ABOUT
TEDxATHENS
TEDxAthens creates unique gatherings and events designed to catalyze and stimulate creativity, entrepreneurship, social change and inclusion. TEDxAthens is a proud member of TED’s independently organized TEDx events program, and the first ever TEDx event in Greece, established in May 2009. It amplifies great ideas worth sharing and implementing to the world. To date, it has curated more than 200 talks from world-renowned thinkers, doers and innovators. These talks have been viewed more than 7 million times online. It is, by acclamation, the most impactful and influential platform for ideas in Greece and the wider Balkans region.
TEDxATHENS
PURPOSE
TEDxAthens is a team of 70+ passionate volunteers, who believe in creating opportunities for change, by delivering high-quality content born from all aspects of life, through conferences, adventures and social projects, in order to educate, motivate, inspire and become catalysts of change both locally and internationally.
ABOUT THE
TEDx PROGRAM
TEDx brings the spirit of TED’s mission of ideas worth spreading to local communities around the globe. TEDx events are organized by curious individuals who seek to discover ideas and spark conversations in their own community. TEDx events include live speakers and are organized independently under a free license granted by TED. Each TEDx team operates independently from TED and its TEDx sister events in the same country and city.
TEDxATHENS
THE TEAM
Dimitris Kalavros-Gousiou
Founder & Curator
Dimitris "DKG" Kalavros-Gousiou is a 30-year-old technology entrepreneur and investor. He serves as Co-Founder and General Partner at Velocity.Partners, a pre-seed and seed Venture Capital Fund active in Greece and SEE.
He is best known as the Founder and Curator of TEDxAthens, the most impactful platform for ideas, dialogue and talks in Greece. Prior to his role at Velocity.Partners, Dimitris co-founded Found.ation (a leading startup acceleration and innovation hub in the Balkans), TechTalent School (a coding school) and TechTalent Pool (a recruiting SaaS for developers).
From 2011 to 2013, Dimitris served as a Referrer for pre-seed investment firm HackFwd, leading its pipeline in Greece and Southeast Europe.
DKG 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.
He is a 2X alumnus of U.S. Department of State "International Visitor Leadership Program", classes of 2013 and 2017, the latter under the prestigious "Gold Stars" program, and a member of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum.
Dimitris regularly speaks on the topics of entrepreneurship, technology, design thinking, digital storytelling and leadership.
Dimitris Kokkoris
Head of Experience | Producer
Events Producer, Teambuilding Facilitator and professional Adventures Guide. His mission is to design unforgettable, one of a kind life experiences that become opportunities for personal growth and change for others. He tries to seamlessly blend hardcore event ops & production, with unique content, space-human design and branding, so as to create smooth and flawless event experiences. He aims driving corporate teams towards high efficiency and fluency. He designs outdoor adventures, safely guiding people and teams outside of their comfort zones and into amazing itineraries, helping them unleash their inner strength and reach their true potential.
Father of two kids and three cats, he spends more time in the outdoors rather than home, seeking new adventures. Barefoot advocate, winter swimmer, advanced sea kayak guide, mountaineer, bushcrafter, he lives and breathes outside. Contrary to what others believe, he is nowhere even close to fearless. He’s been through multiple accidents and near death experiences in the outdoors. Fortunately, he lived through to tell his stories. Contributing, donating, volunteering and helping others in need have defined most parts of his life. A project worth mentioning was rowing from the Peloponnese to Turkey, raising funds and awareness for Save the Children and the Syrian kids affected by the war. You can watch his movie “10 Minutes” in vimeo. He also loves cooking, sharing his home table with friends and family, meeting new people and developing his personal skills.
Dimitris holds a degree in Printing Management and Information Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology, USA. He started his career in his family's business, Dot Repro, a creative print services bureau. He has been seeking his true calling in life, ever since.
Stella Psarrou
Head of Volunteer Program
Stellas’ personal motto is: ‘’ Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness’. She born in Athens when the song ‘’ What's love got to do with it –Tina Turner’’ reached the top of the charts. She is studied Sociology of Religious at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She holds an Executive Diploma of Project Management from University of Athens and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cyprus under the Thesis title of: Corporate Volunteering – Case Study: Volunteers Program Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011.
She had the chance to share her passion for event planning working on major events as Olympic Games Athens 2004 and Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 as Volunteers Program Coordinator. She has over eight years of experience, specializing in corporate volunteerism. She is currently working as Volunteers Program Manager at Special Olympics Hellas. Here you could see her last project playunified.specialolympicshellas.gr. Her role at TEDxAthens is to design and develop a successful volunteer engagement program.
