1️⃣ Accelerating sustainable (ESG) transformation
for individuals, organizations and cities

2️⃣ Creating the best living experience &
sustainable buildings in the world

3️⃣ Building new worlds by using AI
to blend architecture and engineering.

Welcome

I am Mihai, currently based in Bucharest, Romania and as I am not sure that  after-life exists, I try to make every moment count. When I die, I want to be proud of my life: do exciting projects, be a good person, help others, and have fun. And, ideally, get to travel to Mars.

I was born in a small town, Târgu Cărbunești, short after the Romanian communist regime fell. At 18, I moved to Bucharest to study engineering, and I started working for / founded various projects. You can see here what I've been doing for the last 12 years.

I am an introvert, but I learn to control it si I come to speak to +100 events, hold workshops and training, attend high-level UN meetings, discuss with CEOs, award-winning designers, presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, and so on. I worked in large teams (+60),  small ones (3) and on my own.

I love imagining, strategizing, and planning, so I learned how to see the big picture and focus. But I also love details, to which I dedicate lots of time and passion, to be able to go quite into the goodnight, being happy about the craft. I am passionate and learnt every part of an organisation, from products to services, from designing and building to  operations, finance, communication, sales & marketing, learning to work with tens of extremly different software to enhance my work.

I try to dream as anything is possible and prepare as nothing will. I try to be less wrong, while still embracing the possibility of failure with joyful curiosity. I think in opposites, walking between extremes to map the universe of possibilities.

My life so far was an exciting roller-coaster, with amazing international successes and very painful public failures. I worked very hard. I laughed. I cried. I felt powerless and powerful. I made lots of mistakes and some really good decisions and never gave up. On others, on myself, and the dream of a better world.

Enjoy your stay,
Mihai

💡
For collaborations, contact me via mihai@toaderpasti.com or LinkedIn. Bio and Mediat Kit available here.

Values

AMBITION / MEANINGFULL WORK / LEADING BY EXAMPLE / EFFIENCY / FUN / LOVE /  TRUTH / RESILIENCE / HOPE

You have to be Ambitious to live the life to the fullest, and you make every moment count by doing Meaninfgul work. It's easy to talk, harder to walk the talk, specially today, and the only way to inspire change is by Leading by Example. You can blend Effiency and Fun when you do what you Love with the people you Love to spend time with. The world is volatile, uncertaint, complex, and ambiguous so you need Truth to see it for what it is, not what you wish for and be able to objectively analyse yourselves and improve. To not stop, and keep walking, even when it's painful, you need to build Resilience. And at the end, Hope that it all worthed it.

My Work Activity

Which you can read more about here.

  • ÎntreVecini – creating micro-communities nation wide around neighberhood projects related to sustainability :: Founder and Co-Coordinator
  • EFdeN – from students design and building internationally awarded homes to cocreating future cities :: Cofounder & CEO
  • energiaTa – changing the law by creating a movement and a guide :: Cofounder & JoAT
  • Future Energy Leaders Romania – creating support eco-systems to build Romania’s future of energy :: Chairman
  • Global Shapers Bucharest Hub– empowering change at the local level :: Curator
  • nZEB Roadshow – accelerating transition to net Zero Energy Buildings :: Expert
  • WeWilder, bringing people and nature back together :: Sustainability Advisor
  • Tabăra Meseriașilor, empowering vocational highscools :: Mentor
  • Romania Green Building Council – co-creating Romania’s renovation strategy: Manager of Development & Strategy
  • PRISPA – the first Romanian team at Solar Decathlon :: Student Team Leader

International Experience

Working Groups and Organisations

  • World Energy Council – Strategy and Communication Committee :: Member
  • G20 Global Solution – Working Group on Urbanization & Infrastructure :: Junior Expert & Economy & Wellbeing Working Group :: Member
  • Global Shapers Community, iniative of World Economic Forum :: Regional Lead, Climate Change and Sustainability
  • Future Energy Leaders 100, World Energy Council :: Co-chair of Development of New National FEL Programmes
  • YOUNGO, UN-related constituency :: Member

