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{Made in Greece} ARISTON FOUNDATION publisher ANTHE & VASILIKI MITRAKOS executive editors ANDRONIKI PAPADOPOULOS managing editor FOUR DOORS MEDIA design & layout CONTRIBUTORS Eleni Georgiou Georgios Glinos Christina Loridas Demetris Pogkas Katherine Poseidon Elena Tzavaras P OR TE SM AG A ZI NE .CO M The Fine Print Portes Magazine is published by Ariston Foundation, a nonprofit organization. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without prior written consent of the editor. The Portes Magazine logo is a design and registered trademark of Ariston Foundation. To contact Ariston Foundation, e-mail: contact@aristonfoundation.org. To contact Portes Magazine for ad placement or for other inquiries, e-mail: info@ portesmagazine.com. Or write to us at Ariston Foundation/ Portes Magazine P.O. Box 46064, Chicago, Illinois 60646.
from the editors Welcome to the fifth edition of Portes Magazine. In compiling this issue, we have explored new concepts, tastes, styles, and visions that continue to challenge the norm in Greece. Delving into the Greek-inspired world of design, we spoke with the founding members of award-winning design and communications firm Beetroot, which recently brought their world renowned Greek Monsters Exhibit to our hometown of Chicago. We learned from them how good design should not only entail a strong aesthetic composition, but should also effectively communicate a convincing message. Following up on our previous dedication to startups and incubators in Greece, this time around we inverted our focus, profiling several U.S.-based companies founded by Greeks. And for those looking to launch a business in Greece, they might find it useful to understand the factors that shape performance among new ventures, as analyzed by ThinkBiz, a student-run entrepreneurial group in Athens whose study on Greek startups we selected to showcase in this issue. And while the startup world of Greece is constantly evolving with a plethora of new initiatives, business ideas, and a sense of hope among entrepreneurial youth, structural challenges still exist. Sitting down with Elpis Philanthropy Advisor’s CEO Epaminondas Farmakis, we discussed the state of volunteerism in Greece and the hindered development of non-profits caused by unresolved governance issues. Yet despite the difficulties, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. A study published by the Human Grid - a spin off project of TEDxAthens 2013 - demonstrates a 44% increase in volunteerism between 2010 and 2012. Other indicators show that more and more people are willing to volunteer their time for socially conscious activities that promote a newfound sense of community in Greece. Finally, on a lighter note, in our incessant search for new inspiration and people with talent and dedication, we came across another fantastic cooking blog. Magda, the inspiration behind My Little Expat Kitchen, shares some unique personal creations with us in this issue. And contributing yet again for those sweet enthusiasts is Ioanna Stamoulou of Sweetly.gr, with her deliciously handmade chocolate fudge squares. These are some tasty creations we recommend you try at home yourself! So what’s the common thread here? Well, whether it’s conceiving a novel communications campaign, advising the next generation of non-profits, or cooking up a new dish, the people behind these activities devote their respective talents to achieving excellence in their work. As Farmakis reminds us, pursuing excellence requires a strong sense of responsibility even when it means sacrificing time and overcoming barriers to reach your goal. With that said, we hope you enjoy this selection of stories whose focus sheds a bit of light on how things get done, and what inspires those behind bright ideas that mold new perceptions.