Tina Chalofti
Head of Partnerships
Tina is a business consultant, co-founder and Managing Director of consulting firms Excellence & Lean Management Consultants and Active Safety Exipp.
She is a member of TEDxAthens organising team for 8+ years now, currently offering volunteering service as Head of Partnerships and member of the Leadership Team.
She holds a BSc in Maritime Economics and an MBA in Total Quality Management, both from University of Piraeus and a diploma in Digital Marketing & Social Media from Athens University of Economics & Business.
She is passionate about service quality, customer satisfaction and event management.
She is currently adapting to a vegan way of life and trying to keep up with life moto 'work hard - stay humble'.
She loves her dog Rita, chocolate & sunsets.
Paris Gavriilakis
Volunteers Program Manager | Hospitality Advisor
Paris is what you would say, your ordinary guy next door! Social, likes to hang out with his friends, meet new people, always greets you with a smile and always has…sugar and coffee if you are out! He is part of the TEDx Athens family for 7 years and this year is part of the Volunteers Teams. On the day of the event you would probably find him following vollunteers around SNFCC, making sure they are happy and well fed! If you see him give him a hug or a high five! This ordinary guy and the team he is part of are going to be there, to make sure, you will have the most extraordinary experience you could possibly have!
Dena Argyropoulou
Content Curation Manager & Main Stage Lead | Head of Podcasts
Dena has been part of the TEDxAthens family since 2016. As a Content Curation Manager she loves connecting with people and being part of their journey in sharing their stories on stage. As a Podcast Producer and Host, she loves having meaningful conversations with interesting people around the world. Through her mindfulness meditation practice, she's found a way of living with clarity of mind, and empowered wisdom, courage and compassion. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and after living in California for 19 years she misses maple glazed donuts the most.
Athina Spanou
Head of Hospitality
Athina thrives on new challenges and TEDxAthens is the ultimate test. When she's not spiking a volleyball on the beach or taking her furry friend for a stroll, you can find her jet-setting to new destinations or lost in the magic of cinema. Her mantra is simple yet powerful: 'Believe you can and you're halfway there'.
Yiannis Fakitsas
Head of Production | Performers Manager
Meet Yannis, a perfect combination of a foodie and nature-lover! Yannis is a graduate of the Department of Business Administration at the University of Piraeus and works in a PR Agency. On his free time, he loves nothing more than exploring new places, whether it's riding his bike through Athens, discovering secret spots, or travelling the world. And with his trusty pup by his side, every adventure is even more fun - unless the dog eats his food! He is a true team player, on and off the court, always up for a challenge and ready to take on whatever life throws his way. As someone who's always on the move, Yannis is constantly seeking out new experiences and meeting new people. He believes that life is all about exploring and trying new things. Carpe diem.
Eirini Fotiadou
Head of Ticketing
Eirini is a marketing specialist. She holds a BA in Business Administration and an MA in Marketing. She has worked for multinational companies in the Automobile, Mobile Communications and the Retail Marketing sectors specializing in Customer Marketing, Event Management and International Project Management. She is a former basketball player, has introduced herself in classical ballet and has been involved in various athletic activities all her life. She is a hatha yoga fanatic and has embraced running for a long time. She loves to explore the outdoors in any way, and her great passion is mountaineering in the atmospheric Greek mountains and adventure sea kayaking in the beautiful waters of Greece. Her personal need to offer to the world has made volunteering for various causes one of her main extra-curricular activities as she is constantly seeking for personal happiness and development through everyday tasks such as human contact, communication and creative practice. She is a mom of a 3.5 year old boy and thus; a professional multitasker!
Eleni Kechagia
Head of Communication & Media
Born in Thessaloniki, raised in Athens. As a journalist, I was lucky enough to explore each and every different form of the press. Settled down on Digital by now, but making the most of every event and print aspect of my work. Splitting time between children, dogs, cats, music, friends, good food, and good humor, I strive to be ever-evolving. Not by myself, but as an integral part of a strong team. Because I firmly believe that only through teamwork can one make history and make miracles happen.
Nikos Katsiantonis
Speakers Coach
Nikos, an honors graduate of AUEB, currently serves as the Operating Principal at Keller Williams Solutions Group, a rapidly expanding real estate company in Athens. In addition to his leadership position, he has created #Mesitis4U & #RealEstateUniversity, the first real estate shows on YouTube in Greece, which have gained significant attention from industry professionals.