Fellowships

  • THINC Leadership 2022)
  • Climate Reality Leadership Corps (2019) :: Training with Al Gore
  • ChangemakerXChange Berin (2019)
  • Global Youth Climate Network GYCN (2019) :: Climate Ambassador
  • Eisenhower Fellowships Youth Leaders (2018) :: Co-chair
  • Aspen Institute Romania Young Leaders Program 2017
  • UNLEASH, Singapore (2018)

Education & Certifications

Education

  • Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership – Business and Climate Change: Towards Net Zero Emissions Course
  • Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education – Climate Change Policy: Economics & Politics Course
  • altMBA (2020)
  • Lots of MOOC Courses
  • Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest :: Degree in Civil Engineering (2015)

Certifications

  • Accredited Thermographer (lvl 1) - Infrared Training Limited
  • Living Future Institute Accredited Professional
  • Passive House Designer – Passivhaus Institut (PHI)
  • LEED Green Rater (Certifier) – Green Business Certification
  • LEED Home AP (Accredited Professional) – Green Business Certificatio
  • Climate Reality Leader @ Climate Reality Training, Altanta
  • Green Building Professional – Romanian Green Building Council
  • Sustainability Manager – Denkstatt ECQA Romania

Awards & Recognition

International

National

Team Awards

Speaking Panels

2020: Energy Tech Day 2020 / Euro Urbanism & Stopped keeping count.

2019: TEDx Bucharest: Who builds the world we want to live in / Forbes 30 Under 30 e-summit / BIZ Days CSR: The secret formula for doing well while doing good

2017: Dec: One Planet Summit / 23 Mai: EY Romania – „25 de intrebari pentru viitorul României” / 11 Mai: Conferința 2017 InvestEnergy: R-evoluție în energie / 28-29 Martie: Tabăra Meseriașilor, Gorj / 18 Martie: Imagine you Future

2016:25 Noiembrie: ERICSSON Talks / 15 Noiembrie: Zilele BIZ, Ziua Inovației / 3 Noiembrie: HR Innovation Conference / 31 Octombrie: 9th Balkan Energy Finance Forum, Belgrade / 24 Octombrie: Aspen Energy Labs / 19 Octombrie: RoEnergy, Timișoara / 5 Iulie: Sustainable Buildings – ”A STEP INTO THE FUTURE” / 22 Iunie: European Parliament “Towards Sustainable Energy Sectors in Central and South East Europe: Success Stories” / 11 Mai: Forbes Future Innovation

2015: 17 Decembrie – Forumul CAESAR ”România în 3D” / 7 Decembrie – COP21 Agreement, Paris, Energy Climate House

2014: 18 Octombrie: Simpozion Arhitectura in Europa 2020 / 16 Octombrie: Conferinta despre constructiile sustenabile si eficienta energetica / 11 Martie: Mediul universitar si mediul de afaceri: 150 de ani de istorie

2013: 19 Octombrie: Cercetare în arhitectură şi design / 25 Mai: TEDx@Iași. Biblioteca Centrală Universitară, Iaşi / 20 Februarie: Conferința PV Romania | Hotel Intercontinental – București

2012: 17 Noiembrie: TEDx Youth@Reghin | Reghin

High-level Meetings

  • United Nations UN Climate Summit & General Assembly, NY, US (September 2019)
  • UN High-level Meeting: Climate Action Leaders’ Roundtables, NY, US (March 2019)
  • World Urban Forum, Kuala Lumpur (2018)
  • One Planet Summit, Paris (2017)
  • European Parliament, Bruxelles, Belgium (2016)
  • UN COP21, Paris (2015)

Media Coverage

2021: The Diplomat Bucharest | Invest Energy | e-nergia.ro

2020: Forbes Romania | Energy Industry Review | ziare.com

2019: Digi24 Bonton | Ziarul Financiar | BrandMinds | Forbes Digi24 | Pandurul

2018: Revista Cariere | Samsung Ad | European Heroes | Digi 24 | Business24 | Adevărul | Impact in Gorj | ProTV | Bursa | start-up | Antena3 | Business24 | Storia Movie | PhilipsLighting | Buhnici

2017: Revista BIZ| Antena 3| A List Magazine | ApropoTV | RealitateaTV | Observator – A1 | cult-ura | Viitorul României | TVR2 | DigiWorld | Radio Româna Actualități | Adevărul | Cult-ura | Ziarul Financiar | PressOne

