This month, we’re proud to introduce Cristina Bolocan, a Master’s student in Business Engineering at Solvay Brussels School and co founder of BellyHug, an innovative start up developing allergen free food solutions to make eating safer, more inclusive and enjoyable for everyone.

 

Tell us about yourself?

My name is Cristina Bolocan, I am 23 years old and I am Moldovan. I came to Belgium four years ago to pursue a degree in Business Engineering at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. I am currently in the first year of my Master’s in the same field, with a specialisation in marketing and data analytics.
When I was 18, I found out that I have coeliac disease, as well as several food intolerances. I gradually had to adjust my diet and lifestyle, which has not always been easy.
Together with my partner, we realised that the current market is still poorly suited to people with food intolerances or allergies. That is why we decided to create BellyHug, a start‑up that offers allergen‑free dishes and pastries for public places such as schools, universities, company canteens, hospitals, and so on.

Why did you choose to study Business Engineering at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management?

I have always known that I wanted to study in Belgium, in a field related to economics. I have always been curious to understand how companies work, how strategic decisions are made and how an organisation can create value for a community.
When I discovered the Business Engineering programme, I was impressed by its multidisciplinary nature. It is not only about economics or management, but a balance between sciences, finance, marketing, data analysis and many other fields. I liked the idea of having a global view and not limiting myself to a single discipline.
What also attracted me a lot was the importance given to group projects and to an entrepreneurial mindset. The Business Engineering studies push me to think, sometimes to fail, to start again with greater determination and to develop a critical mind. These are exactly the qualities I was looking for in an academic path.

You are in the middle of developing your BellyHug project, which is supported by StartLab. Could you tell us a bit more about it (where you are now and what the next steps are, for example)?

Even though we have now been on the market for four months, we are still in the launch phase. This stage is particularly time‑consuming and demanding, as we are developing products that do not really exist in this form on the market yet. It involves numerous tests, adjustments and validations before we can offer a wider range.
Today, we have two sweet products, carrot cake and banana bread, as well as one savoury dish, a quinoa bowl. We have also gained several loyal clients, the most important one is KafKaf, a café located on the Solbosch campus, where we offer 100% allergen‑free and vegan pastries every day.
In parallel, we are working on developing new savoury dishes, as well as creating labels for our products. We are also in discussion with new B2B partners in Brussels, with the aim of gradually expanding our presence in other establishments.
At this stage, our priority is to build solid foundations. We are moving forward step by step, prioritising quality over speed, in order to develop a project that is sustainable in the long term.

BellyHug’s mission is: to make food safe, inclusive and enjoyable again for people living with allergies and intolerances, by designing allergen‑free products and services that do not compromise on taste, transparency or trust. How did you come to want to develop such a concept?

If I am completely honest, BellyHug was born from a personal need. When I found out that I had coeliac disease and that I had to avoid any trace of gluten, as well as dairy products, eggs and rapeseed oil, my relationship with food completely changed.
Every meal out at a restaurant, every day when I could not bring my own food to campus, became a source of anxiety. What affected me most was not so much having to give up certain dishes, but the social exclusion.
Over time, I realised that I was not the only one in this situation. Many people with dietary restrictions do not face just one intolerance or allergy, but several. Yet the market remains very fragmented and poorly adapted.
That is how we decided to create BellyHug, with the mission of bringing back the joy of eating for everyone, without stress or social exclusion.

How does the Master in Business Engineering support you in your entrepreneurial journey? Are there any professors, courses or resources that have been particularly helpful? And conversely, how does your entrepreneurial journey help you in your academic path? 

The Business Engineering studies have played a key role in my decision to become an entrepreneur. The many group projects, where we had to create a company and define its strategy, helped me realise that entrepreneurship was accessible even for students.
The course “Theory of Innovation and Entrepreneurship” taught by Professor Olivier Witmeur particularly stood out for me. I learnt there that a company must always address a real problem and that it is essential to validate a need before developing a product. This approach directly influenced the way we built BellyHug.
Professor Virginie Bruneau’s Marketing course also helped me carry out our first market analysis, segment our customers and think about our positioning.
Conversely, my entrepreneurial journey greatly enriches my academic path. It has taught me to manage my time better, to prioritise and to develop strong resilience, qualities that serve me every day in my studies.

How do you manage the challenges linked to your status as an entrepreneur while pursuing demanding studies such as those at Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management?

To be completely honest, at the beginning it was not easy to reconcile my Business Engineering studies with my entrepreneurial activity. After an adjustment period of around three months, I learnt to structure my time and priorities better.
Today, I manage this double challenge thanks to rigorous organisation and a clear prioritisation of my objectives. During more intensive academic periods, such as the exam revision period, I temporarily put BellyHug on the back burner and rely more on my co‑founder. Being two on this project gives us real flexibility and strengthens our ability to adapt.

If you could introduce a new rule in Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management’s academic environment to improve the lives of student entrepreneurs, what would it be and how could it benefit everyone?

If I could introduce a new rule, it would be to grant academic credits for the development of an entrepreneurial project, under certain conditions and with rigorous assessment.

This would acknowledge entrepreneurship as a genuine learning experience, on the same level as an internship or an Erasmus exchange. Students would benefit from it, as it would encourage more concrete initiatives, strengthen the spirit of innovation, bring theory and practice even closer together and enhance the university’s global positioning.

What advice would you give to students who would like to start their own business but do not dare to?

The best advice I could give to students who want to start their own business is to dare to get started. Launching a project is the most difficult step; it requires courage, motivation and a real sense of initiative. But once the project is launched, everything else becomes more natural and opportunities start to multiply
As long as we are students, we have access to high‑quality resources: advice from professors, university events, networking and the whole academic ecosystem, an opportunity that may not be as accessible later on.
We are also fortunate to live in a city that encourages young entrepreneurs and provides them with many forms of support to help them succeed, such as StartLab, which supports entrepreneurs from the very beginning of their entrepreneurial journey.
Mis à jour le 26 mars 2026