Entrepreneur & Angel Investor
Marina is a Director of Cynosure Inc., a $300 million leader in the laser aesthetics market as well as being the Chairperson of the Board and investor in Levitronix Technologies. She is also currently an investor in Codebender and C2Sense. Marina was the Founding CEO and primary investor in Z Corporation. Marina has also served as Director of the GSI Group, a $300 million supplier of laser-based products, and Contex Holding, a $100 million leading manufacturer. Marina was an investor and Director of the luxury tea brand: Dear Kate and Tea Forte, which was sold to Sara Lee.
MIT Media Lab|
Director of Computing &
Research Scientist
Michail was a member of the core technical and design team for the “One Laptop Per Child” initiative which created OLPC's pioneering, award-winning "OX" laptop.
Michail has advised governments around technology policy issues and provided expert opinion in technical matters to top-level officials. Michail has also cofounded two companies.
Economist and CEBR Board Member
Professor Vicky Pryce is a leading economist working on UK, global and Eurozone issues. She is currently on the board pf the centre for Economics and Business Research. She was previously Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation Skills and Joint Head of the UK’s Government Economic Service. Before that she was partner at London Economics and at KPMG and held senior economists positions a in oil and banking. Her many publications include : ‘Greekonomics – The Euro Crisis and Why Politicians Don’t Get it’ (Biteback, 2103) and ‘It’s the Economy, Stupid’ with Ross and Urwin, (Biteback , 2015)
Openfund|
General Partner
Openfund invests in technology startups starting from Greece and addressing international markets. It offers support and guidance to entrepreneurs and helps to get businesses off the ground fast. In his 17 years’ prior experience in private equity in Greece Aristos has effected expansion capital investments, formed new businesses and start-ups, raised and also structured funds. He has participated in the boards of about twenty companies. Aristos has extensive experience in management consulting and in public policy advice. He often writes on Greek economy and society. His book "The Invisible Rift: Institutions and Behaviours in the Greek Economy" (in Greek) was published in 2013.
Kathimerini|
Features Reporter
Yannis reports of the newspaper Kathimerini. Yannis is also a contributor to the op-ed page of The Wall Street Journal and to the websites of Time magazine and Politico Europe. Yannis was the editor-in- chief of Free Sunday newspaper and between 2006-9 he was the special supplements editor of City Press newspaper. Yannis has commented on Greek issues on the BBC, CNN, NPR, France24, Al-Jazeera, RT and other international outlets.
Book'n'Bloom|
Co-Founder & CEO
Claus is a Danish serial-entrepreneur who has over 30 years of business experience. Claus’ latest entrepreneurial venture was Book'N'Bloom which is a software solution tool that is aimed at SMEs and has recently closed Series A funding of €11 Million and have their Product development & Customer Support in Thessaloniki.
TrueGreece|
Founder & CEO
TrueGreece is a luxury travel company dedicated to an authentic travel experience. TrueFrance, TrueItalia, TrueSpain, and TrueTurkey were also all launched by Christos. Christos has been listed as one of the world’s Top Travel Specialists by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine and has been included in Travel and Leisure’s A-List of top travel agents globally.
Hellenic Hope |
Trustee & Co-Founder
Tina Mavraki coordinates the overall efforts of Hellenic Hope. She is a Trustee and one of its founding members. She is Structured Finance Manager for Noble Group, the commodities trader. Tina previously ran her own FSA authorised advisory boutique, and prior to that she pursued a 9-year career in investment banking. Tina has a MSC in Finance from LBS, and a BA and MA in PPE from the University of Oxford. Tina firmly believes in helping others. Besides Hellenic Hope, Tina loves a good laugh with friends, adventure and scuba diving.
Endeavor Greece|
Managing Director
Endeavor Greece is a global non-profit organisation that supports high impact entrepreneurs and gives them access to markets and capitals. Haris has multiple years' experience serving clients in
Greece, UK, France, Germany, Turkey and Cyprus on a range of strategic and organisational topics. Haris led the landmark growth strategy 'Greece 10 Years Ahead' which identifies the growth
potential in multiple sectors of the Greek economy.