2016: ProTV | Cariere | Let’s Do it Romania | RFI | DePoveste TVH | Gorj Domino | Tara lui Andrei | Forbes | RFI | Autor de frumos | Adevărul | Curs de Guvernare | Ager Pres |  Pandurul |  b365 | ZF Live

2015: Antena 1 | Adevărul | Antena3

2014: digi24 | Antena 1 | observator.tv | totb.ro | economica.net | forbes.ro | Romania Insider

2013: ecomagazin.ro | gen90.net | altiasi.ro | ziaruldeiasi.ro | radiolynx.ro | igloo.ro | green-report.ro | spatiulconstruit.ro | businessmagazin.ro | maimultverde.ro | arhitectura-1906.ro

2012:  zf.ro | businessmagazine.ro | zi-de-zi.ro | zf.ro | hotnews.ro

Trainings & Mentorship

  • French Institute in Bucharest Workshop for NGOs – 2021
  • PENNY Workshop on Sustainability & Climate Change – 2020
  • Microsoft Workshop on Sustainability & Climate Change – 2020
  • HEEN Workshop Berlin – 2019
  • MENS – Ianuarie | Cluj – Training despre Sustenabilitate și Clădiri Verzi @2017
  • MSLGROUP The Practice – Sustainability Training @2016
  • MINDSHARE – Sustainability Training @2016
  • ROMSTAL – @2016 January – March | Craiova, Suceava, Arad, București, ”Sustainability Consultant Trainings”
  • ING Bank – @2014 August | Constanța – Training Eco-Tehnologii
  • OMV PETROM – Septembrie | Bran – Țara lui Andrei – Tabăra Meseriașilor 2016, @2017, 2018 & 2019 Mentor
  • Future Makers Mentor

Facilitaror & Moderator

Juror

Publishing

Books

  • Co-author – Energy efficient houses – From theory to practice, 2016 Matrix Rom, 978-606-25-0168-6 (+)
  • Co-author – Energy. Operational concepts and tools, 2019 Club Romania Publishing House 978-606-94561-6-3 (+)
  • Coordinator – Sustainable Romania, 2021 Club Romania Publishing House, 978-606-95075-2-0 (+)

Articles

Hobbies & Passions

  • Scubadiving. 30m depth done, pursuing Advanced.
  • Sailing. Only in Romania and Greece so far.
  • Motocycling across Europe. Ideally alone.
  • Tennis & Footbal
  • Piano. Still learning to play, but my dream is to write at least one great arrangement before I die
  • Sky-diving. Just started.

Short Bio + Photo Kit

Mihai Toader-Pasti devoted the past 10 years to designing and building internationally-awarded sustainable houses and aims to create the best home living experience in the future.

Through his work as co-founder and CEO of Romania’s most esteemed sustainability non-profit (EFdeN), their house prototypes won 40+ awards, becoming the country’s first Research Center for Comfort Conditions and first LEED Homes Platinum certified home. 250+ companies funded EFdeN with +4 million euros to train 900+ students in sustainable building. He led the efforts to create the energy prosumers legislation in Romania through energiaTa, country’s first and biggest prosumers community, contributing to unlocking a 130 million euros subsidy for 30,000 households.

Mihai co-chaired Eisenhower Fellowships Youth Leaders’ first cohort, is a Climate Reality Leader, Aspen Young Leader, World Energy Council committee member, Global Shapers EU Regional Lead and he was selected amongsts JCI 10 Outstanding Young Persons of the World and Forbes 30 under 30.

Chose any photo from Google Drive folder | Romanian Bio | More English Bios.

F.A.Q.

Is Pasti or Paști? And what is the first name?

Pasti is corect. My first name is Mihai (Michael), and Toader-Pasti is my last name, some people call me TP. Toader is my father’s family name, while Pasti is my mother’s. In Romania, usually, the woman and the kids take the husband’s last name. But my mother’s parents had two daughters, so no possibility for my grandfather ‘Mănene’ to pass his name to the next generations. Fortunately, my father was so cool that he decided to combine both family names. One small step for one person, one big step for our entire family.