Vasiliki & Anthe Mitrakos Portes Magazine Editors portes magazine | fall 2014
contributors
Eleni Georgiou is originally from Canada, and has been living in Greece for more than a decade. She is a copy editor turned aspiring entrepreneur. Her many talents include website administration, personal training, and PR. She is currently a Managing Partner of XpatAthens.com and keeps busy working on a new startup. When she’s not rushing to her next meeting, she enjoys reading, working out, and spending time with her kids. Georgios Glinos majored in physics in Ioannina, and received his MSc in telecommunications in Manchester, UK. After working in Ireland for a few years, he returned to Greece to work on the Athens 2004 Olympics, had a daughter, and settled down. In 2010, he published his first book “Around the Mediterranean on Two Wheels.” He’s currently working on a sequel titled “Balkan Mediterranean Gastro Tour” and a Greek family drama titled “Οικογένεια - Παθογένεια.” His newest venture is Food Truck. Christina Loridas has spent multiple summers in our beautiful Ελλάδα studying, sitting around a full dinner table with κρασί and laughter, and cramming her notebooks full of words and poems on ferry rides across the Aegean. Writing is her passion, and Greece is her inspiration. Gentle winds, blue waters, and strums of the bouzouki have captivated her since childhood. She graduated from Suffolk University in Communication and Print Journalism, and has worked at Ionian Village. Demetrios Pogkas is the Startups and Entrepreneurship Editor at EMEA.gr and Startupper.gr. With a background in communications and mass media, in his mid-20s Demetrios is a senior editor at Delta Press, the media company behind EMEA.gr, one of the most wellrespected business news portals of Greece, as well as Startupper.gr, the first publication on tech entrepreneurship in Greece. He covers extensively the startup, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and private equity markets of Greece. Katherine Poseidon is a first-generation Greek-American currently living in Athens. After finishing high school in Ohio, she studied History and Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity College, Cambridge. Upon graduation, she moved to Athens to work as a Teaching Fellow at Athens College. Now pursuing a Masters at the University of Athens, she spends her free time traveling, writing, photographing, and exploring hidden corners of old Athens. Elena Tzavara has been living and working in Athens for 10 years. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she always felt Greece was home and decided to make it her home following university in 2004. An entrepreneur at heart, after a career in luxury travel, she’s now running Athens’ largest expat community website XpatAthens.com with Eleni Georgiou.
Special thanks to Ioanna Stamoulou of Sweetly & Magda of My Little Expat Kitchen.
portes magazine | fall 2014
on the inside ///
EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS Notable Global Greek Events ................................................................... 02
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FOUNDATION Interview with Elpis Philanthropy Advisors CEO ...................................... 06
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BUSINESS Greek Entrepreneurs in the U.S. ..................................................................10 ThinkBiz Study: Startup Performance Factors ...........................................14
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SPECIAL FEATURE Revisiting the Cyprus Invasion: 40 Years Later ........................................16
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ARTS & CULTURE Q&A with Beetroot Design Team .............................................................. 20 Gallery Portes ........................................................................................... 24
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DESTINATIONS Exploring Athens: 5 Ottoman Monuments ................................................ 26 The Island of Naxos .................................................................................. 38
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CUISINE Cooking with Magda .................................................................................. 28 Sweet-making with Ioanna Stamoulou ....................................................... 32
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ECOLOGY The Red Deer of Greece ........................................................................... 34
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FASHION Vitrina ....................................................................................................... 48
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OUR PICKS Sip & Taste ................................................................................................ 31
portes magazine | fall 2014
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CHICAGO - Over a dozen of the city’s finest chefs greeted some 400 guests for the National Hellenic Museum’s celebration of gastronomy at the 7th annual Kouzina food and wine fundraiser in October. Clanking stainless steel warmers, unique floral arrangements, bright lighting, chic black tablecloths, shiny drink glasses, and suited chefs serving delectable mini dishes amidst the modern-designed Greek Monsters Exhibit set a rich tone for the evening. “Kouzina has definitely evolved into an event that goes beyond the scope of the Greek community, said celebrated cook and author Diane Kochilas. “Just by looking at the range of restaurants represented here... it’s become a Chicago event,” she added. From chefs who love to cook at home, to those that serve the taste buds of hundreds daily, food is what you put into it, and making a good dish takes effort and passion. “It’s the satisfaction of making something from scratch, but it’s also the satisfaction of sharing that is a big part of cooking,” Kochilas said.
