to be lasting.

The first important moment came from the legal field, directly tied to my education. At the beginning, law seemed to me a powerful tool to correct injustices. I have always been moved by situations of abuse, helplessness, and people who lack the language or resources to defend themselves. I believed the law could be a real vehicle for balance and protection. The experience shaped me, but it also awakened me. I quickly understood that formal justice does not automatically reach those who need it most, and that systems, no matter how well-intentioned, have their limits.

Then came television. I entered that space with the sincere desire to be the voice of stories that were not being told and of people who were not being heard. I believed in the power of visibility and in the role of public exposure as a form of change. It was an intense and deeply clarifying stage. I saw how easily nuance gets lost, how complex realities are compressed into formats that demand quick impact. I learned that telling a story is not enough if there is no responsibility after the spotlight fades. A voice, without continuity, sometimes remains just noise.

The Social Incubator, however, was the place where all these threads came together. That’s where the need for justice, the desire to give voice, and especially the need to build something lasting met. I moved from signaling problems to working, day by day, on solutions. From reaction to structure. From emotion to systems that can support real people over the long term. It was the space where I learned what leadership responsibility means, the pressure of decision-making, and the invisible work behind real impact. Looking back, this beginning was more of a search than a plan. I was searching for the right tool. Law gave me the framework. Television gave me the voice. Civil society gave me the place where the two could be put to work, with meaning, patience, and real consequences.

Now I am at the intersection of all these worlds. I work between civil society, business, and consulting, with the same question in mind, but with much clearer tools. I build bridges between impact and economy, between good intentions and systems that can function at scale, between real needs on the ground and resources that exist but are often poorly connected.

After years of working directly with young people, organizations, and communities, I understood that sustainable change does not come from a single sector. It comes from the ability to hold them together. To translate between them. To create models where doing good does not depend only on grants or favorable contexts, but is integrated into how organizations, companies, and markets function.

C&B: What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a leader of a non-profit organization, and how did you overcome it?

Adriana Preda: The biggest challenge was keeping the organization whole in moments when nothing was certain. Unstable funding, constant pressure for results, tired teams, and people looking to leadership for direction, even when I myself had few clear answers.

In the non-profit world, crises don’t come one at a time. They overlap. And the temptation is to accelerate, to compensate through control, to promise more than you know you can deliver. There was a moment when I understood that the biggest mistake would be to perform certainty. I chose the opposite—I was explicit about what we knew and what we didn’t, I set clear boundaries, and I slowed down decisions driven by fear, moving them back into reason.

Another real challenge was balancing mission and people. The desire to help can quickly become a form of collective burnout. I learned to protect the team, even when external needs seemed more urgent. I held the pressure at the leadership level and refused to let it cascade downward. It wasn’t always a popular decision, but it was a necessary one.

I overcame these moments by changing how I defined success. Not only through delivered impact, but through the organization’s ability to remain healthy, coherent, and dignified in difficult conditions. With clearer processes, accountable decisions, and a lot of presence—without spectacular solutions. Just constant, honest, human building.

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

Adriana Preda: The ambition that has consistently guided me has been to build contexts in which people have real chances, not just inspirational success stories. From the very beginning, I was less interested in the idea of saving and much more in the idea of building fair conditions. Access, reference points, people who see you at the right time, and systems that don’t exclude you from the start.

Along the way, the shape of this dream has changed. At first, it was about being on the side of those who were wronged. Then about giving them a voice. Today, it is about changing the rules of the game that produce the same inequalities, generation after generation, through structures that function even when enthusiasm fades.

What has remained constant is the refusal to accept that some destinies are “natural.” I don’t believe that. I believe many trajectories are the result of context, not personal value. My ambition is to work exactly where context can be redesigned. Even if it’s slower, even if it’s harder to explain. For me, true success is when change no longer depends on me, but can continue without me.

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

Adriana Preda: At the beginning, I was very determined, but also very rushed. I had a lot of energy, a lot of frustration with injustice, and a strong need to prove that things could be done differently. I believed that if you worked hard enough and spoke clearly, change would follow almost naturally. I was involved everywhere, present in every detail, with the feeling that responsibility always rested on my shoulders.

Over time, I have transformed more than I planned. I learned to slow down without losing direction. To choose the battles that truly matter. Not to confuse urgency with importance. I learned that leadership means creating clarity, space, and trust for others—not being visible all the time.

Perhaps the biggest change has been how I relate to myself. I moved from defining myself through effort and sacrifice to defining myself through judgment, consistency, and healthy boundaries. Today, I no longer feel the need to constantly prove myself. I care more about what remains than what is seen. And, perhaps paradoxically, this grounding has made the work stronger and more sustainable.

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

Adriana Preda: They would probably say that I am demanding and results-oriented, but also fair and consistent. I place a strong emphasis on clarity, responsibility, and meaning. I believe in autonomy, but also in accountability, and I try to create a space where people can express themselves and grow, even when things are difficult.

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

Adriana Preda: The most important decision was to let go of the idea that I had to choose a single direction and stick to it at all costs. For a long time, I felt the pressure to fit into a clearly defined role—lawyer, journalist, NGO leader. At some point, I consciously chose to stop separating these identities and to build exactly at their intersection.

