Greek Entrepreneurs At President Obama’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit

The Hellenic Initiative (THI) supports the Greek delegation in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Greece.

Six Greek entrepreneurs were selected to participate in the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which took place from the 22nd to the 24th of June 2016 in Palo Alto, California.

As part of President Obama’s commitment to expand support for entrepreneurship and economic opportunity around the world, the GES has brought together the best innovators, thinkers, social entrepreneurs, and investors since 2010. Each GES has taken place in a different region of the world, from the United States to Sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s GES took place on the campus of Stanford University, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The Greek entrepreneurs Participating in GES 2016

• Ioanna Fotopoulou - Project Manager, Social Impact Award 
  
  
• Zoi Giavri - CEO, Advantis Medical Imaging
  
  
• Magy Kontou - Co-founder & Head of Innovation, SimpleApps / Tourismart
  
  
• Anastasia Siapka - Co-Founder, Code it Like a Girl
  
  
• Konstantinos Synodinos - Founder, Championsid.com
  
  
• Xenia Vasiliadis - Founder, TripElina

The Greek delegation included five women, signaling the important role of women in the Greek entrepreneurship ecosystem. The U.S. Department of State and GES provided funding to the participation of these select entrepreneurs, as well as one Greek media representative, Maria Akrivou of Fortune Greece. The Hellenic Initiative (THI), an important partner of the U.S. Embassy on projects related to business development in Greece, also provided part of the costs of the Greek delegation. During the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the Greek delegation had the opportunity to network with hundreds of their peers from all over the world and identify opportunities for collaboration and funding. 

The aim of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit is to connect entrepreneurs across the globe with the access and exchange needed to create and innovate, unleashing their power to change the world. The United States hosted the seventh Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which was previously hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya. In bringing the Summit back to the United States, President Obama highlights his commitment to building bridges that help us tackle global challenges together.

Goals of the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit

• Showcase inspiring entrepreneurs and investors from around the world, creating new opportunities for investment, partnership, and collaboration.
  
  
• Connect American entrepreneurs and investors with their international counterparts to form lasting relationships.
  
  
• Highlight entrepreneurship as means to address some of the most intractable global challenges.

Hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Silicon Valley highlights America’s entrepreneurial spirit and allows American investors and entrepreneurs to see the talent, solutions, and opportunities that exist globally. The summit included a wide range of workshops, panels, ignite talks, pitch competitions, mentoring and networking sessions. These gave participants tailored opportunities to gain skills and relationships that help their ventures grow. Within the Summit, there were also demonstration areas, experiential learning exhibitions, and opportunities to connect with industry experts.

The support for the Greek delegation is part of the efforts of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Athens to promote collaboration between Greek and American entrepreneurs and initiatives, especially among youth.

For more information on the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016, please visit: GES 2016

For more information about the Hellenic Initiative, please visit: THI