–Also Joins Panel Of Judges And Becomes Mentor To Winners
ATHENS, Greece 4th February 2014 – The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award has announced that Mr. Dimitri J. Goulandris has pledged € 250,000 to the annual award program which creates opportunity for both experienced and budding entrepreneurs in Greece by providing winners with the resources they need to get a new business started. Mr Goulandris has also been appointed to the award’s panel of judges and will be a mentor to winners, commencing with the 2014 Award.
In 2013, four winners of the inaugural award were announced, each receiving a share of €575,000 in interest-free funding and mentoring support for their businesses. This year the total prize fund to be shared among the winners is expected to be around €700,000. Managed by its founding sponsor, the Libra Group, on behalf of The Hellenic Initiative (THI), the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award helps Greek entrepreneurs to overcome the economic malaise and flourish through the implementation of innovative business ideas that will create new jobs in Greece.
“We are extremely proud to be seeing a growing community of individuals and corporations supporting the award programme either through the provision of business support services or with donations such as this one generously pledged by Dimitri Goulandris. We are also very grateful to have him on the panel of judges and are delighted that some of our winning businesses will benefit from his considerable insight and expertise as a mentor,” said Jimmy Athanasopoulos, Director of the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award.
Dimitri Goulandris is the founder of The Cycladic Group – an investor in, and creator of, businesses. He created the group in 2002 to invest capital on behalf of his family and other investors. The group has invested in over 40 businesses and founded five in the US, Europe, India, Africa and Latin America. Cycladic works closely with its investee partners to help them achieve their ambitious goals. Dimitri has also been active in non-for-profit activities including sitting on the Council of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and setting up the Knightsbridge School International Foundation that seeks to provide high quality education to talented children from less-fortunate backgrounds.
The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award was launched in 2012 to help experienced and new entrepreneurs bring business ideas to fruition through the provision of funding, business support and mentoring. The Libra Group has committed over €7 million to the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award to enable Greek entrepreneurs to support their communities and drive economic growth. Other supporters within The Hellenic Initiative include Piraeus Bank and the Australia-based property investment and development company, Jalouise Pty Ltd, which has contributed US$500,000 to the award program. More information about the award can be found at https://www.hellenicaward.com/en/.
About The Hellenic Initiative
Founded in 2012, The Hellenic Initiative (THI) is a global, non-profit, non-governmental, secular institution whose vision is to mobilize the Greek Diaspora and philhellene community to support sustainable economic renewal for Greece and its people. Oli Mazi – All Together.
Like THI on Facebook and follow the finalists and winners: http://www.facebook.com/thehellenicinitiative
Follow THI on Twitter: @THI_OneGreece (http://twitter.com/THI_OneGreece)
About The Libra Group
The Libra Group is an international business group comprising 30 subsidiaries operating across five continents. The group has principal operations in five core sectors: shipping, aviation, real estate, hospitality and energy. Developed from a shipping business founded in 1976 and owned by the Logothetis family, Libra is distinguished by a combination of traditional values, new ideas and an agile mindset that allows it to take advantage of opportunities. For more information please visit www.libra.com.
For further information please contact:
Maria Gatsou
V+O Communication, Athens
Office: +30 211 7501230
Mobile: +30 6937 089858
Email: mg@vando.gr
Gareth Zundel
Gareth Zundel, Libra Group
Office: +44 20 7245 8700
Email: gareth.zundel@libra.com
