Home: Los Angeles, CA. Age: In my forties. Birthplace: Western Romania. Profession: Entrepreneur; media and entertainment technology. Organization: Ateliere Creative Technologies. Title: Founder and CEO. Alma mater: University of Maryland. Languages spoken: Romanian, English and some broken Spanish and Japanese.
Current project: Leading my company as we maneuver the shifting industry. Recent recognition: Our company, Ateliere Creative Technologies, recently announced a five-year strategic collaboration agreement with AWS. Latest accomplishment: Introduction of our new media workflow engine that vastly simplifies automating media supply chain tasks. Latest contribution to others: Helping various startups with advice, direction. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? The decision to shift the business from a creative content company to a SaaS company offering digital supply chain solutions. And then, pivoting the entire company to GenAI first. Hobbies: Health and fitness, hiking, flying drones, researching trends for my company. Last book read: Skin in the Game, by Nassim Taleb. Recently viewed and recommended: Oppenheimer. Recent unique acquisition: New German Shepherd.
Personality profile: Sober, persistent, hard-working, family-focused, resourceful, intellectually curious. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Loyal. Moral compass: Would this decision make my family proud? How do you define a perfect friendship? Trust, mutual support and unwavering loyalty. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Honest, transparent, win/win. What is your greatest joy? My wife and children. What natural talent have you neglected? Now that I’m a CEO I have much less time for coding and software development, but it’s something I’ve always loved doing and have been quite good at. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? On my physical health. I like to call myself a “sensible biohacker.” How do you relieve stress? Taking care of my health through methods like IV therapy, cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatments. What is your go-to workout? Alternating days of strength training and cardio. But primarily, strength training.
What was your first paying job? Computer operator at Pacific Bell. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Playing with programming on my father’s old IBM. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Failure is inevitable, so prepare for it rather than fearing it. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? My Oura ring has completely changed my relationship with sleep for the better. What is your go-to source of creative inspiration? Reading non-fiction from great minds both in and outside my field. What company or organization do you most admire? Amazon, for its cloud computing infrastructure, which foresaw the future correctly. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Moving from Romania to the United States.
What is your big idea?
The entertainment industry needs to adapt more quickly to the digital age.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? Introducing efficiencies into antiquated systems in television and film production. What widely held belief do you reject? That Western medicine is the only path to holistic health. What mega-trend most excites you? Generative AI, for its ability to streamline and create efficiencies that will change the world. What mega-trend most concerns you? The bundling of streaming services.
Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? My great-grandparents, to learn more about my ancestry. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? An inventor. That worked out pretty well. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? Heirlooms my parents brought with them when we emigrated. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With my family, at the beach, soaking up as much time with them as possible. What advice would you give your younger self? Take your time. Rome wasn’t built in a day. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? My wedding day. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? My twenties.
Personal mission: Helping those in the business of creating to do so with more flow and efficiency. Personal motto: The real danger lies in setting goals that are too low, rather than aiming too high.
