Team
Dimitris Kalavros-Gousiou
Dimitris Kalavros-Gousiou is a young entrepreneur, trainee lawyer and technology enthousiast who splits his life between London and Athens. Dimitris holds a Law degree from the University of Kent at Canterbury and an LLM (Master of Laws) in Computer and Communications Law from the Queen Mary University of London. The day before his last exam at Kent, Dimitris decided to apply for a TEDx licence. TEDxAthens was born on May 5th, 2009.
Abraham Tsoukalidis
Abraham holds a degree in Applied Mathematics and Biology from the Harvard University, Cambridge and a European Master in Total Quality Management. Abraham began his Career in Monitor Company in London as a strategy consultant. In 2000, he joined Intracom S.A. in the Life Sciences division. Today, Abraham is the President and Founder of Positive Energy S.A. www.positiveenergy.gr a group of companies in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency fields. He is passionate about Entrepreneurship, New Ideas, Travel, Food, Wine and Life. Abraham attended TED Global 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Afrodite Manta
Afrodite studied Archive and Information at the Ionian University, Greece, and holds a Master’s Degree from the University College London (UCL), in Library, Archive & Information Studies. Afrodite began her professional career in Benakeion Institute, Athens, as a librarian.
She has been working as a Public Relations Specialist in Kraft Foods Hellas and as an Internal Communication Specialist in Sanofi-Aventis, Greece, for more than ten years. She has been assigned various projects of increasing responsibility, domestically and internationally. Afrodite is very enthusiastic, passionate for books and travel and dreaming of a better and innovative world for her two children. Afrodite attended TEDGlobal 2010.
Angelika Daskalopoulou
Angelika is a singer and performer. She studied classical music at Brown University in RI, USA, where she performed in opera recitals, choirs, musicals and various contests. She continued her music and vocal studies at the London Centre of Contemporary Music, where she studied jazz, blues, and rock. She is currently working on her own music, a mixture of pop, soul and blues and performs in various venues in Athens. She continues her vocal studies with Julie Massino and piano studies with Takis Farazis. Angelika has also worked as Concert Manager for orchestras and bands, notably with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the orchestras of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (E.R.T.), the Greek Festival, as well as with various bands in London and Greece.
She is the Executive Producer for TEDxAthens, responsible for the event’s stage production and filming.
Filimon Papapolyzos
Filimon is a young professional, passionate about marketing and technology. In his last role Filimon worked at DDB London, a leading advertising agency in the UK and part of DDB Worldwide. He worked as an account planner being part of the team formulating advertising strategies across Europe for major clients. He was also a frequent member of the new business team that led the company’s pitching process for local and global businesses. Prior to that he worked briefly at DDB South Eastern Europe and DDB Athens. He graduated in May 2008 from the University of Kent, UK with a degree of Business Administration. Recently he completed his military service in Greece. He is a big fan of TED and the idea behind it.
Sophia Belouka
Sophia started her career at Beluga Associates, a Strategic Planning & Public Relations Company where, as account director, she handled several local & international accounts on a strategic, as well as implementation level. Key accounts include Diageo, Logitech and Estée Lauder. She specializes in event management, brand communication and media relations. Her background is in classical music where she has completed her studies with a Bachelors Degree from King’s College, London and Postgraduate Degrees from Goldsmiths College and Trintity College of Music.
Since last year, she has joined the team of Advocate / Burson – Marsteller. Sophia has recently entered the hospitality business in order to expand new and exciting ways of entrepreneurship. She is also a contributing editor, writing feature articles and conducting interviews for several monthly and Sunday supplement magazines.
Stathis Haikalis
Stathis Haikalis holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical School of Athens. He is quite experienced in Greek media and policy as he worked as a specialized journalist in Financial Postman and To Vima tis Kiriakis newspaper for more than 20 years.
In 1995, he founded Communication Effect, a strategic communications company, which since 1999 has been the exclusive affiliate of Edelman, the biggest independent Public Relations Firm worldwide, for Greece and Cyprus. From 2004 and on, Stathis is focusing on online communication and social media. In 2007, he founded AvantBrand, a Digital Communication company, which afterwards merged with Communication Effect. He is quite active online too as he has personal accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and curates his own personal blog.
He also participates as a speaker in various Communication and Online Marketing events both in Greece and abroad.