WASHINGTON D.C. - The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) fall Convention took place in D.C. this November, in collaboration with the Pan-Hellenism Weekend hosted by the DCGreeks. Over 65 university students from across the U.S. came together to discuss the preservation of Greek culture and the future of Hellenic youth. “Overall, I believe the conference was very successful. The convention theme brought light to a problem being faced by the diaspora. It is at this critical time that the youth united to promote and preserve the Hellenic culture,” said NHSA President Konstantine Ouranitsas. Together with the Pan-Hellenism Weekend activities, over 400 people from 24 different states gathered in D.C. to mingle, network, and enjoy live Greek music. This year, a portion of proceeds from the Pan-Hellenism Weekend also benefited various GreekAmerican non-profits. portes magazine | fall 2014
EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS
ATHENS - A week-long art exhibition featuring all facets of creativity - from photography to painting, textiles, sculptures, fashion, books and more - Art Links in October brought together the city’s creative community for an artistic affair. Fine artists, sculptors, authors, comedians, and musicians from more than 10 countries were featured in a gallery and live performances at The HUB Events in Kato Petralona, sharing their ideas and creative energies through a variety of media. A silent auction from exhibiting artists benefited Make-A-Wish Greece.
ATHENS - Hosted by the Global Volunteers (GloVo), the 2nd annual GloVo Conference brought together Greek youth interested in making a difference in society. Held at the Impact HUB Athens in Monastiraki in October, the three-day event included hands-on volunteering, speeches, and workshops aimed at promoting social welfare and youth involvement. GloVo.Con’s mission is to educate and help young people develop the skills and confidence needed to make real and meaningful impact, increase their engagement in positive activities and social actions, and demonstrate how volunteerism can benefit both the society and the individual. “Volunteerism is one of the few things in today’s society that can achieve actual change. It helps to spread the importance of giving and helping others without expecting anything in return,” said GloVo Founder and CEO Kostapanos Miliaresis. “If more people knew how liberating it feels to offer to those who need assistance, then our world would be a much better place to live in,” he added. portes magazine | fall 2014
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ATHENS - Creativity and business were the center of discussion at the 1st Creative Economy Conference hosted by philanthropy management firm Elpis at the Acropolis Museum in October. The event launched the Greek translation of Felipe Buitrago Restrepo and Iván Duque’s, The Orange Economy – An Infinite Opportunity, an important study on Creative Economy in the Caribbean and Latin America published in 2013 by the InterAmerican Development Bank. More than 20 internationally acclaimed experts in the Creative Economy field participated in the event through presentations, interviews, roundtable discussions, and audience Q & As. They included Lord Chris Smith, President of the U.K. Environment Agency and a visiting professor in culture and the creative industries at the University of the Arts London, Dr. Andrew Senior, a specialist in matters of creative entrepreneurship and intellectual property, and Professor Stuart MacDonald, a design and innovation specialist. “In order for the Creative Economy to develop, it needs a favorable environment. This is the reason Elpis is connected to this event in particular, as well as with the Creative Economy in general,” said Elpis President and CEO Epaminondas Farmakis.
