Diana Popa

Chief of Staff

Acceso

Apr 2024 - Mar 2025 (1 year)

Acceso’s mission is to create fundamental and lasting positive economic change in the lives of rural smallholder farming families. Acceso's entrepreneurial model provides smallholder farmers with a sustainable way to participate in formalized markets, enabling them to work themselves out of poverty with dignity and to prosper. Acceso operates a portfolio of social businesses in Colombia, Haiti, and El Salvador and an agtech tool (Extensio) founded in Mexico.

Senior Strategy Consultant

freelance

Mar 2021 - Current (5 years 8 months)

• Advise startups, businesses, and NGOs on strategy, organizational growth, and social impact with a focus on technology, sustainability, and social innovation.
• Supported 60+ organizations across Latin America, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe through long-term mentorship programs with business accelerators such as New Ventures, Miller Center for Social Impact, Endeavor, and SeedStars.
• Hands-on consulting support to clients on managing complex strategic projects, raising equity, debt or grant funds, coaching C-level staff, and recruiting key roles. Show less

Lecturer of Social Entrepreneurship

Tecnologico de Monterrey

Jan 2021 - Current (5 years 10 months)

Lecturer of Sustainable Entrepreneurship

EMLYON Business School

Jan 2021 - Current (5 years 10 months)

Startup Mentor

New Ventures

Aug 2020 - Current (6 years 3 months)

Business strategy and impact mentor for rising startups in Latin America, who transform the social and environmental status quo.

Social Enterprise Mentor (Member of the Social Enterprise Advisory Board 2020-2023)

Miller Center for Global Impact

Jul 2020 - Current (6 years 4 months)

Provide executive mentorship to social entrepreneurs, including intensive review and refinement of business plans, investor materials, operations, governance, and financials. The mission of Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University is to accelerate entrepreneurship to end global poverty and protect the planet. Miller Center supports social entrepreneurs who are developing solutions to the problems of poverty at every stage of their organizations’ lifecycle through personalized mentoring, training in best business practices, and developing pathways to sustainability and scale. Show less

Startup Mentor

Seedstars

Jun 2020 - Current (6 years 5 months)

Business strategy and impact mentoring for various SeedStars acceleration programs, focuses on migration, climate change and scaling through technology.

F

Founder (CEO until Oct 2020)

Nov 2016 - Mar 2021 (4 years 5 months)

Extensio, now part of Acceso, is a social enterprise and certified B-Corp dedicated to consolidating farming as a sustainable activity for present and future generations. We work with research centres, agri businesses, financial institutions and governments to bring actionable information to smallholder farmers, and thus improve their productivity, incomes and quality of life. We use a powerful proprietary communication platform and tailored information management solutions. Since 2016, we have connected to informatione over 25,000 farmers in Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador and Haiti. Show less

H

Head of Sales Europe, North America and Central Asia

Jan 2015 - Apr 2016 (1 year 4 months)

Since 1989, Vergnet has built a leading track record in delivering high performing, reliable and affordable clean energy projects to isolated communities around the world. As Head of Sales for Europe, North America and Central Asia, I specifically developed 40 renewable energy projects dedicated to improving the sustainability of farms, communities and businesses and driven the company's business development, communications and public affairs strategy together with a dedicated sales team and partner network. Show less

E

Europe Sales Manager

Mar 2011 - Dec 2014 (3 years 10 months)

In charge of developing the newly opened European market for medium wind projects dedicated to agriculture and communities (focus on the UK, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe). Designed and implemented the business development strategy together with the Head of Sales for Europe and developed and managed the European network of business partners for the company (resellers, project developers, financial allies).

Business Development Manager - South West Europe and Africa

Alstom Power

Sep 2009 - Mar 2011 (1 year 7 months)

In charge of product development, risk management, tendering and negotiation on international energy projects. Technologies: nuclear fusion  (www.iter.org), water cooling, instrumentation and special systems.

Job Rotation Internship

Alstom Power

Apr 2006 - Sep 2009 (3 years 6 months)

In charge of the power plant intelligence database and the design and implementation of the global CRM tool including training and assistance to 150 end users.

Project Manager

AIESEC

Sep 2003 - Aug 2005 (2 years)

With over 86,000 members, AIESEC is the largest organization in the world entirely managed by students. It aims to develop youth leadership through cultural and professional international experiences, with the vision of peace and fulfillment of humankind potential. As Project Manager, I led a team of 10 that allowed 11 young graduates from 7 countries in the European Union to work in public organizations in Romania to support the EU integration process. Besides managing the team, I especially focused on fundraising, sales, recruitment and training. Show less

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Diana Popa

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