The NESsT Central-Eastern Europe portfolio currently includes 18 social enterprises supported by both the NESsT Central-Eastern Europe Accelerator Program and the NESsT Violet Fund.
NESsT announces today that Ioana Samoil has been named NESsT Country Director of Romania, highlighting the impact investor's deepening focus on accelerating Romanian social enterprises that create dignified jobs for individuals from excluded communities, including refugees, migrants, women, at-risk youth, the LGBTQIA+ community, and others facing systemic barriers to economic opportunity.
"Ioana's appointment comes at a pivotal time for our work in Romania, where we've supported 76 enterprises and improved the lives of over 60,000 people,” said Renata Truzzi, NESsT Chief Impact & Investment Officer.
Samoil joined NESsT in 2021 as a portfolio manager, with her responsibilities and oversight of NESsT Romania’s activities growing each year. In her different capacities as Program Lead, Country Representative, and then Acceleration Lead, she has supported 8 social entrepreneurs to strengthen their business models and become investment-ready in collaboration with key partners including Cisco Foundation and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship.
One of the notable portfolio enterprises Samoil has managed is ALTRNTV, a conscious fashion boutique contributing to the circular economy in Romania. The enterprise entered the NESsT portfolio in 2021 as an NGO with minimal economic activity. Through strategic planning and tailored support, ALTRNTV created a profitable business entity and opened a storefront in Bucharest. The shop now operates as a self-sustainable social enterprise, supporting over 150 suppliers from marginalized backgrounds and funding free dental services for children from underserved communities.
As Country Director, Samoil will oversee NESsT’s tailored acceleration and financing programs in Romania to support more high-impact enterprises that generate income growth for Romania’s marginalized groups. Additionally, she will focus on strengthening partnerships in the region to unlock resources and visibility for the impact investment ecosystem.
“I’m truly excited to lead our dedicated team here in Romania,” said Samoil. “The work we do with our portfolio of committed social enterprises is deeply meaningful—we’re seeing real change happen, not just in the numbers, but in people’s lives and opportunities. That’s what keeps us going.”
For more information about NESsT and its work in Romania, visit nesst.org/romania.