Axia & ARBC Mentorship Gathering

October 16–21, 2026 • Moldova

Preparing for Your Trip

Complete these steps to ensure a smooth journey to Moldova

STEP 1 • REQUIRED

Book International Flights

Sample round-trip fare, economy. Confirm exact dates/times when booking.

Outbound — Fri, Oct 16 – Sat, Oct 17

TK 8897 (op. United) — Austin (AUS) → Houston (IAH) 12:15 PM Fri

Layover in Houston (IAH): 1h 02m — domestic terminal, no border crossing

TK 134 — Houston (IAH) → Istanbul (IST) long-haul

Layover in Istanbul (IST): 3h 20m

TK 273 — Istanbul (IST) → Chișinău (RMO) 3:10 PM Sat

Outbound total: 18h 55m · 2 stops

Return — Wednesday, Oct 21

TK 270 — Chișinău (RMO) → Istanbul (IST) 10:05 AM Wed

Layover in Istanbul (IST): 2h 40m

TK 33 — Istanbul (IST) → Houston (IAH) long-haul

Layover in Houston (IAH): 2h 35m

UA 1179 — Houston (IAH) → Austin (AUS) 10:54 PM Wed

Return total: 20h 49m · 2 stops · same day, arrives Wed night

STEP 2 • REQUIRED

Passport & Visa Requirements

No visa is needed in advance for Moldova.

Details

Passport: Must have 6 months validity remaining beyond planned departure date

Terminal, Immigration & Customs Notes: Houston is a domestic-to-international transfer both ways — no passport control, just a security recheck and possible terminal change. Istanbul is outside Schengen, so this routing avoids EU entry/exit stamps entirely. Full US CBP entry happens in Houston on the way home, followed by a short, routine domestic hop into Austin the same evening — no overnight layover needed either direction.

STEP 3 • REQUIRED

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required for entry into Moldova.

SATURDAY, OCT. 17TH

Arrival & Check In

Check in at hotel, dinner, and rest

Possible Moldovan friends will join

SUNDAY, OCT. 18TH

Church, Culture & Planning

10:00 am — Gathering for church

Philadelphia — Slavic & Eugen (English translation)

New Creation — Eugen Pastor’s church (ARBC Involvement)

Repentance church — Anatol’s

1:00 pm — Lunch with church leaders & Axia leaders, discussion around sacred/secular

Afternoon to visit the city and learn the culture

Evening meal — Melony/Inesa, Bruce/Anatol, Billy/Dan

Heather Advisory discussion with Eugen, Don, TJ

Mentors/Mentees make their individual plans

Mentorship & Advisory discussion with Eugen, Don, TJ, Dana and, Heather, Bruce and Anatol

MONDAY, OCT. 19TH

Vision Session & Community Evening

8:30 am — Breakfast (Vision session — Axia board strategizes about impact in Moldova)

Lunch — Visit an entrepreneur and underground cellars

Evening with the community

Q & A meeting with wider community — 8.30 – 10.00

Bruce & Melony will be part of the Q & A

Share their story and Q & A availability (10 to 15 min)

Dinner served here

TUESDAY, OCT. 20TH

Entrepreneur Visits & Community Dinner

Breakfast — Process what the U.S. guests experienced (before TJ leaves)

Lunch — Anatol’s factory and/or another Entrepreneur/Factory

Dinner — With the community feel

WED, OCT. 21ST

Departure

Fly Home

We’ll be spending our time with the Christian Community of Entrepreneurs (CCE) in Moldova.

Who You Will Be Meeting

Anatol Malancea

CEO, Uniqa Wall Systems

Anatol Malancea is the CEO of Uniqa Wall Systems, a company he founded out of a desire to create job opportunities in his home country, Moldova. Uniqa is gaining international recognition for its work. The company employs men from local villages, providing them with wages that would otherwise require them to leave the country to earn. In addition to his role at Uniqa, Anatol is the founder of the Christian Business Network in Moldova. His dedication to the 153 entrepreneurs in this network, along with his commitment to ensuring they have the resources they need, reflects his inspiring vision for the future of Moldova.

Eugen Ghiletchi

Executive Manager, CCE Moldova

Eugen Ghiletchi is a Financial Services Expert with over 10 years of experience in regulatory development and financial infrastructure modernization in Moldova. He spent over 5 years leading USAID financial sector reform programs in Moldova. Currently, Eugen serves as Executive Manager of the Community of Christian Entrepreneurs in Moldova alongside Anatol. In parallel, he runs an independent consulting practice focused on improving business access to finance and investments.