This decision meant stepping out of comfortable zones and easy-to-explain labels. It meant accepting a path that is harder to read from the outside, but much more coherent on the inside. It also meant the risk of being perceived as “too much” or “too different” for some contexts—and I embraced that.

From that moment on, my trajectory changed. I started thinking long-term, building bridges between worlds that don’t naturally speak to each other, and making decisions not for the next step, but for the architecture of the entire journey. It was the moment I truly moved from execution to building.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or your way of making decisions? Was it a natural or learned process?

Adriana Preda: My leadership style did not emerge from a single moment or role—it was built over time, from reality, pressure, and deliberate choices. It has been a deeply learned process, but also a very personal one. I invested a lot in learning, in mentors, in coaching, and in reflection spaces where I could understand not just what I do, but how and why I do it.

At some point, I realized that if I wanted to build something that lasts, I couldn’t lead purely “by instinct” forever. So I chose to treat leadership as a competency, just like strategy or finance. I approached the non-profit organization with the same rigor as a business—clear structure, functional processes, defined responsibilities, data-driven decisions. At the same time, I knew that the human dimension is not a “soft skill,” but the invisible infrastructure that holds everything together.

I worked a lot with the idea of transfer. What can be taken from business and adapted into social impact, what principles are universal, how do you build sustainability without losing meaning? This cross-sector thinking completely changed how I make decisions. It helped me move from reaction to architecture—not just solving today’s problems, but preventing tomorrow’s.

In the beginning, I was very present in all the details. I believed leadership meant being everywhere, carrying everything, compensating. Over time, I learned something more difficult but essential—that true authority comes from clarity, and that sometimes the best decision is to step back, create space, and trust.

Today, my leadership style is calmer, more strategic, and more human. I make decisions with people, consequences, and time in mind. I care just as much about how a result is achieved as about the result itself. And perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned is this—leadership never ends. It evolves, it refines itself, and it always requires honesty with yourself and with those who walk alongside you.

C&B: What is the fundamental mission of the organization and how has it evolved since its launch?

Adriana Preda: The organization’s mission has been, from the beginning, to create real opportunities for young people who start with a significant contextual disadvantage, in a concrete way. Access to relevant education, to people who see them, to experiences that can change their trajectory before the system locks them into a label.

At launch, the mission was very focused on direct intervention. We worked with young people leaving the protection system who urgently needed guidance, skills, and support to integrate professionally. It was about being there, close to them, and filling obvious gaps—basic education, orientation, first contact with the labor market.

Over time, the mission matured. We realized it wasn’t enough to work only with end beneficiaries, no matter how well we did it. So we expanded our intervention to the ecosystem—companies, schools, institutions, decision-makers. We began building programs that not only help young people, but change how organizations work with them. We shifted the focus from “how do we support one young person” to “how do we change the system that excludes them.”

Today, the mission is broader and clearer. We build models that can be replicated, partnerships that sustain long-term impact, and real bridges between the social and economic sectors. We are no longer just talking about integration, but about equity of opportunity and the collective responsibility not to waste potential.

The evolution has been natural—from reaction to architecture, from solutions for individual cases to interventions that can change the rules of the game. The mission remained the same in essence; only the tools became more mature.

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

Adriana Preda: Honestly, there is no truly typical day. My days are a mix of strategic work, decisions that require clarity, and many conversations that don’t appear on the agenda but matter immensely. I might start the morning in a strategy call or a board discussion and end it in a meeting where the stakes are purely human.

A significant part of my time is dedicated to thinking—analyzing, structuring, connecting dots between projects, people, and different contexts. I work with teams and partners from very different areas, so a large part of my day is about translation—between languages, expectations, and rhythms.

But there are also days that completely break the rhythm. Days when one of our young people walks in or calls just to say they got into university. Or that they’ve completed their first month at their first job and their voice still trembles a little when they talk about it. Or that, for the first time, they feel like they belong. These moments are not planned and don’t show up in reports, but they give meaning to everything else.

Equally important are the simple moments with the team—the laughter between meetings, a story shared in passing, a joke that releases the tension of a hard day. These small things hold people together and make long-term work possible.

The greatest satisfaction comes from this mix—from being able to work on systems while also seeing real people going through real change. When strategy and life meet, that’s when I know I’m exactly where I need to be.

C&B: What concrete changes has The Social Incubator brought to the communities you work with?

Adriana Preda: The changes brought by The Social Incubator are most visible in transformed trajectories—and we don’t look only at numbers. In the communities we work with, we have helped many young people move from a space of risk and uncertainty to one of stability, autonomy, and perspective. Young people who entered programs without clear direction and who today are employed, students, mentors, or even leaders in their own communities.

Concretely, we have created real bridges between vulnerable youth and the labor market through direct exposure, practical experiences, and long-term relationships with employers. We have changed how companies relate to these young people—from distrust to responsibility, from “they are not ready” to “what can we do differently so they are.”

At the community level, we introduced working models that did not previously exist—integrated programs combining education, career guidance, emotional support, and mentorship. We professionalized social intervention and brought rigor where often there was only good intention. This increased not only impact, but also trust from local partners and institutions.