Furthermore, he blends his extensive experience and knowledge in sales, recruitment, and business with his passion for public speaking. Since 2013, he has conducted over 200 seminars (& hosted 20+ conferences) in four different countries, training more than 10,000 professionals, executives, sales people, real estate agents, and entrepreneurs. He has also had the privilege of serving as a Speakers Coach for TEDxAthens since 2015.
Kostas Fryganiotis
Web Developer | Photographer
Kostas is a Photographer and Web Developer. He studied Chemical Engineering in the NTUA. He is the co-founder of Nevma, a leading Web Design and Development company in Greece and a freelance photographer. He is also a main member of the WordPress Greek Community and co-organizer of the Athens WordPress Meetup, WordCamp Athens & WordCamp Europe conferences. He loves food, sports, food after sports, videogames with food, walking in mountains (food afterwards) and taking photos of any kind (i tried food but i want to eat it), especially landscapes and people. Be ready for the last one... and bring your best smile!
Mike Triantafyllidis
Social Media Lead
Mike is a visionary digital marketer with foresight and imagination. Marketing communication strategy is his true passion. During his experience in Media and Creative agencies, he has developed his skills in consulting, writing, editing, presentation and communication. Fluent in both English and French and always keen on technology and social media, he is highly knowledgeable in the principles of “Search and Social ". As a member of TEDxAthens, he is responsible to lead the social media team and to stay abreast of trends and new digital features.
Antonia Panagiari
Traffic & Print Production Manager
Antonia is an optimist at heart and a passionate individual always searching for exciting ideas and challenging concepts. Through a cultural and career journey that brought her form the Netherlands to Greece and from Marine Logistics to the world of Marketing & Advertising, she had the opportunity to explore several aspects of her personality and skills. She is persistent, highly reliable and an enthusiast by nature who always enjoys working on creative projects. An old soul with a young mindset (as her friends describe her), in her free time she enjoys spending time at home with good friends and cold wine. Her happy place is by the sea at sunset and at the airport about to fly to new destinations. A first timer at TEDxAthens she has the role of Traffic & Print Production Manager.
Valia Sarmatzi
Legal Advisor
Valia has been a proud member of the TED community since 2015 under various roles. Her goal is to live this experience to the fullest, stay motivated, hear new ideas and meet new people in order to assist in the transformation towards an upgraded way of life. She holds and LL.B and an LL.M, as well as a Degree in Finance and is currently a Corporate Legal Manager in an international shipping company. Her areas of expertise are anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, sanctions and data compliance. On a personal level, she is a beach-volleyball player and enjoys road trips and traveling abroad. The best phrase to describe her would be 'challenge seeker'.
Anna Spyrou
Logistic & Purchases Μanager
Anna had spent 12 years in retail industry when she decided to enter the world of marketing, take all she had learnt and turn it into successful brand stories.After 3 years of being in charge of the partnerships of a digital brand/platform, she returned in the retail industry and the e-commerce, in which she aims to combine her natural people skills with her research and analytical abilities. She also acquired a variety in sciences, having a BSc in Education from University of Athens and an MBA from Alba Graduate Business School, blending a creative vision with a technical business mind. At TEDxAthens, she’s part of Operations rocket team and of the Finance bold team
. Having worked in different environments, helped her become an expert on product development and brand strategy. Great times of inspiration about the next “one more thing” are happening while boxing or taking long walks, also during travelling and experiencing new cultures, tasting wines and having gin(ious) conversations. Sometimes as a loner, sometimes with what she considers as most precious, her people, her friends. The people that define her as a sunshine with unflagging enthusiasm, a rainbow that can’t be let down. Her vision can be described by two of Steve Job’s famous quotes “We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?” & “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking”. Cliché but true.
. Having worked in different environments, helped her become an expert on product development and brand strategy. Great times of inspiration about the next “one more thing” are happening while boxing or taking long walks, also during travelling and experiencing new cultures, tasting wines and having gin(ious) conversations. Sometimes as a loner, sometimes with what she considers as most precious, her people, her friends. The people that define her as a sunshine with unflagging enthusiasm, a rainbow that can’t be let down. Her vision can be described by two of Steve Job’s famous quotes “We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?” & “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking”. Cliché but true. 