Veaceslav Vlas

Founder & CEO, Ecovillas Company

Veaceslav Vlas is the Founder and CEO of Ecovillas Company, a real estate development company focused on creating sustainable, energy-efficient communities that improve people's quality of life. Since 2014, he has been leading the development of innovative residential projects in Romania, integrating geothermal heat pumps, renewable energy solutions, wellness-focused design principles, and durable low-maintenance materials. He is passionate about innovation in real estate, sustainable development, renewable energy, and building communities designed for the future.

Derek Kessen

Managing Partner, Heron Ventures

Derek Kessen is the Managing Partner of Heron Ventures, an investment fund manager that allocates impact capital to businesses that elevate people and strengthen systems across East Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Derek brings 20 years of experience in global capital markets and portfolio management, spanning private debt, growth equity, and structured credit. Prior to leading Heron Ventures, Derek spent 13 years at Performance Trust Capital Partners in Chicago crafting portfolio strategies for U.S. banks and credit unions. Derek studied Finance at the University of Missouri and earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Ida Mwangi

Portfolio Associate, Heron Ventures

Ida Mwangi is the Portfolio Associate at Heron Ventures, where she works at the intersection of investment, portfolio management, and impact. She partners closely with portfolio companies across Heron's funds to support their growth, while leading how the firm measures and thinks about impact across the investment process. With a background in finance and accounting, Ida brings six years of experience in impact investing, spanning private debt, grants, early-stage equity, and impact management. Before joining Heron, she coordinated incubation and acceleration programs for health innovators across Africa at Villgro Africa. Earlier, at SIMA Funds, she underwrote and monitored credit facilities for off-grid energy and financial access companies across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Others In the Ecosystem

Toby Kilgore

Managing Director of Strategy & Capital Integration, Sinapis

Toby guides Sinapis' scaling, investment, and accelerator strategies. He is leveraging his experience as a Principal at Deloitte Consulting and a Partner at A.T. Kearney and building an investor pipeline at Sinapis that both accelerates businesses and matches them with investors.

With over 25 years of international experience, he has street smarts to go with the book smarts of his Harvard MBA and Vanderbilt honors. Toby knows SGBs offer some of the best opportunities for growth and job creation, but they need proper advisory and financial capital support to thrive.

Ray Barreth

Entrepreneur in Residence, Sinapis

Ray Barreth is a serial entrepreneur with 35 years of experience creating, directing, and leading SME ventures across the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. He has launched six companies from product inception to scale, with revenues ranging from $40 million to over $100 million USD. Ray has coached entrepreneurs in both Silicon Valley and the Silicon Prairie, particularly through the Kansas City Start-Up Village. He now brings his expertise to Africa, training, coaching, and scaling companies through his Venture Village (V2) GROWTH Lab, which operates in Zambia and Nigeria.

Axia Board Members

Veaceslav Vlas

Chairman

Real Estate Development

Anatol Malancea

Catalyst & Partnerships

Modular Construction

Igor Kulcha

Regional Communities & Start-up

Retail / E-commerce

Evghenii Tcaci

Governance and Strategic Development

Pastor

Eugenia Clapaniuc

Prayer and Mentorship

Finance and Accounting

Vladimir Gaiț

Social Impact & Mentorship

Glass & Metal

Denis Fatescu

Strategic Support

Construction, Finance & Charity

Alexandru Reguș

Prayer and Spiritual Development

Real Estate

Eugen Ghilețchi

Executive Manager

Finance

Moldova: Western Relationships with In-Country Leaders

Each thread pairs an in-country leader or ecosystem with the specific programs, funds, and introductions ("connective tissue") linking it to a western partner org — colored and styled by how far along that link is.

Connective Tissue Status

Operational

Piloting

Early-Stage Exploratory

Exploratory

Node Type

In-country leader / ecosystem

Western partner org / initiative

Moldova - Axia

Anatol & Eugen Ecosystem co-leaders

Mentoring Program

Debt & Equity Fund

Business Partnership (specific project)

Advisory program

ARBC

Heron Ventures

American Business SMEs

Sinapis

Anatol & Eugen Ecosystem co-leaders

Mentoring Program · Piloting

ARBC

Debt & Equity Fund · Early-Stage Exploratory

Heron Ventures

Business Partnership (specific project) · Operational

American Business SMEs

Advisory program · Early-Stage Exploratory

Sinapis

Click any box above to see its connections in full.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a visa or any vaccinations for Moldova?

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No visa is needed in advance, and no vaccinations are required for entry into Moldova. Just make sure your passport has at least 6 months of remaining validity beyond your planned departure date.

What food options will be available during the trip?

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A range of options will be available throughout the trip, including meals with your mentee and their family. Please let us know in advance if you have any dietary restrictions or preferences.