Perhaps one of the most important changes is cultural. We contributed to shifting the narrative about young people from vulnerable backgrounds—from “beneficiaries” to people with potential, from exceptions to resources. This shift in perspective created effects that go beyond the organization and are felt in communities, schools, companies, and families.

C&B: How was The Social Incubator Association born and what was the initial inspiration behind this project?

Adriana Preda: The Social Incubator Association was born from a very simple and very harsh reality. There was (and still is) a huge gap between young people who had access to education, networks, and opportunities, and those leaving the protection system or vulnerable environments without any safety net.

The initial inspiration came from a very concrete question asked by the founding members—people who had been volunteering for many years in foster care centers and were witnessing this critical moment from the inside: what happens to these young people after they are no longer “anyone’s responsibility”?

At the beginning, the idea was to build a transition space—a place where young people are not treated as beneficiaries, but as individuals at the start of their journey, with real potential. A place that offers not just skills, but also confidence, exposure, and meaningful relationships. That is also where the name comes from—an incubator does not artificially accelerate growth, but creates the conditions for something fragile to take root.

Over time, the project grew far beyond its initial form. We quickly understood that it is not enough to work only with young people, no matter how well we do it. So we began building partnerships with companies, mentors, institutions, and local communities. We brought together actors who do not normally collaborate and connected them through a shared responsibility.

The inspiration remains the same to this day—the belief that talent is equally distributed, but opportunities are not. The Social Incubator was created to reduce this gap and continues to exist to demonstrate that when context changes, destinies can change too.

C&B: How would you describe your leadership style in an NGO and how does it differ from a similar role in a traditional business?

Adriana Preda: In an NGO, my leadership is deeply anchored in people and purpose. Decisions are never purely operational, because almost every choice has a direct impact on real lives. That requires attention, clarity, and constant presence, because you cannot lead only through results. You have to account for context, different rhythms, and vulnerabilities that don’t show up in a P&L but deeply influence the work.

At the same time, I have led an NGO with the rigor of a business—clear structure, measurable objectives, well-defined responsibilities, and accountable decisions. I strongly believe that lack of professionalization does more harm than lack of resources. The difference is that in an NGO, performance is measured in trust, stability, and the organization’s ability to remain healthy in the long term.

In a traditional business, things are more direct—decisions can be faster, accountability chains clearer, and performance pressure explicit. In an NGO, the pressure is more diffuse, but often heavier. It comes from moral expectations, social urgency, and responsibility toward communities that have no alternatives.

The major difference, however, is not technical, but about stakes. In business, mistakes cost money. In an NGO, mistakes can cost trust, lost time, or real opportunities for people. That’s why my leadership style in the non-profit space is more deliberate, more attentive, and more oriented toward long-term building—less about speed and more about direction.

Adriana Preda’s story is one of long-term building, intentional leadership, and the ability to connect different worlds to create real change. At the intersection of social impact, business, and strategy, she is redefining how opportunities can be created and scaled for young people and vulnerable communities.

The post Adriana Preda, social innovator and strategist: Leadership, social impact, and ESG in building sustainable systems appeared first on careers-business.com.

Cătălina Surcel is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Child Helpline Association, an NGO with over 20 years of experience that provides the European harmonized number for child helplines 116111, known among children as “Telefonul Copilului” (the Child Helpline). Created to respond to children’s counseling needs, the helpline represented, in 2006, a unique support initiative for children in Romania.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what were the key defining moments?
Cătălina Surcel: My life is forever connected to the lives of children. It has been and will remain so. I grew up alongside the generations of children  my mother taught in a rural community, where she found, in an almost magical way, the strength to be there day after day and guide their steps toward knowledge.

My career could not have followed another path but one about and for children. I have always wanted to find a way to improve the lives of children whom no one listens to. That opportunity came in 2001, when I was invited to join the consortium responsible for the development and implementation of  the national awareness campaign “A Children’s Home Is Not a Home.” At the time, I held the position of  key account manager in a private company, while also having been engaged in social initiatives.

I thereby participated at the launch of what I believe to have been the first and largest social campaign ever carried out in Romania, “A Children’s Home Is Not a Home”, having taken the responsibility for designing and managing the first helpline information and counseling service, dedicated at that time to parents in difficulty, the “Green Line for Child Protection.” That’s where it all started. This is how I learned about many critical situations children were facing and, at one point, I asked myself: What if we made from listening to children’s voices a priority?  Let’s give children a voice to speak themselves for their problems!

This led to the idea of creating an organization to respond to children’s counseling needs: the Child Helpline Association. That wish was fulfilled in 2006, allowing me to further develop and bring this service closer to children, following the completion of projects carried out during Romania’s pre-accession period to the European Union.

During the same year, the Child Helpline Association became a full member of Child Helpline International, alongside other organizations which provide child helpline services globally. Child Helpline International is the global alliance that today brings together 155 member organizations from 133 countries, an alliance in which Romania is represented by the Child Helpline Association.