Maria Kounalaki
Site & Webapp Manager
Cretan and part of the TEDxAthens family since 2022. She is a Computer Engineering and Informatics graduate and she is currently attending her MSc in Human-Computer Interaction. Yes, exactly, she loves interaction especially when it comes to new people and experiences. She also has professional background in sports and group training. Passionate about everything she engages herself with, team player, challenge hunter, cocktail lover, creative and intensely sociable, she loves traveling and spending her free time with friends, family and Meraklis, her best dog buddy. Maria's hobbies include outdoor activities, photography and sketching. She always tries to remind her self to “look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities”, enjoy the moment and smile.
Nik Levantis
Partnerships Account Manager
Picture an enthusiastic early adopter who is very fond of technology, transformation projects and any future-engaging activity. Nik loves to construct and deconstruct, is intrigued by challenges and often perceives himself as an agent of change. He considers communication as a valuable asset and practices the art of soft power following a career in Marketing. To revitalise, he either zones out in a pool or explores more of all the food out there. Originating from Kea, he keeps revisitng the island working remotely as often as he can.
Foteini Geraki
Media Coordinator
Foteini’s life-long purpose is to help teams and organisations empower their mission through effective communication. Along with her intercultural background studying and working in the UK, US and Greece, she has contributed to TEDxAthens with a transparent and borderless point of view. In her daily life, Foteini is a Business Transformation Consultant at EY, supporting companies in adopting and succeeding into the digitalised future.
Chrysanthi Maistrou
Graphic & Animation Designer
Chrysa is an enthusiastic motion and graphic designer, with a vivid interest in all upcoming trends regarding her field. She is often described a quiet power with a keen interest in music, travelling, cinema and creative cooking. Her participation in TEDxAthens branding team is a challenge to evolve her skills and take on new things.
Natasa Bokidi
Experience Project Manager
Natasa is passionate with all aspects of social life and communication, but she could easily isolate herself in a deserted island. Has over 10 years of experience in event management, client service and graphic design. She is patient, a good listener and loves troubleshooting. Her happy spot will always be by the sea and her big love is volleyball, chocolate, a good glass of wine (and gin), an intriguing conversation, traveling, dancing and lately some arts & crafts (not always with great success). Long lasting love with a fluffy dog called Mousakas. Second year at TEDxAthens as an “Experience & Side Events Project Manager” .
Zina Papandreou
Volunteers Program Services Coordinator
Zina may be a new member addition in TEDxAthens team, however volunteerism was never absent from her life; she has been a member in many volunteering teams over the years, mainly in cultural and charity events. In her everyday life, Zina works in the HR field and her mission is to make people love doing their job. Besides that, she had been a professional athlete in the past in 100 meters and she still holds an on-going "relationship" with sports; she loves running, exercising and winter skiing. Either be fast enough, or you can't keep up with her!
Paris Papanikolaou Polymenidis
Operations & Experience Coordinator
Well, that's Paris, and you're probably wondering how he ended up in this situation. Let's just say he wanted to sound cool using first-person narration, but had to stick to the format we use here. Paris loves to dive into new projects, meet new and learn new things - he says those things can take you places. In his free time he likes creating 3D and playing video games and recently hiking. But listen up! Paris believes that failure and rejection are just bumps in the road to success. So, he says, embrace them like your weird cousin and learn from them. And that's why he lives by the motto, "You never lose as long as you learn." P.S. Yup, that's a PS2 controller. They grow up so fast, don't they?
Eleni Sinou
Volunteers Program Services Coordinator
Out of all the new beginnings she experienced recently as a recent BSc Business Management graduate and a newbie in both Athens and the world of work, joining the TEDxAthens team has been the most rewarding one for Eleni. As a member of the Volunteers Program, she is excited to support fellow volunteers who share her love for volunteering work and discovering new ideas that are worth spreading.
Melina Stogiannari
Alternative Stage Manager
Melina has just landed to TEDxAthens and is ready to curate the content of alternative stage by unleashing the creativity within her! Although pharma industry may occupies the majority of her day, the restless need for discovering mind-provoking experiences will make the alternative stage shine bright this year!
Manos Kavarnos
SoMe & Newsletter Coordinator
Just a comms guy enjoying his first year as part of the TEDxAthens family :) Besides his marketing & comms experience, Manos is a strong advocate of lifelong learning & continuous growth. He finds it intriguing and highly rewarding to surround himself with inspiring people whose thought-provoking stories broaden his viewpoint on life.
