Keynote Speech
17 Goals - a Holistic Approach to 1 Better World
Alexandra Mitsotaki
Greek activist and social entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Chair of the World Human Forum
Alexandra Mitsotaki is co-founder & president of the World Human Forum, a global citizen initiative which has its symbolic base in Delphi. In 2019 she launched the Convergences Greece Forum. In 1998 she founded the Greek affiliate of ActionAid, the international organisation against poverty and injustice, ActionAid Hellas. For the last 10 years she was in charge of the Hellenic Cultural Centre in Paris, of which she is now vice-chair, with the aim of establishing a tool of cultural diplomacy for Greece in the Francophone world. Reacting to the financial crisis in Greece, in 2014 she co founded Action Finance Initiative, the first microcredit organisation in Greece with partners ActionAid Hellas and Adie France.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies from the Institute of Political Studies of Paris and a Post graduate degree on Development Issues.
In the past she has worked at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where she specialised further in poverty issues in the developing world. She is a profound believer in civil society mobilisation and in citizen responsibility and their capacity to hold governments accountable at all levels of civic engagement.
She is a member of the High Level Roundtable of the New European Bauhaus, an initiative of the European Commission aiming to connect the European Green Deal to our living spaces.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Nelson Mandela
https://worldhumanforum.earth/sustainable-development-goals-tarot-game/
Alexandra Mitsotaki
Greek activist and social entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Chair of the World Human Forum
1st THEMATIC UNIT – THE ENVIRONMENT
Eleni Andreadis
Founder of ‘Planet Agents’
Member of Greek Leadership Council, United Nations’ SDSN
Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility, Sani/Ikos Group
Eleni Andreadi is a graduate of Harvard University, where she specialized in environmental policy and media, and she has worked as a strategic and environmental consultant in Greece, USA, UK, and Germany. In 2009, she founded the non-profit organization Planet Agents, which implements experiential environmental programs for thousands of children every year, and has been awarded by the Ministry for Education and Religious Affairs for its innovative nature. She has authored environmental novels, including – among others – the children’s book series Planet Agents, which received the State Award for Children’s Knowledge Book in Greece. Published by Metaixmio in Greece, the rights have been sold abroad to countries such as the USA, China, South Korea, Turkey and Egypt. She is the Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility for the Sani Resort/Ikos Resorts hospitality group, and a member of the Greek Leadership Council of the United Nations’ Global Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN).
Eleni Andreadis
Founder of ‘Planet Agents’
Member of Greek Leadership Council, United Nations’ SDSN
Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility, Sani/Ikos Group
Lydia Carras
President of ELLET – the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage.
Studied Sociology at the Sorbonne, followed by postgraduate studies in Byzantine civilization in London 1981-83.
In 1972 co-founded with Costa Carras, the Hellenic Society for Heritage and Environment and
has served the environment ‘s and conservation cause ever since.
As president of the Hellenic Cultural Center ( 1992-94), in London, she was responsible for the celebrations of the 2500 years since the birth of Democracy, in collaboration with the British Parliament, when a Trireme sailed up the Thames.
She has produced and directed 15 documentary films which won international awards.
The sale in the USA of «Sinai God Trodden Mountain» financed the restoration of the 13th
cent frescoes of the medieval refectory of the Monastery.
«Sir Steven Runciman : Bridge to the East» won α Chicago Film Festival award 1987.
« Voice of the Aegean» best film for Nature, European Heritage, Film Festival 2005.
« My Life and Times- Michael Cacoyannis» has been screened in Festivals and TV programmes all over the world.
Artistic Director for the 2500 th anniversary celebration of the battle of Marathon on the site
of the Tumulus.
ELLINIKI ETAIRIA:
- From 2004 artistic Director Panorama of Ecological Films.
- 2010 Founder of Paths of Culture winning a European Union award.
- Conceived «Μan and Nature- poetry and music from Homer to Elytis» Herodion
Theater 2013 (50th Anniversary of Europa Nostra)
- 2015 wrote and curated the exhibition «Marathon Cultural Landscape» at
Unesco in Paris.
- 2021 Editor of “Fragile Earth”.
In 2009 won an Academy of Athens award for her “life ́s work on Films, Heritage and
Environment”.
Lydia Carras
President of ELLET – the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage
Periklis Chatzinakos
CEO of environmental organization Mamagea and cultural manager/anthropogeographer
CEO of environmental organization Mamagea and cultural manager/anthropogeographer from Thessaloniki. He studied Cultural Technology and Communication at the University of the Aegean, and holds a Master’s in Human Geography, Spatial Development and Planning (University of the Aegean). His research interests focus on neighborhood and community building, participatory planning, and the urban commons. He is a guest lecturer in Cultural Management courses at the University of Vienna.
Periklis Chatzinakos
CEO of environmental organization Mamagea and cultural manager/anthropogeographer
2nd THEMATIC UNIT – THE DIGITAL ERA
Konstantinos Fouskas
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia
Dr. Konstantinos Fouskas, is the Associate Professor of “Digital Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation” in the Department of Applied informatics at the University of Macedonia. He is teaching in the area of digital innovation and entrepreneurship, e-business and e-commerce, technology management and Digital transformation. He is also teaching and collaborating with a number of other Academic Institutes in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship in Greece and worldwide. His has over 50 research articles published in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences and he has participated in more than 30 funded International and National research projects related to entrepreneurship, innovation, and ICT.