Elenia Saloutsi
Elenia has studied Political Science and Sociology at Royal Holloway and holds Master Degrees in Global Media and Communication from the London School of Economics and the University of Southern California. She worked as Project Manager for Digital Democracy at the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. She then moved to Washington D.C. where she was employed as Communication Director by Democracy 21, a non-profit organization working to minimize the influence of money in politics. She returned to Greece after living abroad for 10 years where she joined the documentary TV series “Erevna”. She is currently employed as a political and communications consultant.
Themis Gkion
Themis is an entrepreneur, a teacher, a mechanical engineer, a trader. He is passionate about inspiring young individuals in discovering their charisma and in making meaningful choices. He studied Mechanical Engineering at NTUA, and subsequently delved into human psychology through additional Pedagogical studies. He holds an MBA degree from INSEAD.
He started his career at Sclavos S.A., a mainly-exporting, textile machinery manufacturer. He set up the Research & Development Dept. and led various projects, culminating in the development and successful launch of an industrial product family. He has been involved in a family-run business operating a private school, at a managerial level. He gained understanding of the financial markets as a derivatives trader for the global markets division of National Bank of Greece.
Dimitris Kalogeropoulos
Dimitris is an active netizen and some would say that he is addicted to web. He spends most of his time in front of a screen; either working on Social Media or communicating with other people through Twitter. His topics of interest vary from technology and cars to human behavior and different cultures.He has regretted not leaving Greece to study abroad and further open his mind by meeting people with different mentality.
Dimitris was lucky enough to participate in 4 global conferences related to technology, new media and entrepreneurship. What he enjoys most at the company he is currently working is the multicultural environment.One of Dimitris’ dream will come true when he will take a roadtrip in Europe driving one of his favorite cars. Also, he is dreaming about a really connected world via Social Networks where information will flow without limitations, easier, faster and more targeted.
Maria Mouzakiti
Maria studied Journalism & Mass Media Communication and she holds a master degree in Media Psychology. She has also received a scholarship in Communication by the Greek State Scholarships Foundation. In her past life while in Thessaloniki, she worked as a journalist and radio producer while in her spare time she was constantly flirting with advertising. When to Athens, she joined the communication team of Attica Media Group and the last couple of years she has officially moved to PR. Now, she belongs to Communication Effect’s team where she handles multinational accounts such as HP and she gets more and more passionate about all things social.
You may find her online 27/4.
Vasiliki Besiou
Vasiliki studied Civil Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens and holds a Master of Science Degree in Water Resources Science and Technology. She believes that engineering is a “way of thinking” that helps her take decisions in every aspect of her life. She is currently working in the field of Marine Engineering and Consulting, specialized in Coastal and Environmental Management.
Vasiliki enjoys writing, music and cinema and she is enthusiastic about new technologies and media. She is always passionate about interesting people and ideas and has a strong belief in the humans’ potential to create something better for the future.
Yolanda Kolliopoulou
She started as an archaeologist, with a degree in Archaeology & History of Arts from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, excavating sites all over Greece, but soon followed her love for journalism. Starting as a reporter for Skai radio, she moved to printed Media, such as PROSOPA, Ependytis & KLIK magazine, as a member of their editorial teams, writing articles, building photo productions, creating and implementing concepts for advertorials. This last obsession led her seek the myth behind the products and ways to communicate them to the mass audience, as a copywriter and creative media Director in various companies. She has now over 10 years of experience in building and managing brands, designing and implementing tailor made online and offline publicity programs, and helping create the right share of mind through proven and innovative new methods.
In 2008 she founded The Flying Pot, a PR & Digital agency, but mostly a hot shop, featuring media related activities, social media marketing, digital services and great ideS that now implement for some of the best and open minded brands in the world such as Nike, Nestle, Marks & Spencer ,Tetra Pak etc
Panos Georgountzos
Panos Georgountzos has been in the business of digital marketing since 2007. He has worked on several projects with major Greek and international brands and companies and has managed the top Greek food portal Gourmed.gr for almost three years.
He now manages the social media presence of several global and local mega-brands.
He holds a BA in Law and Business Studies from Middlesex University, London and an MBA from Escem, France.
Out of office, Panos can be found in good restaurants, with a glass of top wine, or in classrooms teaching wine tasting techniques to people with excelent taste.
Theodore Anagnostopoulos
Theodore is a Genetics Graduate from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, has a Masters in Human Reproductive Biology from Imperial College and a PhD in Medical Genetics from Kings College London. His Post-Doctoral Research work at the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” in Greece was on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. He is an Onassis and Embirikion Foundation scholar and has received a Young Scientist Award by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Kyoto, Japan.