Molyvos International Music Festival | Pianist, Co-Founder & Artistic Director
Kiveli started playing the piano at the age of five. She won the "International Grotrian Steinweg competition" six consecutive times and has been awarded the highest score at "Jugend musiziert". Kiveli is a stipendiary of the "Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben", the International Music Academy Liechtenstein and the festival "Spannungen".In 2005 she was featured by the TV channel "ARTE" and 2009 by the WDR. In 2007 she played for the Dalai Lama and in 2009 for the chancellor Angela Merkel. Kiveli is the artistic director of the Molyvos International Music Festival, which she co-founded in 2015.
Intelen|
Co-Founder & CEO
Intelen Inc is a fast growing New York-based Software/Technology Company in the domain of utility energy analytics and consumer digital engagement with the use of advanced behavioural data science. Intelen Inc is currently working with over 35 utilities in more than 10 European countries and 3 US States, with more than 10 million utility consumer. Vassilis has global recognitions in top innovation and entrepreneurship contests.
UK Asian Business Council| Chairman
Taha is the President of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) International, UK
and the Managing Director of Monkey Consulting Ltd. Taha's experience of 20 years in business spans across a number of geographical regions, including the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa. He works very closely with the public sector in India, consulting for various developments in the technology sector.
Book'n'Bloom|
Co-Founder & COO
Charalampos is the operational manager of Book'N'Bloom an innovative product in the area of social media and SaaS that aims to bring booking-led SMBs to the new era, allowing them to operate through Facebook. In 2009 he was awarded with Aristotle University Innovation Award.
University of Macedonia, Dept. of Economics | Professor
Lois is Secretary General for Strategic and Private Investments- Greek Ministry of Economy, Development & Tourism and Professor in the Department of Economics, University of Macedonia -Greece. He is an economic geographer (BA – Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, MA -Sussex, Ph.D. -LSE) and has done research and published on topics such as industrial location, the spatial aspects of subcontracting, development of rural areas, rural entrepreneurship, delocalization of economic activities, international migration.
Avocarrot|
Co-Founder
Avocarrot is a mobile rewards network, which helps brands engage and acquire customers on mobile. Selected by Google as 1 of the 8 best startups to participate in their sponsored immersion program in Silicon Valley and also, crowned as the Next Big Thing at ad:tech London in September 2013.
Cardlife|
Co-Founder/CEO
Tzachi is a serial entrepreneur with 8 years’ experience in startups. Tzachi is the co-founder/ CEO of Cardlife, a London based SaaS startup backed by Seedcamp. In his free time, Tzachi supports startups with Founders Nation community and teaches marketing at the Startup Institute London.
Odysea Ltd|
Managing Director
Panos created Odysea when he found a gap in the UK market for authentic Greek products and food. Now after 25 years of business it is the market leader for Greek products in the UK. By 2012 Odysea accounted for 62% of the Greek olive oil sold in the UK market. More recently, Odysea launched its
range of award winning Feta cheese in Waitrose. Odysea has gained more than 27 Great Taste Awarded products between 2010 & 2015 alone.
London Business School|
Sir Donald Gordon Chair of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Associate Professor | Strategy & Entrepreneurship Department
Michael has visited Harvard, NYU, Bocconi and Wharton, where he obtained his PhD, after studying at Athens, Cambridge and Stanford. He studies industry evolution, new business models, value migration and structural change in firms and sectors. Michael’s work has appeared in the top academic journals as well as HBR, FT and Forbes.com, Kathimerini, and appears on CNN. Michael has worked with Vodafone, Nokia, McKinsey, Accenture, PwC, Santander, Airbus, Lufthansa, Zurich, MerckSerono and the NHS.
Mastiha World |
Co-Founder & MD
After completing his MChem and DPhil at the University of Oxford, George spent one year teaching Advanced Quantum Mechanics and studying work psychology, while looking for an extraordinary product to launch his own business. Thus, Mastiha World Ltd. was born, committed to importing and promoting only the highest quality authentic and natural mastiha products to the UK.
Hellenic Bankers Association UK | Chairman
Antonis is the Chairman of Hellenic Bankers Association UK (HBA) that was founded in 1994 to promote a closer co-operation among Greek and Cypriot Bankers and finance professionals based in London. Currently, HBA has more than 500 members and friends in the City of London, a membership which has been the most pristine reflection of professionalism, model corporate citizenship and hard work ethics.
