3rd Space Bucharest

Mirela Mateescu runs Vin Oriunde — wine, anywhere — and she means it literally. She’s hosted tastings in a car showroom, a beauty clinic, a hair salon, and, her favorite, on top of Arcul de Triumf. Her argument is that where you drink it and who you’re with are as much a part of the wine as the wine is.

She also insists that a “good nose” isn’t a gift you’re born with — it’s just practice, which is bad news for anyone using “I can’t taste anything” as an excuse.

She offered to train mine, so that’s apparently happening now. Plus: what to actually buy for 100 lei, and why she refuses to name a wine she hates.

We also chat about:

Why linden blossom sends her straight back to childhood

The 100-lei bottle she’d grab for a party without thinking twice

What she’d do for a living if wine disappeared tomorrow (it involves noses either way)

The wine equivalent of pineapple on pizza — and why she won’t play along

Find Mirela at vinoriunde.ro, or DM her on Instagram @profadevin if you’re paralyzed in the wine aisle.

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Laura Balan is a Bucharest-based mindset coach, and she runs on one rule that does a lot of heavy lifting: never negotiate with your inner critic. Spot the unhelpful thought, ask whether it’s getting you anywhere, throw it out. No debate, no three-hour internal committee meeting.

She’s also refreshingly unimpressed by toxic positivity — her take is that your nervous system knows when you’re lying to it, so chanting that everything is wonderful does approximately nothing.

Confidence comes from doing hard things and finishing them. Along the way we get into:

Why your nervous system quietly rejects affirmations it doesn’t believe

The habit Laura swears by — it takes about four seconds

What a 9-year-old missing basketball shots teaches you about resilience

The client who was losing her hair over a job she was genuinely great at

Find Laura at laurabalan.com on Instagram @laurabalan.mindbalance.

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3rd Space Bucharest — sign up to hear about events & new podcast episodes

3rd Space Bucharest AI Circle — get on the waitlist

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Some people build companies.

Others build communities.

This week I sat down with Ioana Ioanăș, who somehow manages to do both while leading one of Bucharest's Rotaract clubs, organizing charity projects, and helping young professionals prepare for an AI-powered world.

We talk about why volunteering is one of the fastest ways to grow, the surprising lesson she learned at the U.S. Embassy, why "creating moments that matter" has become her life philosophy, and how stepping outside your comfort zone keeps opening unexpected doors.

It's a fun, 8-minute conversation about purpose, generosity, and why the people who give the most often end up receiving the biggest opportunities.

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What do balloon animals, London street performances, and mortgage loans have in common?

Antonela Vulpe, apparently.

Before helping Romanians buy homes, she spent 15 years in the arts, making balloon giraffes for kids on the streets of London (and somehow making a surprisingly good living doing it).

In this short conversation, we talk about why people often buy houses they can't actually afford, the emotional side of money, why financial trauma is more common than most people realize, and how meditation helps quiet a busy mind.

We also cover her favorite Romanian city, why The Odyssey is really a story about life, and how one sad clown accidentally scared away a child in London.

A fun 8-minute conversation about careers, money, and the unexpected paths that lead us home.

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What if the best networking trick wasn't networking at all?

This week I sat down with Livia Ioniță, who accidentally discovered something while planning her own wedding: strangers can feel like lifelong friends in just a few hours—if you create the right environment.

We talk about why people are tired of performing, the invisible psychology behind memorable events, why dancing is secretly great life advice, and the tiny details (like music and timing) that most guests never notice—but always feel.

It's a fun, 8-minute conversation about building communities where people can finally relax, be themselves, and leave with more than just another LinkedIn connection.

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What do corporate executives and detectives have in common?

According to Steliana Moraru, quite a lot.

In this short conversation, we talk about why Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot would probably make a great business strategist, how she evaluates startups, and why founder chemistry matters more than most people realize.

We also discuss her signature sarmale recipe, the surprising gap between her polished LinkedIn profile and real life, and why she believes businesses should obsess less about growth and more about keeping customers happy.

A quick conversation about startups, leadership, detective work, and the important role that chili peppers play in Romanian cuisine.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of conversations that happen when people stop talking about job titles and start talking about what actually interests them. 🍷🇷🇴

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Most CEOs spend their free time reading business books.

Dimana Vlaeva spends hers thinking about Ancient Egypt, science fiction, and how people make decisions.

In this short conversation, we talk about why she'd most like to meet Ramses II, what debt recovery has taught her about responsibility, and why she thinks people spend far too much time worrying about the past.

We also discuss moving from Bulgaria to Bucharest, the surprisingly underrated beauty of Bucharest's parks, and her recent deep dive into the world of crypto and blockchain.

A quick conversation about leadership, human nature, Ancient Egypt, and why sometimes the best way forward is to stop looking backward.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of conversations you'd rather have over a glass of wine than in a boardroom. 🍷🇷🇴

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Most people struggle to finish one startup.

Tiberiu Andrei has started ten.