Starting from 2010, I held the position of Deputy Regional Representative and from 2014 I served as Principles, Standards and Practices Taskforce Representative within Child Helpline International, following the vote of European member organizations of this vast international network.

I committed to contribute to the revision of annual quality assessment tools for organizations which delivered the services of the European harmonized number for child helplines 116111, as well as to identifying training needs following the evaluation process of individual organizations .

One of my greatest satisfactions was to offer support and expertise for the establishment of other child helplines in European countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Moldova.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment in your journey so far and how did you overcome it?
Cătălina Surcel: The most difficult moments in my journey, at the Child Helpline, have been those when I had to confront the harsh realities faced by children seeking our help—situations that someone raised in a happy family could not have ever imagined.

The first call from a teenage girl, on the verge of suicide, in 2019 was devastating.https://hotnews.ro/povestea-fetei-care-a-sunat-la-telefonul-copilului-si-a-spus-ca-se-sinucide-ea-este-victima-asa-cum-afirma-a-abuzului-sexual-din-partea-tatalui-vitreg-dar-nimeni-nu-a-crezut-o-301307

Her call to 116111 meant rescue, as did many others that followed, which unfortunately we got more and more often. We manage to save lives and that  should completely fulfill me, yet I cannot help feeling sadness knowing that for some children life is black and white only.

At the same time, I felt even more motivated to move forward and put an end to the harm done to these children. I regarded it all as a mission for which I felt grateful, as if we had somehow been chosen to fulfill it. Every single day.

And we were not wrong. For severe cases such as suicide attempts and runaway children cases, my organization worked closely with the Romanian Police and emergency medical services. Our intervention always mattered. We have never lost a single child and that is our greatest achievement at the Child Helpline Association—the engine of our energy and motivation.

C&B: What are the most significant changes or results you have observed in the community since the Child Helpline began operating?
Cătălina Surcel: Over time, we have seen children gain the courage to speak about their problems, claim their rights and find solutions by calling 116111. The Child Helpline Association has provided over 115,000 long-term counseling sessions to children and adolescents in Romania. This reflects not only the necessity of our services but also the trust children place in us.

At the same time, the problems children share allow us to understand their current challenges and to address them at community and authorities levels through campaigns and projects.

In 2019, their voices mobilized us to organize the National Anti-Bullying Forum at the Palace of the Parliament, a unique event in Romania dedicated to public policy debates on combating bullying. The Forum helped formalize efforts to introduce this type of abuse into legislation, an achievement that earned us the First Prize in the Education category at the 2020 Radio România Cultural Gala.

Awareness projects and campaigns such as “Stop Bullying,” “BeCyberSafe,” “Unwanted Touches” and “BeDrugFree” would not have been possible without the voices of children who expressed their vulnerability when facing these challenges.

C&B: How did you look at the beginning of your journey and how do you feel you have transformed?
Cătălina Surcel: I remember my thoughts at the beginning of this long journey. I was happy, motivated, excited to help. Twenty-five years later, today, I feel that each case in which my team and I made a difference in a child’s life has become inseparably tied to my life and soul.

This path has profoundly transformed me, changing my frame of reference, my perspectives and the way I see life. I would like to call myself lucky and perhaps I am, but I prefer not to. What I have learned is unfortunately rooted in human suffering that I would choose to prevent at any cost.

My journey at the Child Helpline will end only when the phone no longer rings. I await that wonderful day with emotion, joy and hope. On that day, I will look at myself in the mirror with the pride of someone who knows she changed the world.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?
Cătălina Surcel: I have always had a dedicated, permanent team of professionals and wonderful people by my side, which has been decisive in everything I set out to accomplish. Thanks to them, I became stronger for all that followed. Many of them have been with me since the very beginning and I believe that speaks a lot about how they see both Cătălina Surcel and the journey we have shared for over two decades.

Recently, I received an important recognition at the “People of the Year 2025” Gala organized by the Romanian Television. The most emotional moment for me was hearing the thoughts of some of the people with whom I carry out this mission. I am happy to share that material created by the Romanian Television TVR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trryIUk4ey4, allowing those close to me to speak about me.

C&B: What was the most important decision that changed your trajectory?
Cătălina Surcel: The decision to transform a project into a permanent mission for children was responsible yet bold. Imagine how many mindsets we had to change, both within state institutions and among families involved in the cases we manage. We were young people ready to “move mountains,” change lives, modify procedures and long-standing ideas rooted in a distorted reality. Yet I met people who supported and encouraged me.

Following the evaluation of the impact of the “Green Line for Child Protection” within the projects “A Children’s Home Is Not a Home” and “Your Rights Are Law,” the results convinced the Delegation of the European Commission in Bucharest to ensure the service’s sustainability until Romania joined the EU. Until 2006, I sought solutions to maintain the free helpline and expand it further toward children. I researched similar services across Europe and gathered information to prepare a feasibility study on the future of the Romanian service. In late 2005, I presented the study to Romanian authorities and the Delegation of the European Commission. The recommendation to establish an NGO to manage the service was accepted.

Thus, the “Green Line for Child Protection” became the permanent mission “The Child Helpline,” namely the Child Helpline Association.

