FinMinds: The Money Paradox brought 250 high-school students together in Bucharest for two days of finance, business, and practical work.
The 2025 theme explored fear and greed in financial markets and the way these emotions shape economic and investment decisions. Day 1 combined presentations, panels, financial activities, and conversation; Day 2 focused on banking innovation through team-based work.
Andrei Diaconescu, Philipp Gamauf, and Alain Heureux brought perspectives from investment, banking, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Alain Heureux is an entrepreneur, educator, and innovation leader with more than three decades of experience helping organizations across Europe adapt and grow. A former President and CEO of IAB Europe and founder of Virtuology Academy, he works at the intersection of business strategy, creativity, and digital economics.
Andrei Diaconescu is an entrepreneur and finance professional who contributed to building One United Properties. Drawing on experience in banking, investment, and sustainable urban development, he encouraged participants to think strategically, take responsibility, and pursue excellence with purpose.
Philipp Gamauf is Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Committee member at ING Bank Romania. With nearly two decades in finance, he has led work in strategic planning, capital efficiency, and funding across Vienna, Munich, Milan, London, and Bucharest.
On Day 2, Alain Heureux led a workshop on banking innovation using the Jobs to Be Done framework developed by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. Participants worked in teams of seven on ideas shaped around customer needs and the future of banking.
Each team presented its proposal to a seven-member jury drawn from banking, fintech, strategy, media, entrepreneurship, and professional services.
The winners continued into a summer internship program at ING Romania. Across the Edition 1 program, 16 young people took part in summer experiences alongside professionals and specialized juries.
Leaders across banking, fintech, strategy, media, entrepreneurship, and professional services evaluated the participants' ideas.
Bogdan Hristescu is a fintech executive with 26 years of leadership across finance, telecom, and payments. Harvard-trained, he has led work at Euronet, Rev Worldwide, and Orange and mentors startups across Central and Eastern Europe.
Eleni Skoura is Head of Retail Banking at ING Bank Romania. With 20 years in finance across Greece and Romania, she is a Harvard AMP graduate and former executive at Piraeus, Garanti, and BCR Erste.
Victor Spiridon is Head of Strategy and Business Development at ING, driving strategic and digital growth after work in AI, digitalization, consulting, and technology.
Cristina Barbu is Head of Finance Advice at ING Bank Romania. Across 20 years in banking, she has led strategic financial, product, and growth initiatives at ING, First Bank, and Raiffeisen.
Alain Heureux is a Belgian entrepreneur, innovator, and educator who has founded and led ventures including The Factory Brussels and advised global organizations on growth and creativity.
Vlad Andriescu is Editor-in-Chief of start-up.ro. Since 2015, he has documented Romania's startup ecosystem and shaped conversations about entrepreneurship, technology, investment, and lessons from failure.
Ioana Rizea-Popp combines financial expertise with a commitment to developing future leaders, building trusted solutions at KPMG while supporting the next generation of professionals.
These organizations supported The Money Paradox. They are presented here as historical Edition 1 partners.
Presenting partner
Edition 1 partner
Edition 1 partner
Fifteen organizers worked across strategy, finance, operations, marketing, media, outreach, and the event experience.
General Manager
Deputy General Manager
Strategy Manager
Financial Manager
Operations Manager
Marketing Manager
Resource Manager
Chief of PR
Chief of Press
Chief of Staff
Chief of Entertainment
Social Media Manager / Outreach Manager
Social Media Specialist
Social Media Specialist
Copywriting Specialist
