It is hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since Anna left our physical earth. At her memorial on May 18th, 2018, we announced the Anna Horvath Women Social Entrepreneurship Award. And on March 12th, 2019 we gathered to give the first award to a women-led, women-focused social enterprise.
Anna was such a presence. Strong and courageous, kind and caring, completely devoted to issues of social change and social justice.
She joined our team in January of 2012 and led NESsT Hungary into a strong and sustaining program. She made time to help her colleagues, was a great leader and role model, a problem solver with endless creative ideas, always aiming to take us to the next level.
Equipo de NESsT Hungría: Koka, Eva, Anna y Laura
Anna was a visionary. Anna was positive energy. Anna loved humans, but also humanity.
Her vision and her life’s vocation were to build a just and equitable world. And Anna did this every minute of her waking hours.
She fought for the rights of women, the rights of the Roma, the need to close the huge gap that we currently are living. If I had to use one phrase to describe Anna, is that she was an informed, strategic and practical social change activist. She worked at the local, national, regional and global levels.
Anna y Rozi, la fundadora de matyodesign, junto a las artistas que bordan la línea de moda | Tard, Hungría
She didn’t allow anything to deter her. She used this passion and leadership to bring NESsT Hungary and NESsT overall, to a completely different level. She strengthened our portfolio of enterprises. She built a strong network of advisors and supporters. She ignited programs aimed at local entrepreneurship as well as those changing the regional ecosystem.
Equipo de NESsT Europa
Anna really changed the face of NESsT in Hungary and in Central Eastern Europe overall.
Each and every single day, I wake up missing Anna. I remember our monthly phone calls. I remember her resolute and fair way of being. Her stubborn determination. Her problem-solving attitude.
Anna como jueza en la competencia de UniCredit Bank en Hungría.
Like many of you reading this, Anna holds a very dear place in my heart. She was more than a colleague. She was a loyal friend. A caring mentor. An inspirational and devoted mother. A warm person who enjoyed bringing people of diverse cultures together. She shared her house. Opened a nice bottle of wine so we could laugh together. Teased us a lot.
Anna recibiendo al equipo de NESsT en su casa en Hungría
She loved to travel to small villages throughout her country, volunteering with her children and seeing the world.
Anna is our example and our light. Her vision and passion will continue to live through all of us.
Sobre Anna
Como líder de las operaciones de NESsT en Hungría, Eslovaquia y la República Checa, Anna fue responsable del desarrollo y crecimiento de empresas sociales en esta región.
Supervisó el proceso de debida diligencia para identificar nuevas empresas sociales que demostraran un potencial de retorno social y financiero prometedor. Lideró las actividades de fortalecimiento del sector de NESsT, sensibilizando y aumentando el apoyo al emprendimiento social. Trabajó estrechamente con actores clave, incluyendo la gestión de relaciones con socios corporativos y fundaciones importantes, y una red de asesores que brindaban apoyo pro bono al Portafolio. Anna también ejerció como directora general de NESsT en Hungría.
Antes de NESsT, trabajó para la Fundación SEED para el Desarrollo Económico de Pequeñas Empresas, donde apoyó el lanzamiento y la validación de microempresas, principalmente lideradas por mujeres. Evaluó cientos de planes de negocio y también participó en la implementación de muchos de ellos.
Comenzó su carrera en el sector con fines de lucro, trabajando para el Instituto de Investigación de Mercado GfK durante 13 años, los últimos 5 como Subdirectora General.
Obtuvo un título de la Universidad Técnica de Budapest y de la Universidad Corvinus (Economía), y también fue formadora certificada.