Later, together with Child Helpline International, we influenced the European Commission’s decision to establish a single European number for the Child Helpline. Starting from 2008, 0800 8 200 200 became 116111.

C&B: What is the essence of the Child Helpline mission and why is such a support network so important in Romania?
Cătălina Surcel: The essence of our mission is to offer children a safe, confidential and free space where they can talk about any problem affecting them.

We provide counseling services and intervene when children’s lives are at risk. We also respond to parents and it is very important that we can find solutions together. Our mission is possible thanks to the support of Orange Romania, our most important partner, which ensures that calls to 116111 are free of charge.

Over time, the Association has saved tens of thousands of children from abuse, aggression and decisions with severe consequences. We have handled serious cases: a girl calling while standing on railway tracks, a teenager calling from the forest with the intention to end his life, a girl who had taken antidepressant pills and alcohol having been a victim of the sexual abuse by her stepfather, another adolescent overwhelmed by her father’s severe illness. Situations that seem like movie scripts, not reality.

It is vital that children know we are there at the other end of the line. We understand how important and responsible our role is when providing this resource: the child helpline 116111.

Our greatest achievement is that we have never lost a single child. We collaborate closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health, because in such cases every second counts.

The importance of this support network in Romania is confirmed by the large number of phone and online contacts. Not all children grow up in loving, protective families. For some of them, the Child Helpline is the only way to be heard.

The presence of 116111 in school textbooks represents the official recognition of the quality and usefulness of our services.

C&B: How do you define the role of a director in an organization focused on child protection and wellbeing?
Cătălina Surcel: This role requires responsibility—ensuring every decision places the child at the center. It is not merely administrative but a total commitment to our mission.

I see it as balancing vision and implementation, firm decisions and deep understanding of children’s realities. It also means protecting a safe, confidential space where every child’s right to be heard and supported is respected.

Advocacy is essential: being children’s voices where they cannot be present, influencing public policies and raising awareness about their rights and needs.

Equally important is building and maintaining an organizational culture based on empathy, professionalism and care, because you cannot offer real support to children if you do not first care for your team.

Such a complex role requires empathetic, firm and responsible leadership capable of responding to children’s evolving needs.

C&B: What does a typical day look like now and what brings you the greatest satisfaction?
Cătălina Surcel: My days are divided between family, the organization and my academic journey.

At home, I enjoy being a mother. There is no greater joy for me and my husband than spending time with our son. We cherish sharing our daily experiences—our son from school, me from the Child Helpline and my husband from the hospital, where he also saves lives.

At the organization, my greatest satisfaction comes from the feeling of mission accomplished—each case where a child in danger is saved through a call to 116111, or when children and parents thank to us for our intervention.

My academic path is part of my continuous development. I am building myself every day, discovering meaningful ingredients for what I wish to achieve.

C&B: How do your services function in practice—from crisis calls to counseling and intervention?
Cătălina Surcel: Calls to 116111 are not recorded, ensuring children’s trust and confidentiality, except for the situations when their lives are in danger.

Since the pandemic, children feel safer behind screens and online counseling requests have increased. We reconfigured our team to respond wherever children feel comfortable—by phone or online. We launched the online counseling platform 116111.ro and the first mobile app offering direct access to counseling services: Happygraff.

Only professionals answer calls and online contacts—psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers—because the responsibility is enormous.

Children’s psycho-emotional issues account for the majority of our counseling sessions: : family conflicts , need for communication, loneliness, exclusion, identity crisis, anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders.

Life-threatening cases are handled together with the Romanian Police and the emergency medical services.  Cases of children’s rights violations are referred to relevant institutions we have signed partnership agreements with. We also monitor the resolution of each case.

C&B: How do you see children’s and families’ needs evolving and how does the Child Helpline adapt?
Cătălina Surcel: In the current social context, we observe major trends reshaping children’s needs. Technology brings opportunities and new risks, from cyberbullying and screen addiction to exposure to inappropriate content.

Children have access to over 500,000 mobile apps claiming to be educational, yet only a small fraction are evaluated as such. AI-based applications are already perceived by some children as friends or confidents.

Today’s children grow up hyperconnected yet often emotionally isolated. Psycho-emotional issues among those contacting us are alarming and signal a wake-up call for parents, society and authorities.

Adapting means expanding strategic partnerships, continuously adjusting services, training our team, diversifying counseling tools and online communication channels and developing educational resources.

We address challenges through national awareness and prevention campaigns, especially online safety, increasingly involving parents. We encourage parents to mentor their children in their digital journeys. Technology is a family responsibility.

Our ongoing challenge is to anticipate future needs, especially regarding artificial intelligence, and ensure that no social change leaves vulnerable children behind.

Cătălina Surcel’s journey is one of courage, responsibility and a mission that evolved from a project into a lifelong commitment. The 116111 Child Helpline is more than a service, it is a safe space, a source of hope and often the only voice children in crisis can rely on.

The post Cătălina Surcel: Saving lives at the end of the line. The story of the Child Helpline appeared first on careers-business.com.

