Press Release

Chicago, September 22, 2025

Romanian Community Summit 2025 Brings Together Over 1,300 Romanians in North America and Beyond

The 2025 Romanian Community Summit (RoSummit25) successfully concluded in Chicago, bringing together 347 participants on site and over 1,000 viewers online. Organized by the Romanian-American community through a partnership of multiple diaspora organizations and entities, with the Romanian United Foundation (RUF) as the lead organizer, the Summit marked one of the largest Romanian diaspora leadership gatherings in North America.

Audience & Purpose

The Summit’s goal was to unite Romanian community leaders, organizations, and stakeholders from across the U.S. and Canada, representing civic, cultural, business, academic, and faith-based organizations. Participants joined from Ontario, British Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Connecticut, Nevada/Las Vegas, Florida, Washington State, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Colorado, Ohio, Georgia, South Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, as well as from Great Britain and Romania. Honorary consuls from several U.S. states were also present.

Keynote Speakers & Guests

High-ranking officials opened the Summit, including Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania; Daniel David, Minister of Education of Romania; and H.E. Andrei Muraru, Ambassador of Romania to the United States. Inspirational speakers included Fr. Prof. Univ. Dr. Habil Constantin Valer Necula, alongside distinguished representatives such as Lucian Stănică, Consul General of Romania in Chicago; Oana Gherghe, Consul General of Romania in Toronto; Ștefana Rotaru, Consul, Consulate General of Romania in Vancouver, and Dorian Branea, Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York.

The Summit also welcomed prominent business and community leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and members of academia, such as Fabrice Bonvoisin (International Trade Club of Chicago), George Roth (serial entrepreneur, Honorary Consul of Romania in San Francisco), Voicu Oprean (Founder & CEO, AROBS Romania), Diana Dram (Loyola University, Quinlan School of Business), Simona Vasile (BDO US, FORA & ROMAMPRO Board), Cristina Farmus (Vice President, Purdue University), Dan Nicolae (Chair, University of Chicago Statistics Department & Founder, Data Science Institute), and Ionel Dragoș-Hau (Professor, Yale University), among many others.

Results & Impact

• Participation exceeded expectations: 347 in-person attendees and more than 1,000 connected online.

• Youth recognition: 45 Romanian-American high school students received the Romanian-American Heritage Award.

• Concrete outcomes: Launch of new initiatives including:

  • MentLink: a mentorship program for Romanian-American student ambassadors in U.S. universities,

  • RoScholars: a scholarship program supporting Romanian students in the United States,

  • Real Estate & Investments Club: a platform for business collaboration.

• Sustainability: Formation of the Summit Board and confirmation of volunteers for RoSummit26, scheduled for September 19, 2026.

Theme: From Vision to Action

The 2025 theme emphasized transforming connections into projects with measurable outcomes. Sessions focused on:

• Strengthening collaboration between civic, cultural, and church organizations,

• Expanding Romanian businesses into U.S. and global markets,

• Building academic and professional bridges between universities, researchers, and students.

Volunteers & Community Effort

RoSummit25 was made possible thanks to the efforts of dozens of volunteers, some traveling from as far as Las Vegas, Seattle, New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota. Balancing full-time jobs and personal commitments, they contributed their time and expertise to ensure the Summit’s success.

Funding & Transparency

The event was funded through a combination of participation fees, sponsorship contributions (full list at www.rosummit.org), and RON 189,600 in public funds provided by the Departamentul Românilor de Pretutindeni (DRP), covering travel and accommodation for community leaders, venue rental, video streaming, and marketing materials. A full financial report will be published in the coming days on the RUF website, in the Transparency section.

Closing

The Romanian Community Summit 2025 was a milestone for the global Romanian community. Beyond numbers, it demonstrated the appetite for unity, collaboration, and ambition across generations and geographies.

RoSummit is here to stay and will continue to grow. The next edition, RoSummit26, will take place on September 19, 2026. Community members, organizations, volunteers, and partners are invited to join in shaping an even stronger event next year.

About RUF

The Romanian United Foundation (RUF) is an international charitable foundation based in Chicago, dedicated to uniting the Romanian diaspora, supporting philanthropic projects, and investing in education and youth leadership. Since 2019, over 100,000 donors have contributed through RUF’s platform, generating $4.3 million for 83 projects in Romania and across the diaspora. RUF operates with a 100% pass-through model, ensuring every dollar raised goes directly to the projects it supports.