He is the Co-Founder and Director of “SciCo” (Science Communication – www.scico.gr), a Non Governmental Organization whose aim is to communicate scientific issues to the public in a clear and entertaining way. SciCo uses theatre, documentaries, interactive learning and other innovative means in order to communicate science. Theodore has produced, co-written and co-acted in the following theatrical shows: The science of Christmas (2008), the science of Love(2009), the science of Ecology (2009) and Ygeia En Gnosei (2010) which are currently being played in primary and secondary schools all around Greece.
Read more…
Maria Tritaris
Maria holds a law degree from Athens University and is a self employed attorney. Daughter of a Greek Ambassador, her journey in life began in Bern Switzerland and continued in several countries and continents where she learned to appreciate the finer “tastes” in life!
She’s currently attending courses to gain her professional degree on wines and spirits (Diploma level-W.S.P.C). Maria believes that this crisis is an opportunity to see the beginning in the end. An opportunity for young entrepreneurs in the creative business to demonstrate their potential. Maria’s new beginning is TALENTO, her down town art and wine gallery. A modern space for innovative people to exhibit their ideas and for visitors to experience wine tasting adventures.
Michael Papadopoulos
Mike is a jack of all trades for all things IT. A generalizing specialist, Mike trained for his Ph.D. in Computer Vision at the University of Essex. During his years there, to support his academic habit, he worked various jobs such as bartender, web designer, doorman, teaching assistant, events coordinator and programmer acquiring a wide range of skills and competencies.
Growing restless with academia he joined Atos Origin and participated in various projects around the globe ranging geographically from Kenya to Belgium and in subjects from e-banking to bioinformatics – with a lot of telecomms in between. Leaving Atos Origin he decided to settle down in Greece where he joined Innova as Lead Software Achitect specializing in Value Added Services for mobile telephony. An avid gamer, he is currently using various mobile platforms to develop an augmented reality game platform.
Mike’s current research interests are Open Source Software and mobile applications.
Dimitris Floros
Dimitris is a marketing communication professional and a tech “freak”.
He holds both a degree in Marketing Communication and Electronics. Being an “agency-man” for the vast majority of his career he has worked for several below the line groups in the past before taking a leap into the world of PR and digital communication. He joined CIVITAS in 2009 where he leads the agency’s digital projects and handles multinational accounts such as NOKIA.
Dimitris spends his offline time playing soccer, listening to good music, having the benefits of a good dinner with his friends and thinking about unconventional ideas.
Nancy Mallerou
Nancy has studied and lived in Europe: Athens, Oxford, Madrid, Paris and London. After her Bachelor in French Literature from the Philosophical School of Athens, she got an MBA from the European School of Management and a Ph.D. in strategy from Panteion University of Social and Political Science in Athens
Following a successful career in the field of communication and in various industries, such as Media, film, advertising, cosmetics, telecoms and others, she founded Market Inc, a communication and marketing consultancy and Life Coaching Greece.
She is one of the first professional Life Coaches in Greece – Coach U graduate – specializing in personal, Business & Executive Coaching.
Since 2001 she teaches Marketing at the Communication & Media Department of Panteio University and since 2009, she teaches Dental Marketing & Life Coaching Techniques at the Dental School of Athens.
In 2006 she published her first book “Competitors Co-operate!”, on co-operative strategies. Her 2nd book, “It Can Get Better: The 1st Greek Life Coaching Guide” was published in November 2009.
She is passionate about quality of life, happiness, personal development and success and believes that love growth and contribution are what makes life worth living.
Marineta Kritikou aka M.A.K.
Marineta is a multimedia director, specializing in documentaries. She studied Contemporary History, Journalism and Film in Paris and pursued Post Graduated studies in Scriptwriting at the Sorbonne. She also studied Film & Television at UCLA,California. For the last few years she has been living and working in Greece as a Director on TV Programs, Documentaries, Films and Commercials. The last two years she was also teaching Cinema at the Faculty of Arts, Film Studies of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her documentary Dreaming of Zhejiang is the only greek participation at the first ever PangeaDay, a TED Prize Event held in May 2008 in Los Angeles. She is member of the Pangeaday Filmmakers Community believing strongly in the intercultural dialogue and its force. She is currently working on her next documentary Living in Sacred Islands.
