Untapping Resilience – Talk during Lift13

References and credits
Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes that see reality. ~ Nikos Kazantzakis
Information about Nikos Kazantzakis, famous for his novel “Zorba The Greek”
Facts in numbers
Report of European Commission 2012, kindly note that Youth Unemployment is 57%, the highest quote in the EU (1) , (2) and (3)
Personal details
- Born and raised in Vienna
- I studied at Panteion University, Political Sciences and History
Writings
- Personal blog (Greek)
- Live blogging
- Campus Party Europe, writing for Marketingweek’s Greek Edition.
- Greece’s economy restructured by grassroots actors
- Entrepreneurship: Be the Change – The Challenge of Getting Back to Our Roots

Steps outside the comfort zone
- Broadcasted discussion with the Prime Minister (1) (2) (3) (4)
- Startup Live Athens #1, Startup Live Athens #2, videos (1) (2)
- Coverage about Startup Live Athens on Inc.com, The Guardian, Die Presse, The Toronto Star
My work, building a social venture together with a team
- Loft2work (1) (2) (3)
- Think Social. Act Business.: A project with the British Council
- Design Thinking on (1) Youth Employment (2) Mature Professionals (3) MSF
Values from ancient times: Ethos- Pathos- Logos Triangle of Aristotle
Social space initiatives
- Syntagma Indignados, movement saw tens of thousands mobilizing and organizing within just a few days to protest against austerity
- Tutorpool, Volunteer Network for Education
- Boroume , which fights food waste by organizing the distribution of surplus food for charity throughout Greece
- Omikron Project, a grassroots initiative giving people outside Greece a different picture without the negative stereotypes presented by traditional media outlets that are adding to Greece’s problems.
- Future Library, reviving public libraries nationwide
Entrepreneurship
- Metavallon, accelerating program for startups, taking them from idea to venture
- Startup Live Athens, Athens connecting the local entrepreneurial community with the European one.
- Endeavor
Solution-oriented/driven startups
- Hellas Direct, changing the Greek insurance market, fundraising 8.5 million Euros. Its founders recently were selected as Endeavor Entrepreneurs
- Symbiosis, cutting-edge technology, aiming to answer needs of patients and health professionals dealing with Alzheimer
My venture: Loft2work, social enterprise
Pictures from Kerameikos: KM Protypi Geitonia
Special «Thank You»
Iasonas Kantas and Mehran Khalili who contributed their photographs for my presentation.
Dora Giannopoulou for helping me with visualizing what I wanted to share.
Tonia Eliascou for her amazingly calming support to get my thoughts into words.
… and of course Manolis, Lefteris, Nasos, Irini, Ian, Sophia, Andreas, Tasos, Mareva, Petroula and Julian, and of course Sylvie and Hannes for being around. 🙂
P.S. Here is the talk… Just in case you are interested. 🙂