Maria Culescu is the founder of the M.A.M.E. Association and one of the leading figures in the nonprofit sector. With over 16 years of experience in developing and implementing innovative programs dedicated to children and adults diagnosed with serious illnesses, she has distinguished herself over time through her significant contribution to the modernization of socio-medical services in Romania, as well as through her constant efforts to promote health education, psycho-social support, and advocacy actions for the benefit of vulnerable patients in Romania.

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

Maria Culescu: I believe that the thread of my career is closely intertwined with the thread of my personal life, because my professional path was born out of a deeply personal life experience: confronting an oncological diagnosis. This was the first key moment that changed everything and determined me to dedicate my energy, time, and experience to those going through similar situations. During that period, I understood how fragile you can be in the face of such a diagnosis and in front of the medical system, but also how vital human and professional support is when everything seems to be collapsing around you and hope feels as though it is fading.

The second defining moment was the founding of the M.A.M.E. Association in 2009. I did not want to create just an NGO, but to offer people a place where they could find answers, solutions, and hope. It was the beginning of a career dedicated to doing good, to social responsibility, and to professional intervention in support of children and adults with serious illnesses.

Naturally, another major moment followed: the opening of the Little Stars Center, one of our most important projects, a space where hundreds of children affected by cancer or other serious illnesses receive therapy, emotional support, recovery, and counseling. It was a step that brought the organization to a level of maturity and significant impact.

Last but not least, a defining moment was the creation of a community around the M.A.M.E. Association, made up of volunteers, partners, doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physiotherapists, and other specialists from various fields, as well as donors and sponsors. The fact that we managed to transform an initiative born out of a personal need into a respected, sustainable organization with tangible results is confirmation that this path was the right one.

C&B: What has been the most difficult moment so far in your journey and how did you overcome it?

Maria Culescu: It was a period that rewrote my entire perspective on life. Beyond treatments and uncertainty, I faced vulnerability, fear, lack of information, and the feeling that the system was not prepared to offer the support that patients with serious illnesses and their families need.

In that moment, I felt for the first time not only the fragility of life, but also the extraordinary strength you gain when you choose to fight and have people by your side who support you. It was an overwhelming and painful experience, but I decided to turn it into a professional mission: to become real support for people whose lives are shattered and whose life course is changed by illness.

Later came a second difficult moment, this time on a professional level, when the M.A.M.E. Association went through a critical financial period. We were in danger of closing important programs for children and families, and the responsibility was immense. I felt the weight of everyone who depended on us, from the team to beneficiaries and partners. We overcame that period through intense work, by mobilizing the community, through transparency, and by building solid partnerships that strengthened the organization and ensured its continuity.

Today, looking back, I understand that the hardest moments were exactly those that gave me direction, meaning, and the power to build, step by step, a stable organization and a support model for those in extreme situations. I learned that resilience does not mean never falling, but getting up every time with a clearer vision and a stronger purpose.

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

Maria Culescu: Yes, there is a dream that has constantly guided me, regardless of obstacles: to create a real, human, and professional support system for vulnerable patients, so that no one, and especially no child, has to go through a serious diagnosis alone.

This dream emerged from my own experience and has accompanied me at every stage, whether it was difficult moments, periods when resources were limited, or administrative and financial challenges. It has always been there, like an inner compass that, no matter the turmoil I am in, guides me in the right direction.

I have wanted, and continue to want, to change mentalities, to improve access to support services, and to contribute to the modernization of the way the medical and social systems respond to patients’ needs. My dream is for the M.A.M.E. Association to be an example of best practices and a benchmark in the field, a model that can be replicated, expanded, and that can inspire other organizations or institutions to get involved.

In essence, my ambition has been and remains to transform vulnerability into strength, suffering into meaning, and difficult experiences into real change for people. This is the red thread that has always guided me and that gives me the energy to move forward, regardless of the obstacles that may appear in my path.

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

Maria Culescu: At the beginning of the journey, I was a person caught between vulnerability and determination, between the fragility brought by my own medical experience and the strong desire to change something for the better. I was full of ideas, good intentions, and the desire to help, but I had little experience in the nonprofit field and in managing an organization. I started with a big heart but limited resources, with a lot of courage, yet also with many unknowns ahead of me.

Over time, this journey not only touched my soul in a special, profound way, but also guided my steps toward an uplifting cause, pushed me to grow, to get back up after every fall, and to believe more in my power to move forward. Today, I feel much stronger, more balanced, and more confident in what I can build together with my team. I have gained a professional perspective on the entire social and medical ecosystem, learning to manage complex situations, make difficult decisions, and think strategically, always with my eyes set on the future.

The experiences of recent years have helped me evolve from someone motivated primarily by personal experience into a true leader who builds, plans, and creates structure. I learned to develop large-scale projects, build teams, manage financial and institutional crises, create solid partnerships, and turn the M.A.M.E. Association into a benchmark in the field of support for patients with serious illnesses.

I have also transformed emotionally: I have become more empathetic, but also more realistic; stronger, yet very attentive to people’s needs; more professionally mature, without losing the sensitivity that has guided this journey.

Today, I feel that I am a more complete version of the person I was at the beginning, someone who has learned that good is built step by step, with patience, transparency, perseverance, and a great deal of dedication.