He has significant professional experience in public and private sector related to financial management, strategy formulation, business reengineering and intrapreneurship. He also has a significant experience in innovation management and technology transfer through his participation in the European Space Agency (ESA) program, Technology Transfer initiative. He has established technology oriented ventures with global presence and he has utilized this professional experience to mentor more than 100 new entrepreneurial teams through various Incubator programs such as OK!Thess (also member of the board), Ace-in, Orange Grove, EGG , Innovathens, Power up! by Innoenergy, Ekinisi Lab and more and in innovation competitions such as e-innovation, Business Seeds by NBG and FinQuest by Alpha Bank. At the same time, in collaboration with private and public organizations, he is a consultant on issues related to the smooth organizational transition and strategic planning on issues of Digital Transformation and utilization of new technologies. He is a member of the Digital Transformation Committee of the Hellenic Exporters Association and a member of the electronic invoicing working group in public procurement.
Konstantinos Fouskas
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Informatics, University of Macedonia
John Harhas
Founder of the youth organization InfinityGreece
Ο Γιάννης Χαρχαντής (John Harhas) είναι απόφοιτος του Τμήματος Εφαρμοσμένης Πληροφορικής του Πανεπιστημίου Μακεδονίας, με κατεύθυνση την Διοίκηση Τεχνολογίας. Είναι ιδρυτής και πρόεδρος του "InfinityGreece ΚΟΙΝΣΕΠ", μιας βραβευμένης κοινωνικής επιχείρησης με αντικείμενο τα digital media και το marketing βοηθώντας καθημερινά νέους μέσα από προγράμματα εθελοντισμού και εκπαίδευσης (InfinityGreece.com) και επιχειρήσεις μέσα από την παροχή αντίστοιχων υπηρεσιών (SALDOagency.com).
Έχει συμμετάσχει σε πληθώρα προγραμμάτων επιχειρηματικότητας όπως "VentureGarden", "CruiseInn", "SEN Junior Achievement" κ.α. και ως εισηγητής σε συνέδρια όπως το "Internet Government Forum Greece", το "Παγκόσμιο Συνέδριο Εθελοντισμού – IVCO" της ActionAid και το "International Youth Conference – Krusevo".
Μέσα από την επαγγελματική συνεργασία με διάφορες επιχειρήσεις και οργανισμούς, έχει αποκτήσει πολύτιμη εμπειρία σε θέματα ανάπτυξης στρατηγικής, επιχειρηματικότητας και διαχείριση προγραμμάτων ενδυνάμωσης νέων. Έχει συνεργαστεί με αρκετούς φορείς της Κοινωνίας των Πολιτών, ανταλλάσσοντας καλές επιχειρηματικές πρακτικές και αναδεικνύοντας την κοινωνική διάσταση των media στην σύγχρονη εποχή, ενώ συχνά πραγματοποιεί εκπαιδεύσεις για τα παραπάνω σε κλειστά groups ή σε συνεργαζόμενους εκπαιδευτικούς φορείς.
John Harhas
Founder of the youth organization InfinityGreece
3rd THEMATIC UNIT – CITIES & COMMUNITIES
Lina Liakou
Global Director of City Engagement and Knowledge
Head for Europe/Middle East for the Resilient Cities Network
Lina Liakou is Global Director of the Resilient Cities Network leading the network’s city engagement and knowledge and its EME region. Prior to that, Lina was Deputy Mayor for Urban Resilience and Development Planning for the City of Thessaloniki in Greece. Lina is a trained architect and urban designer.
Lina Liakou
Global Director of City Engagement and Knowledge
Head for Europe/Middle East for the Resilient Cities Network
4th THEMATIC UNIT – JUSTICE & GENDER EQUALITY
Marianna Skylakaki
WOMENONTOP | CEO & Editor-in-Chief, athiNEA
Marianna Skylakaki is an economist and social scientist. She manages athiNEA, an organization that combines daily news updates with research and communication services, with the aim of shedding light on a future with an exhilarating outlook. She started her career in London, where she worked as an analyst in the investment banking department of Goldman Sachs. She studied Economics and Politics at the University of Bristol and holds an MPA in Public Policy and Management from the London School of Economics.
Marianna Skylakaki
WOMENONTOP | CEO & Editor-in-Chief, athiNEA
5th THEMATIC UNIT – THE REFUGEE CRISIS
Iasonas Apostolopoulos
Rescuer, renowned for his unending contribution to rescuing
refugees and immigrants in the Mediterranean
Iason Apostolopoulos is the Search and Rescue coordinator of the Italian humanitarian organization “Mediterranea Saving Humans” onboard the Mare Jonio rescue vessel in the central Mediterranean Sea.
Iason has been involved in humanitarian and solidarity projects since 2015, most of which were responses to the ongoing refugee reception crises at the borders of Europe, particularly in Italy and Greece.
He also spent a year working in South Sudan with Médicins Sans Frontières.
His formal education includes a Master in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Athens.
Iasonas Apostolopoulos
Rescuer, renowned for his unending contribution to rescuing refugees and immigrants in the Mediterranean
Apostolos Veizis
Executive Director of INTERSOS in Greece
Executive Director of INTERSOS in Greece. Prior to this, he worked at the headquarters of Médecins Sans Frontières Greece as Medical Director, Director of Programs Support and Institutional Relations, and Director of Medical Operational Support Unit (SOMA) from 2004 to 2021, and as Head of Mission, Medical Coordinator and Medic with Médecins Sans Frontières and with Médecins du Monde in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russian Republic, Albania, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Turkey, from 1995 to 2003.
Apostolos Veizis
Executive Director of INTERSOS in Greece