ATHENS - Exploring the meaning of “Conclusions,” TEDxAthens 2014 brought together poets, entertainers, businesspeople, and other industry experts for a day and night of talks, performances, socializing, food, and drinks. Held at the Onassis Cultural Centre in November, this annual event has become one of the most anticipated of the year. “We were thrilled to see that our community warmly welcomed inspiring, yet pragmatic talks around a wide diversity of topics this year. From a content point of view, we strongly believe that we had the most mature and realistic talks and conversations so far,” said TEDxAthens Founder and Curator Dimitris Kalavros-Gousiou. A world-class conference about innovation, creativity, and ideas, TEDxAthens is the first TEDx event in Greece, and one of the first worldwide. Leveraging the TED experience on a regional level, TEDxAthens unites innovators, thinkers, inspirational speakers, shakers, makers and breakers. portes magazine | fall 2014
NEW YORK - The Hellenic Initiative’s 2nd Annual Banquet in October raised nearly $2.3 million in support of entrepreneurship in Greece, making it one of the most successful fundraising initiatives ever held within the Greek-American community. With a focus on investing in the future of Greece, the banquet was attended by several Greek government representatives, including Notis Mitarachi, Vice Minister for Development and Competitiveness, Christos Panagopoulos, Greek Ambassador to the United States, as well as prominent members of the GreekAmerican community, including author and editor Arianna Huffington, who served as and Master of Ceremonies, as well as Ambassador John Negroponte. The event honored three outstanding individuals for their lifetime of entrepreneurship and philanthropy: George D. Behrakis, Founder of the Behrakis Foundation; John Pappajohn, Founder of Pappajohn Capital Resources; and Peter G. Peterson, Founder and Chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. The Hellenic Initiative (THI) is a global, nonprofit and non-governmental institution whose vision is to mobilize the Greek diaspora and the philhellene community to invest in the future of Greece through programs focused on crisis relief, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
ATHENS - Kicking off Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Industry Disruptors-Game Changers hosted their 2nd annual Startup Disrupt Scaleup event at the Megaron Athens International Conference Center in November. Two days filled with talks, performances, live startup competitions, workshops and networking, the event featured guest speakers including Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece Jan Versteeg, Wikipedia Co-founder Larry Sanger, and Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine Amy Cosper, among others. The non-profit organization was founded to promote entrepreneurship in Greece, Southeast Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean regions. Focused on industry sectors offering a competitive advantage through the exploitation of the region’s unique entrepreneurial potential, the ID-GC’s mission is to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that will serve as a global beacon for innovative business by combining talent, mentoring, education, networking, and funding. portes magazine | fall 2014
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INTERVIEW WITH
Epaminondas Farmakis
of Elpis Philanthropy Advisors BY ANTHE MITRAKOS
{ With ancient origins, the notion of elpis – or hope – is deeply rooted in the Greek ethos and philosophy. But where does Greece stand today in terms of philanthropy? Steep budget cuts, soaring youth unemployment, and a culture that has not yet embraced volunteerism, have rendered philanthropic causes another victim of the Greek crisis.}
T
he scramble of some 30,000 Greek non-profits to grab a share of the dwindling in size pie of private, state, and European Union funds, coupled with a widespread mistrust in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has made the joy of giving somewhat cumbersome. Faced with limited resources and numerous examples of mismanaged non-profits, many organizations and individuals are making greater efforts to channel funds toward more appropriate and legitimate causes. Nowadays, large and small donors alike are seeking to better manage their grant-making in hopes it will land in the right hands for the right purpose. Founded in 2012 with the mission to do just that, Athens-based Elpis Philanthropy Advisors was formed to bridge the gap between investors and philanthropic efforts, emphasizing transparency and accountability. Elpis assists potential donors – foundations, companies, or individuals – in finding a targeted philanthropic cause, helping them realize, step by step, the tangible results their aid has brought others. Matching donors with non-profits is a multiple step process accompanied by a series of evaluations, explains Elpis Founder and CEO Epaminondas Farmakis. His team portes magazine | fall 2014
first assesses donors’ goals and sponsorship expectations, and then declares open competitions welcoming project proposals from non-profits and NGOs active in each donor’s fields of interest. The top proposals are presented to donors who select the causes they prefer to support, and once the collaboration begins, Elpis assists in ensuring both parties fulfill the agreed-upon terms and conditions. Farmakis, concurrently director of the European Economic Area (EEA) Grants NGO Program in Greece - a €7.3 million Norway fund - has over two decades of grantmaking and philanthropy management experience behind him. Together with his team, he has administered over €1.1 billion in grants, and has worked with over 1,150 NGOs supporting some 2,500 non-profit in nature projects, globally. Bringing his knowledge and expertise to Greece, Farmakis hopes to build on the momentum of establishing proper philanthropy management strategies across the country. To date, Elpis has facilitated in supporting a range of activities, from small initiatives like teaching school children the values of volunteerism, to larger operations like orchestrating funds to help provide daily meals for 5,000 impoverished households.