Eleftheria Deko
She is a Lighting Designer and Professor at the Theater Department of the School of Fine Arts at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Holding a Master’s degree from N.Y.U. in Lighting Designing, Performance and Choreography, she has designed over the past 20 years, the lighting for more than 400 performances (theater, music, dance and opera) as well as for installations and artist’s exhibitions, in Greece and abroad. She has recieved excellent reviews for her work and has been awarded several prizes such as the Woman of the year 2009 in the category “Artist” for her overall contribution in Theater and Arts in general.
A significant moment in her career has been her participation in the Olympic Games Athens 2004 as the lighting designer of the Opening and Closing ceremonies. For the Opening ceremony she was awarded an EMMY award, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for Outstanding Lighting Direction, in L.A. in September 2005. Since 2000 she is also involved with architectural lighting. Passionate with Light she believes that either metaphorically or realistically, Light may influence our lives. She is the mother of Iris, a girl of 9 years old, who brings the most colorful light in her life.
Dimitris Kokkoris
Dimitris is a design and print communication specialist and a social connector. He holds a degree in Printing Management and Information Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology, USA. Today, Dimitris is the CEO of Dot Repro S.A., a creative print services provider. He is a founding member and Board member of Young Leaders, the Hellenic Young Entrepreneurs Association. He is also a Board member of the Costeas-Geitonas Alumni Association and the non-profit organization Dance For A Cause. He is involved in several non-profit activities and projects that promote social responsibility and the preservation of our natural environment. Dimitris is passionate about simple and effective design, outdoor sports, home cooking and personal development.
Maria Kokidou
Maria is a journalist and an avid supporter of every innovating idea. She loves spending most of her time surfing the Internet and expanding her knowledge on technology and how it affects our daily life. Her studies in Media, Communication and New Technologies led her to work as a technical editor in a few leading technological magazines. Today she is the Editor in Chief of the Greek edition of PC Magazine and does her second master’s degree.
Dimitra Themeli
Dimitra studied Photography and Graphic Design. Until 2003 she worked as a Photographer. In 2000, she started her career as a Graphic Designer, working in the publications sector. Later, she worked for the PC Magazine – Greek Edition as an Art-Director. Currently she is working as a web designer with an amazing team in the eresus, a new media shop fascinated with the conceptual web.
Dimitra holds also her own brand, ThePopEye, which according to her is her “design-break” from designing. When she was a young girl, she wanted to become a stewardess. Now she is afraid of airplanes. Dimitra, apart from design, loves music, food, ingenious conversations, dogs and dreams.
She wouldn’t love anything that makes her feeling bored.
Yannis Zaras
Yannis has been involved in the global online travel market since 2002 and has over the years developed valuable experience in the e-travel distribution. His projects include Splendia.com’s expansion to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, Thinkdigital’s partnership with some of the continent’s most significant air carriers and travel stakeholders, and most recently, the launching of Sweetlifer.com, Greece’s first top-end hotel flash distributor.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the Athens University of Economics and Business and an MSc in Travel Marketing from the University of Surrey, UK. He is also an active member of Atenistas, an open community of caring Athenians who actively demonstrate their passion for one of the world’s most vibrant cities!
Fay Koutzoukou
Fay is a lawyer by profession and media lover by nature. She just got back from Los Angeles where she got her Master of Laws Degree (LL.M.) from University of Southern California, specialized in Intellectual Property & Entertainment law. She holds a bachelor degree from Athens Law School and a Master of Arts Degree (M.A.) in Global Media & Communications from Goldsmiths College, London. She believes in teamwork, voluntary spirit and being optimistic, especially when there is no obvious reason to be.
She loves learning new things. That’s why she feels very lucky to live in the Internet era. In her free time she takes lots of photographs.
Alexandra Stratou
After finishing College I made a leap out of academic and intellectual spheres into the far more hands-on and demanding world of professional kitchens and chef school. Apart from profoundly changing me, giving me the opportunity to experience life in a new way and meeting people from different walks of life; this choice has given me the credentials to participate in the organization of TEDxAthens as the “Food Catalyst”.
It just so happens that I love TED in all ways possible and also love to cook and serve food; so I have tried to combine the way I understand both these things and give you a different catering experience.
Evgenia Besiou
Evgenia or Jenny is a 25years old music freak, a future journalist and an Athens enthusiast. After her studies in the Law school of Athens in the department of Political Sciences and Public administration, she decided to go to London for a Master degree in Media and Political Communication at City University. Her favourite quote is “learn while living” and that’s the reason she is a student again in the field of music this time. Her dream is to publish her own free press in Athens one day. She believes that without music life is a mistake, without friends and family life is empty and without passion life cannot go on.