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

Maria Culescu: If you were to speak with my team or collaborators, I believe they would say that I am a committed, demanding, but fair person; a leader who works with heart and responsibility alongside the team, who never asks more than she is willing to give, who inspires and helps everyone become a better version of themselves. Beyond all this, I think they would say that I am a model of professionalism, character, and vision, someone who permanently changes the direction of personal and professional lives through the care I show for those around me.

They would probably say that I am a person of my word, who sees things through, who does not give up when encountering obstacles, and who finds solutions even in the most complicated situations.

I believe they would speak about my empathy, because in the field we work in, the human component is essential. They would say that I am attentive to the needs of those around me, whether colleagues, beneficiaries, or partners, and that I am willing to listen before making a decision.

At the same time, I think they would also say that I am a perfectionist, results-oriented, and concerned that things are done well, with responsibility and professionalism. I have active energy, I get directly involved in projects, and I genuinely care about the impact we have.

Because I am a sensitive person who loves life, nature, and everything beautiful, I think they would also say that I am a creative spirit, drawn to colors, scents, textures, and stories, and that I channel all this energy into handmade creations and projects that carry the imprint of the joy of building, of giving life and meaning, of transforming emotion into the art of doing good.

But beyond anything else, I believe they would say that I am a person with heart and principles, who respects her team and collaborators, who values loyalty and transparency, and who wants to create an environment in which every member feels valued and motivated.

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

Maria Culescu: The most important decision I made, which definitively changed my trajectory, was to transform my own experience as a patient into a mission and to establish the M.A.M.E. Association.

At that moment, I had no resources and no guarantee of success, but I had one essential thing: the conviction that no one should go through a harsh diagnosis alone and that the Romanian medical and social system needed a place where patients could receive real, comprehensive, and human support.

That decision was a turning point. It changed my career, lifestyle, priorities, and the way I see the world. It taught me how to build from scratch, work with communities, engage in advocacy, manage crisis situations, grow an organization, build a team, and create programs that change lives.

The second major decision was to continue, no matter how hard it was. There were moments when it seemed impossible to go on, but each time I decided that the main stake, offering support to children, adults, and families in critical situations, was worth every effort.

These two decisions, to start and not give up, built my entire professional and personal trajectory. They continue to be the pillars that support everything I do today.

C&B: How did you build your leadership style or the way you make decisions? Was it a natural or a learned process?

Maria Culescu: My leadership style was built over time, through a process in which what came naturally and continuous learning were constantly intertwined.

I started from empathy, responsibility, and a sincere desire to help. These were the natural, fundamental elements I had from the beginning and that guided how I related to people and decisions.

However, as the M.A.M.E. Association grew and became a complex organization with large projects, teams, and increasing responsibilities, I realized that leadership could not remain purely instinctive. I had to learn to be structured, to prioritize, delegate, make difficult decisions, and think strategically in the long term. I learned from experiences, from mistakes, from crisis situations, and above all from interacting with different people: colleagues, beneficiaries, partners, and funders.

Today, my leadership style is a mix of heart and rigor. I listen to my team, value the ideas of those around me, and make informed, thoughtful decisions, but I never forget to consider the human impact of every decision. I have learned to look not only at what we do, but also at how we do it.

I do not believe in authoritarian leadership, nor in detached leadership. I believe in present, involved, well-intentioned, and transparent leadership. A leadership that grows people, not just projects.

So it has been both a natural and a learned process. Natural in values and intentions. Learned in structure, responsibility management, and decision maturity. And the process continues, because a true leader never stops learning.

C&B: What do you think differentiates your organization or your professional approach from the rest of the industry?

Maria Culescu: What differentiates my professional approach and the way the M.A.M.E. Association operates compared to the rest of the sector is the combination of personal experience, professional rigor, and a focus on real impact, not just on ticking activities off a list.

First of all, my direct experience as a patient helps me deeply understand the real needs of people in extreme situations. I do not look at things from the outside, but from within. I understand emotions, fears, blockages, and the need for holistic support. This perspective influences every decision we make regarding the organization’s projects and services.

Secondly, the M.A.M.E. Association offers an integrated support model, not just isolated interventions. With us, people find in one place psycho-social services, counseling, navigation within the medical system, recovery support, educational activities, and prevention programs. This comprehensive approach is still rare in Romania.

Another essential element is the professionalism and high standards we operate by. We make no compromises when it comes to service quality, financial transparency, the way we work with beneficiaries, or professional ethics. Each project is built carefully, with clear procedures, evaluations, and measurable indicators.

I also believe we are differentiated by the authentic human relationships we build with beneficiaries and partners. We are not an organization that intervenes from a distance. We are close to people, we listen to them, accompany them, and support them in the long term.

And last but not least, we are differentiated by perseverance. There have been very difficult moments, but we never gave up. We built a stable, respected, replicable model of work, oriented toward the future.

In essence, the difference is this: for us, it is not just a professional activity; it is a profound mission, built with experience, heart, and vision.

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

Maria Culescu: For me, a typical day is a balance between professional rigor and the authentic joy of being close to people. I start my morning with a moment of gratitude for my family, for the path that shaped me, for the challenges that helped me grow, and for the extraordinary people I meet at every stage of my life and work.