Examples of Greece-based non-profits Elpis helps support include Desmos, which offers food, clothing, books, and other basic necessities to at-risk populations, and Prolepsis, an institute of preventative medicine, environmental, and occupational health.
PHILANTHROPY VS CRISIS Philanthropic grants provide crucial aid to those in need, but tough financial conditions have rendered even generous pockets bereft of spare change that used to support a variety of causes and efforts. As a result, the ever increasing demand and shrinking supply of funds is causing a rift in Greece’s social ecosystem. “The crisis has had a huge impact in the area of philanthropy in Greece because most of Greece was unprepared for this,” Farmakis says. “While we all knew that there was a crisis coming, we could not estimate or realize the magnitude of the crisis and how it would affect especially the most vulnerable groups, which are migrants, children, and older people,” he adds. With over three million individuals nearing poverty levels, Greece risks facing
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tougher days if significant changes in mentality and the government’s treatment of businesses and non-profits are not realized. “In Greece, the problem is there is a very huge bureaucracy that doesn’t want to understand, doesn’t want to help, doesn’t want to hear anything about eliminating any tax or giving any incentives, because the main issue now is to raise as many funds as possible to keep this machine alive, when we want to kill it and start something new,” Farmakis says. “So there is resistance.” In post-crisis years, government and state funding for non-profits has been cut by 50 to 60 percent, while institutions are stuck with crippling operating costs. Until just recently in 2014, even in-kind donations to non-profits were taxed at a rate of 23 percent, according to Farmakis. But the elimination of value added tax (VAT) for in-kind donations is just the tip of the iceberg of financial burdens Greece-based non-profits face today. “This is one of the weird things in Greece,” Farmakis asserts. “Greek non-profits are taxed in terms of donations received and in terms of their operating taxes, including real estate. Not only is there a one percent tax, which used to be an amazing 23 percent when I started 17 years ago, but the person or the foundation giving the donation is not tax exempt either, so both sides are paying,” he adds. Stressing that NGOs and non-profits are a pillar of society serving as a safety net for populations in need of assistance, Farmakis warns that negligence to provide support for these groups will continue to stymie the progress of Greek society as a whole.
“The combination of these vulnerable groups being hit by the crisis, and the reduction of state aid has had dire effects, and we have seen the results in the population with on average two suicides a day now, with an explosion of HIV, a large increase in homelessness, and a heightened need for provision of basic services like food and medicine,” Farmakis notes. Now in its fifth year, the Greek crisis has taken a toll on the young and old alike, especially those with no family backup and no promising way out of their situation. “In a sense, we have failed in Greece a lot, because in 2014 we have managed to fail the most vulnerable groups in our society,” Farmakis says. In difficult times, society naturally relies in part on NGOs and non-profit organizations to take on alleviating the burdens of job loss, hunger, homelessness, and medical issues. “In our field of work, we do the easy part. We finance people who are on the front line,” Farmakis explains. “It is a war now with the crisis. If it were not for the NGOs on the front line, things would be much much worse today.” Still, Farmakis warns that the state alone will not be able to provide adequate support for at-risk populations even if economic conditions improved greatly over the next few years. “We don’t think that we will ever have the social state that we used to have some time ago, so we have to substitute a social structure through the civil society and the NGOs,” he says. Traditionally, philanthropic organizations were mainly dependent on significant state and private organization funding, which the crisis “decapitated,” Farmakis notes. “What is left now are some private institutions and some European funding which is not enough, but these two are holding these critical components of society together,” he says. “If we do not enhance support by finding new revenues for NGOs, the problems will be severely increased.” In reaction to the crisis, NGOs have for the past five years mainly focused on addressing pressing social and medical needs as a first response for vulnerable groups. This places projects concentrating on education and the arts at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to funding, and all this, Farmakis says, negatively affects the greater society as a whole.
FOUNDATION
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In a sense, we have failed in Greece a lot, because in 2014 we have managed to fail the most vulnerable groups in our society.
“To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power, but to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter,” - Aristotle portes magazine | fall 2014
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