Nikos Tsalikidis
Nikos Tsalikidis was born in Komotini at the year 1956 but he was grown up at Piraeus. He has studied Shipbuilding for four years at the high naval architecture school and three years at the aircraft engineering school. The last 37 years he is working as Cook specialized in the traditional Greek Cuisine. He loves his Family and his Friends the good Wine the Sea and the unbearable power of Life.
Nopi Romanidou
Nopi Romanidou was born in Thessaloniki.
Studied technology education and digital systems in the University of Piraues and done her Master in Management of Services in the Athens University of Economics and Business.
Nopi enhanced her educational profile by attending several seminars about luxury and fashion marketing,organised and exhibited by well known institutions all over Europe.
Her passion for fashion is the main reason she is teaching, as a guest professor in several education centers and participates as a speaker in marketing events.
Her involvement in SDA Bocconi and Athens University of Economics and Business Fashion Entrepreneur Seminars is a cooperation to be proud of.
As an entrepreneurial spirit, Nopi has turned her dream into reality by establishing the company “ALLY”, which specializes in fashion and luxury marketing services. Expanding overseas is the fundamental idea of the company, a fact that is confirmed by the significant export activity.
The fashion pastry project in TEDx Athens 2011 reveals her perception of the fashion industry.
Athanasia Lykoudi
Claire Cohen
Claire Cohen is a young media professional in the sectors of television, radio and the internet. She currently works as a radio producer at MAD Radio, a Chief Editor, Copywriter and Line Producer at MAD TV, as well as a Freelance Graphic Designer.In 2009 she graduated Deree College majoring in Communication, Advertising and Film Studies. Long before that she has been practicing her communication skills as an intern in well known advertising companies in Athens, such as “Creative Plus” and “Watching.u”. She had the chance to share her passion for Event Planning and Line Production, working on major events such as Mad Walk 2011 by Vodafone, Amita Motion Concerts and Mad Video Music Awards 2011 by Vodafone CU.
Her great love for extreme sports is expressed not only though actual riding, but also through creative photography and filming of kite surfing and snow boarding sessions. Her creativity expands beyond photography and filming, to the world of fashion and a huge collection of head bands, a fact recently acknowledged by the fashion editors at www.queen.gr who titled her as the new definition of the “Urban Look”.
Sassa Potraskof
I love being among all these young people, sharing the group-work spirit, the mind- blowing conversations, the innovative ideas that make you look outwards in a different way and the belief that these ideas have the power to change our attitudes, our lives and –why not -the world!
After high school I had a quick flirt with journalism, then my adventurous spirit found shelter organizing tours to Africa in a travel agency and then, for the last 25 years until now, I have been ever so lucky to be next to interesting businessmen. I make use of the experience gained from my professional for covering part of the crucial registration process for TEDxAthens and despite the headache, I love it and hope to survive and keep doing it for the years to come!
Angeliki Karampourouni
Angeliki was born in Germany and spend her high school years in Thessaloniki. After getting a degree in International Business and Marketing from Baruch College in New York, she she spend several years working for the United Nations both in New York and Rome. She then took a leap into the private sector, before returning to her original passion for organizations and team work, by working for the Young Entrepreneurs Association Hellas in Athens, Greece. She is currently involved in various entrepreneurial projects and is also a visiting expert for EESC in Brussels on procurement matters.
She is an enthusiastic traveler and an avid reader. She enjoys meeting new people from all over the world and has a crazy knack for communication and for connecting people to each other. She knows for a fact that her biggest asset are her local and globe trotting friends.
Angeliki believes that the international community of TEDx can make the world a better place
Christina Biliouri
Christina is a freelance product designer based in London. She holds an MA from the Royal College of Art, an MSc from Imperial College London and a Diploma in Product and System Design Engineering from the University of the Aegean. Observing human behaviours & dreams is the essence of her experimental design process. She thinks of design as a means to inspire towards social advancement. She loves magic, the sound of walking on snow, making stuff, balloon animals and the smell of paper.
Mike Xirouchakis
Mike Xirouchakis was born and raised in Athens. He aquired his BSc in Cultural Technology & Communication in University of the Aegean in 2008 and his Master’s Degree is in Digital Film and Animation in London Metropolitan University. He is currently based in Athens as a storyboard artist and illustrator while studying in Ornerakis School of Applied Arts.
He loves playing piano, video games as well as creating art, plus playing football once in a while. Mike has been watching TED talks from TED’s very first steps and strongly believes in the power of thought and the sharing of new ideas that can make the world a better place for everyone.
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