In this short conversation, we talk about building an AI that plays Mortal Kombat, why completing a Half Ironman was easier than building a company, and why he believes too many people are becoming "AI slop creators."

We also discuss the startup idea he would build if he had to start from zero tomorrow, the Romanian startups he's excited about, and why "What do you do?" might be the worst networking question ever invented.

A quick conversation about startups, AI, endurance, and what happens when curiosity becomes a lifestyle.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of conversations that usually happen after the icebreakers are over and the drinks arrive. 🍷🇷🇴

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After spending three years in South Korea, Mihaela Mărănițureturned to Romania with a few unexpected habits: eating with chopsticks whenever possible and occasionally bowing to senior colleagues without realizing it. 😄

In this short conversation, we talk about the culture shock of arriving in Seoul, why she still prefers tennis over padel, her surprising love for Michael Jackson, and what life in Korea taught her about human connection.

We also discuss something many of us struggle with: spending less time on our phones and more time with the people sitting right in front of us.

A quick conversation about travel, culture, sport, and why authentic relationships might be more valuable than another hour of scrolling.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of things you'd normally talk about over drinks, not on LinkedIn. 🍷🇷🇴

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Most founder stories sound impressive on LinkedIn.

But after interviewing dozens of entrepreneurs, Maria Despa, co-founder of Ideas Chat, discovered that the most memorable stories are usually the most human ones.

In this short conversation, we talk about:

📹 What founder interviews and wedding films have in common

😊 Why business success and happiness aren't the same thing

📖 The "Book of Joy" she uses to capture life's best moments

👨‍👧 The founder's child who unexpectedly made her emotional during an interview

💬 Why "How are you really?" is a question we should ask more often

It's a quick conversation about success, friendship, family, and the stories that matter long after the cameras stop rolling.

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Most people join communities hoping to meet the right people.

But according to Andra Ghibutiu, they stay for a different reason:

They feel like they belong.

In this short conversation, we talk about:

🤝 Why the best communities create safety before opportunity

🧠 The danger of becoming a "know-it-all"

👂 Why listening might be the most underrated business skill

🚀 What makes today's generation of Romanian entrepreneurs different

📚 The books that have shaped her thinking

⏰ Why friends think she has unlimited energy (hint: it may involve waking up at 5AM)

It's a quick conversation about curiosity, growth, and why the strongest connections usually happen when we stop trying to impress people and start genuinely listening to them.

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Lawyer.

Bar owner.

Student.

New parent.

Adriana Spataru somehow manages to be all four at the same time.

In this short conversation, we talk about:

🍸 Why she left the legal world to help build a bar (@cameralirica)

🇸🇪 The recycling habit she brought home from living in Stockholm

👶 How becoming a parent changed her definition of success

💭 Why she's stopped chasing perfection and started focusing on doing her best in the moment

💃 And why her advice for almost everyone is surprisingly simple: dance more and spend more time with people you love

It's a quick conversation about reinvention, authenticity, and figuring out what actually matters as life gets busier.

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This episode starts with honey extraction technology for beekeepers… and somehow ends with running laps inside Dubai airport to avoid breaking a 1,000-day running streak 😄

My guest is Daniel Deaconu — founder of The Simplifier and one of the smartest B2B LinkedIn strategists I know in Romania.

We talk about:

🍯 helping launch a Kickstarter campaign that generated $48K in 2 days
🏃 why he ran inside an airport while security watched suspiciously
📈 the biggest mistake founders make on LinkedIn
💰 why neither of us buys useless stuff
👨‍👩‍👧 why success matters less than people think
🏖️ and why Daniel’s partner compares professional achievements to sandcastles

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After 14 years in the corporate world at Amazon and Honeywell, Roxana Jianu traded meetings and spreadsheets for padel courts and community building. In this episode, we talk about what happens when your career no longer energizes you — and how one sport unexpectedly changed the direction of her life.

Roxana shares the story behind building Padelmania, why people may show up for padel but stay for the friendships, and why she believes offline activities and community are becoming essential for happiness and longevity.

We also get into the important topics: her teenage crush on Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys, packaging toys at age 16, emotionally attached teddy bears, and why introverts at parties are usually the most interesting people in the room.

This is a conversation about reinvention, connection, and why sometimes the best things in life start with simply showing up.

Connect with Roxana on Instagram

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What happens when 25 people in Bucharest buy tickets to something that isn’t networking… isn’t dating… and isn’t dinner?

In this episode, I break down the very first paid 3rd Space Bucharest event — what worked, what surprised me, what flopped (yes, the QR code), and why shared learning and small group conversations changed the energy of the room.

From breakfast icebreakers to mini TED-style talks about Cuba, Mexico, and entrepreneurship… to an unexpected karaoke finale — this is the behind-the-scenes story of building intentional connection in a city that doesn’t always make it easy.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to create real connection among strangers in Bucharest, this one’s for you.

Interested in joining a 3rd Space Bucharest event?

Get on our waitlist at https://forms.gle/HQApbV4cHzAKDXUB7