Anastasia Sfika
Volunteers Program Services Coordinator
Anastasia has a "don't make me use my HR voice" sticker on her laptop, cause that's what she does during her work week. In reality she would rather find ways to help, which is what led her to TEDxAthens; her bias to action and being part of an amazing org team that delivers incredible results. She works in the HR Tech field, drinks tons of coffee, dances, identifies as a virgo and is a debater since the age of 16. She joined TEDxAthens in February 2023, and for now, she can't see herself fitting anywhere more than in the Volunteers Team.
Melina Grigoriadou
Social Media Coordinator
Melina is a life enthusiast; would ideally like to sleep less and do 1000 different things every day; learning new things, working, exercising, going to new places and meeting new people. Her long-lasting passion has always been sports, currently obsessed with cycling and wind surf when the weather allows. She enjoys marketing and comms because they highlight the uniqueness of everything around us. When city life and work reach their peak, she isolates for hours listening to music and doing puzzles.
Eleni Poupaki
Lab Manager
R&D Scientist by daylight and Lab Manager by night! Eleni just landed to the Content Curation Team of TEDxAthens, where she's unleashing her imagination to curate the most unique content of the Lab Stage. Since she just entered the real work life, as a fresh engineering graduate, TEDxAthens has been her getaway to her creativity expression. Full of energy and positive vibes, she's always on the move and ready for her next travel!
Evita Douvlou
Experience Project Manager
Her father called her "rebel". Evita thinks he was right. She questions almost everything, even her self. Evita tried 15 different careers, she is still counting, on the right path this time! She doesn't like words, she likes action! Life is a river and she is floatting in it! Evita believes in charismatic people, she wishes she can be one of them.
George Alex Notaras
Ticketing Services Manager
George is a new member of the TEDx Athens organizing team and a Business Administration student at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He loves movies and is also in the board of the University's Cinema Club. George is very enthusiastic and enjoys traveling and going for long walks. Technology is a big part of his life, so he constantly tries to find ways to do tasks more efficiently.
Vicky Mavridóglou
SoMe & Digital Performance Coordinator
Vicky is a new member of the TEDxAthens family, as she joined in 2023. She is an experienced Digital Marketer as she is working in this field for the past 15 years. As a Performane Coordinator, she will be responsible about the biddable digital channels and she will share some wisdom on anything related to digital and social performance. Her skills: Performance Marketing Specialist - Google Ads Certified Individual - Social Media Weirdo - Junior Web Developer - Analytics Aficionado - eMail & SMS Marketing.
Katerina Lazari
Alternative Stage Manager
Katerina is a new entry to TEDxAthens and as a member of the Content Curation team is working to make sure that this year’s content will truly inspire TEDxsters to unleash their full potential!
She is currently building her own business along with two co-founders and when she is not thinking business, her heart and mind are somewhere by the sea, ideally in Ikaria where she comes from!
Cristina Volla
Social Media Coordinator
Cristina is a new member of the TEDxAthens family and she will be coordinating the social media. She definitely identifies as a moon child, loves the color pink, partying and travelling around the world. She is a gym addict and loves the sense of freedom when running or riding her bike. She's got that feeling that she's gonna put a forever smile on your face!
Iris Kokkinou
Experience Project Manager
In ancient Greek, Iris means both the rainbow and the halo of the Moon. Iris Kokkinou comes in colours everywhere, she combs her hair, she’s like a rainbow, as The Rolling Stones sing.
Graduated in Economics and full time Samaritan in the Red Cross. Her favorite phrase is “let’s start a new project”. Currently, involved in Lindy Hop dance, learning Chinese and making colourful pottery flower vases. If you want to meet Iris you will probably find her in a summer concert, drinking margaritas and singing the wrong lyrics.
Stephania Papadimimitriou
Media Coordinator
Stephania is a new member of the TEDxAthens family. Studied Mathematics but works as a journalist, she loves to draw, read and walk around Athens while listening to disco punk. She lives with her cat, only wears black since 2007 and her guilty pleasure is watching Gilmore Girls.
Giota Andrinopoulou
Ticketing Services Manager
Experienced product manager working in the retail industry the last 8 years, ready to spot the next trend and purchase it at the best price. Loves dancing, spending time with friends and traveling. A foodie addict that loves to feel the city vibes at any chance given. Her favorite motto is that if you can dream it you can have it!
