Q: Tell us a few things about your country, and also your life's story!

My country, Greece (official name: Hellenic Republic, or simply Hellas), is located in Southern Europe with a population of approximately 11 million and has an extremely rich history, the continuity of which could be traced for more than 3000 years. Travelling around Greece is like being in an open museum since there are hundreds of points of historical, modern or ancient, significance. The aforementioned fact, combined with the beauty of our unique landscape, which varies from high mountains (e.g. Mt. Olympus) to pristine islands, has rendered Hellas a magnet for millions of visitors every year. Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama.

My story begins surprisingly not in Greece, but in a town close to Stuttgart in Germany, where I was born. Shortly after my family decided to move back to Greece in a village that is named Frantzi and it is located close to Lamia, a city of Central Greece. There, i spent my school years before i move to Athens in order to study IT in the University of Piraeus, at the Department of Digital Systems. During my third year of studies I had the opportunity to have a life-changing experience, as i studied for one semester at the Stockholm University as an Erasmus exchange student. This was my first stimulus from a really international environment that affected my later course of life. After the end of the semester, I returned to Greece and continued my studies until I joined the army for the mandatory military service. Afterwards, i travelled a lot, for recreational reasons but also for seminars that widened my horizons in a unprecedented way. Currently, i am based in Athens, working for an IT company. Finally, since September 2017 i am also active in Internet Governance, a field that explores who and how governs the Internet, which has given me the opportunity to attend important conferences that were organized by the Council of Europe and United Nations on the very topic.

Q: What is your view of the world as it is today? And how do you define the concept of a better world?

In my opinion, the dominating element of the today’s world is complexity. However, I do not consider it necessarily and by default a negative development. The technology, especially the fields of traveling and telecommunication, creation has allowed the creation of numerous connections between people, states and companies worldwide. We can liken the above situation to several ropes that hold the world together which are consisted of millions of thin strings. If one is cut, the rope will remain sturdy, unlike the model of less and more thick strings that could endanger the whole system. This is a reference to the older system they allowed few, mostly high-level communication. All things considered, a better world is a more interconnected world that increases the possibility for more peace, social stability and economic development.

Q: What are some of the key challenges in your society?

The Greek society has been seriously affected from the continuing financial crisis since 2009. Since then, my country’s GDP has been reduced by 25%. The unemployment rates have raised in alarmingly high levels, reaching 28% in the general population and 59% for young people (below 25) in November 2013. Currently, the numbers have improved, but the negative signs in the real economy and the society are still evident. Brain drain, struggle for the day-to-day survival and psychological issues (e.g. depression) that stem from economic insecurity are the new reality. Above all, the hope for a better future of the current or the generation to come is absent as we got accustomed to the negatives alterations of our living standards.

Q: As a young individual what are a few of the hurdles that you had to overcome up until today?

Bearing in mind the difficulties young people face in countries not that far from Greece (lack of basic goods, war, suppression, absence of political freedom) I would not say that I faced serious hurdles. My family was and still is very supportive. Planning my future actions, such as choosing my field of study was a rather “pleasant headache”.

Q: Why is the role of a mentor important for you?

Personally, I highly appreciate the guidance of a mentor due to me being in the beginning of my career. Utilizing the piece of advice I am given, I will be able to decide which particular sector or industry I should follow, as well as making up my mind for the possibility of continuing my studies in the future.

Q: Do you have a lesson that life has taught you and you would like to share?

Without setting goals you will never manage to reach your full potential. These goals will be your compass for the future. In addition, it is of the utmost importance to receive advice from competent individuals, but at the end of the day, you are the one that plots your personal course, so you need to remain well-informed and prepared for changes.

Q: Name a project, a foundation or a person in your country that you think is doing great work in helping improve other people's lives!

“The smile of the child” (in Greek: «Το χαμόγελο του παιδιού») is an exceptional case of an organization that really improves the life of hundreds of kids in Greece. Many charity foundations proceed to one-time actions (e.g. providing kids that are coming from a not privileged background with gifts for Christmas) while “The smile of the child” is present 365 days a year. They provide real-life solutions to minors with health issues, or facing severe financial difficulties, or being victims of violence. They host children in their premises, letting them experience a family-like environment, full of affection and they even contribute to the search operations for missing minors.

Q: What are some of the challenges that women in your country face and what efforts are made towards gender equality?

Women in Greece face some stereotypical burden regarding some professions or positions that are considered to be occupied mostly by men. For example, a woman working as a bus driver, military officer, mechanical engineer or wanting to be promoted to managerial positions sometimes needs to put more effort in order to receive the same level of recognition. The same applies, in a lesser extend for men working in positions that the society considers that are destined for women (e.g. nursing, working in a kindergarten). However, the past years, the employers tend to focus more to who is more capable in a specific role, regardless of his or her gender. The relevant European laws that have been implemented in Greece, have also improved the situation.

Q: Athena40 is the first ever global selection of the top 40 women forward thinkers, commentators, activists, authors, academics, entrepreneurs, executives, innovators. Can you think of a truly innovative and forward-thinking woman from your country that you wish to nominate for the Athena40 global ranking?

In my opinion, that person should be Eleni Antoniadou, an outstanding scientist that excels in the fields of Biosciences and Nanotechnology. She is the co-founder of the startup “Transplants Without Donors” and she is working permanently for NASA. Interestingly, she has graduated from the Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics which is located in Lamia, which skyrocketed (pun intended) its reputation and inspired skilled students to follow the same study path and hopefully become great scientists.

Q: Share with us a phrase, a poem or a story that you love or you find interesting!

The phrase I want to share is from a poem created by Nikiforos Vrettakos. It could be translated as “Do not kill the earth’s poem!” («Μη μου σκοτώσετε της γης το ποίημα! »). It is an expression of the will of the poet that the humanity will preserve the exquisite natural environment we inherited.

Q: Tell us one thing that you have learned from your mentor.

My mentor pointed out through the process that I should analyze my strong and weak points in the most objective way possible. Only by having a “global” scope of yourself could you unlock your potential.