Daily activity unfolds at a pace where professionalism and high standards are the compass for every decision. At the same time, I always leave room for creativity, for emotion, for that deep intention to build projects that change lives for the better. These are intense days, full of responsibilities, but it is precisely this intensity that motivates me, because I know that every step I take has a real impact on the community I live in.

The greatest satisfactions come in moments when I can concretely feel that our work has meaning: when a family receives the support it needs, when a child feels safe in therapy, when we manage, together with the team, to overcome a difficult situation and turn an obstacle into a solution. These moments give weight to every day and remind me why I do what I do.

And in the evening, when I return home, I enter another universe, my own, where I am embraced by the calm and warmth of my united family. The constant support of my husband, the hugs of our wonderful children, we have two biological sons and two adopted daughters, the sincere joy of our pets. All of these are gifts of life, my anchor. They are the space where I recharge, where I find balance, inspiration, and the strength to begin a new day with the same dedication.

In this blend of profession and family, of meaning and love, lies for me the essence of an “ordinary day,” a day in which I remind myself who I am and why I am here.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do and how do you apply them day by day?

Maria Culescu: The M.A.M.E. Association is not just a service provider or an NGO that implements projects. It is an organization built on an authentic, lived experience, which helped us deeply understand the real needs of a patient facing a serious diagnosis.

This is reflected in everything we do, because our approach is integrated and human. We do not offer only short-term, isolated interventions, but a long-term set of services. We provide free services such as medical and nutritional counseling, psychotherapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, physical therapy, patient navigation, health education, and advocacy. For us, the patient is not just a case, but a person with emotions, fears, and complex needs.

Although we are a nonprofit organization, we have assumed standards similar to those in the private sector: clear procedures, professional reporting, total transparency, and rigorous management of projects and funds.

We have always been guided by firm values: dignity, confidentiality, respect, and genuine care for people. In our field, these make the difference between a formal service and one that is truly transformative.

The Little Stars Center, for example, the organization’s most important project, is a unique model in Romania, offering integrated services for children with serious illnesses. Our way of working has been and can be taken as inspiration by other organizations and institutions.

In an industry where many initiatives appear and disappear, we have existed for over 16 years. We have grown organically, built our reputation, and earned trust by consistently delivering concrete and visible results.

I believe the real difference lies in how we relate to our mission: with responsibility, professionalism, and authenticity. We do not just provide services; we build hope, trust, and a more bearable path for people in extreme situations.

C&B: How did the idea to start this organization come to you and to give it this name?

Maria Culescu: The idea of founding the M.A.M.E. Association came from the desire to create an organization that would concretely address the real needs of children and adults with serious illnesses, as well as those of their families. Personal experiences, direct contact with many patients, and the systemic shortcomings I witnessed led me to create a professional, well-structured framework in which support would be offered in an integrated and responsible way.

The name “M.A.M.E.” was not chosen by chance. It represents the initials of the four strategic areas in which we operate, according to the organization’s statute.

M – Medicine, because we implement health-related programs, support patients with serious illnesses, and facilitate access to medical services, recovery, and psycho-social support.

A – Advocacy, because over time we have been actively involved in improving legislation related to the rights of children, families, and patients, as well as in public campaigns that have generated changes in public policy.

M – Maternity, because we develop projects dedicated to women’s health, support for mothers, and prevention programs.

E – Education, because health education is one of our major directions, through which we run information sessions in schools and high schools, addressing topics such as prevention, emotional health, bullying, and cyberbullying.

This acronym perfectly reflects the identity and mission of the organization. It integrates all the areas in which we intervene and conveys the idea of a solid, clear structure that works professionally for the good of patients and the community.

This is how the M.A.M.E. Association was born: from a vision, from a real need, and from the desire to create a support model with long-term impact, built on four essential pillars for the health and protection of vulnerable people.

C&B: If you were to send a message to people who follow your example, what would it be?

Maria Culescu: If I were to send a message to those who wish to follow a similar path, I would tell them not to wait for the perfect moment, because it does not exist. There is only the moment when you feel you want to do good and you choose to begin.

Not to be afraid of difficulties, because they are part of the process and often the very things that shape you. To remain anchored in values, in truth, and in respect for the people they help. To build with patience, transparency, and professionalism, because lasting good is not done in haste.

I would tell them not to forget that every gesture, no matter how small it may seem, can change someone’s life. And that real impact does not come only from big projects, but from consistency, seriousness, and presence.

And perhaps most importantly: to preserve their humanity. In a world where things change rapidly and pressure can be overwhelming, what remains essential is how you choose to be for those around you.

If there is a recipe for this path, then it would be this: heart, courage, work, and the belief that what you do has meaning.

Maria Culescu’s story goes beyond a successful career in the nonprofit sector. It is proof that vulnerability can be transformed into strength and that personal experiences can give rise to initiatives with real, long-lasting impact.

The post Maria Culescu, Founder of the M.A.M.E. Association: When Personal Experience Becomes a Force for Change appeared first on careers-business.com.