Antonis has 11 years’ experience in Investment Banking, FIG Coverage and Capital Markets. Currently in RBS, Corporate and Institutional Banking, he focuses on financing UK and European Insurers, Brokers, and Global Asset Managers.
Greek Energy Forum |
Vice President
Angelos is a published economist, with studies from the London School of Economics and City University. He works for BP Shipping, where he currently focuses on analytics and performance management.
Angelos is one of the founding members and current Vice President of the Greek Energy Forum, a non-profit organization with international presence and recognition, promoting the development of the Energy and Hydrocarbons industry in Greece and the wider South East Mediterranean region.
GeoVent Corporation | President and CEO
George is Greek-Canadian, born in Greece and raised in Canada. He holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Biology from Concordia University, Montreal; a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from McGill University, Montreal; and a post-MBA Global Executive Degree from INSEAD (CEDEP) in Fontainebleau, France.
He is President and CEO of GeoVent Corporation – a Group of Companies of private interests with great aspirations in investing in Greece.
He worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb for 21 years, holding Senior positions in Paris, Budapest and Athens. He was Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Committee of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Board of both the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Companies.
The fact that entrepreneurship is key to economic growth is a hot topic, and one that's widely discussed. A lot of emphasis is placed on how local institutions and conditions support local entrepreneurs, but far less attention is paid to the more global outlook. There is now a plethora of cosmopolitan entrepreneurs who, armed with technologies that enable distant collaboration, transcend national borders in search of knowledge, funding, and better opportunities for growth.
What is driving their success? And, how do global diasporas leverage their international connections and access to resources to support new ventures in relatively distant locales? By drawing on examples of international importance we will set out to explore how various countries have successfully harnessed their diasporas, and how their models, successes and learnings can apply to Greece.
Real World Insights I: Tech Startups and the Rise of Connectivity
Tech businesses taking advantage of opportunities which lie in distant locations.
Vassilis Nikolopoulos, Co-Founder & CEO, Intelen
Charalampos Papadopoulos, Co-Founder & COO, Book'n'Bloom
Claus Rosenberg Gotthard, Co-Founder & CEO, Book'n'Bloom
Moderated by Yiannis Palaiologos, Features Reporter, Kathimerini
Leading by Example: An Indian, Israeli and Greek Perspective
Learning from the experience of countries who have successfully engaged their diaspora networks.
Taha Coburn-Kutay, Chairman, UK Asian Business Council
Tzachi Davidovich, Co-Founder/CEO, Cardlife
Antonis Kamaras, SEESOX Associate
Moderated by Dr. Othon Anastasakis, Director, South East European Studies (SEESOX), Oxford University
Real World Insights II: Common Themes Across Product and Service-focused Businesses
An exploration of lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs who can develop and offer the Greek brand to an international audience.
Panos Manuelides, Managing Director, Odysea Ltd.
Christos Stergiou, Founder & CEO, TrueGreece
Moderated by Lyda Modiano, Co-founder & Partner wellenwide limited
Intervention by George Economides, Co-Founder & MD, Mastiha World
Building an Entrepreneurial Habitat
The Institutions and Policies that can Reverse “the Brain Drain”
Lois Labrianidis, Professor, Dept. of Economics, University of Macedonia
Vicky Pryce, Economist & CEBR Board Member
Dimitris Vayanos, Professor of Finance and Head of the Department of Finance and Director of the Paul Woolley Centre for the Study of Capital Market Dysfunctionality, London School of Economics
Moderated by Elias Papaioannou, Professor of Economics, London Business School
Start Today: The Power of the Diaspora Comes in Many Forms
A quick fire Q&A with some of the most established, diaspora-led initiatives in the UK.
Angelos Gkanoutas-Leventis, Vice President, Greek Energy Forum
Tina Mavraki, Trustee & Co-Founder, Hellenic Hope
Antonis Ntatzopoulos, Chairman, Hellenic Bankers Association UK
Moderated by Tania Economou, Board Member, Reload Greece
Real World Insights IV: From Startup to Scale-up
Case studies from startups that successfully scaled up by establishing close diaspora links and getting help from abroad while maintaining an international perspective.
Conno Christou, Co-Founder, Avocarrot
Haris Makryniotis, Managing Director, Endeavor Greece
Moderated by Michael G Jacobides, Sir Donald Gordon Chair of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Associate Professor, Strategy & Entrepreneurship Department, London Business School