Ideagen Global - Catalyze Magazine - Fall 2024

B Y I D E A G E N 

CATALYZE. 

Fall 2024 

“Global 

Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 

Cutocin, & The 

Wolves of K 

Street 

Lauren Miller Rogen 

Filmmaker & Co-Founder 

Hilarity For Charity


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Alexandra Mitsotakis 

Co-Founder & President 

The World Human Forum


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Abbad Abduljawad 

Treasurer 

Saudi Model United Nations


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

George Sifakis II 

Global Youth Ambassador 

The Ideagen Foundation


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Naol Solomon 




CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Abbad Abduljawad 

Treasurer 

Saudi Model United Nations


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Sela Dunn 




CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Peggy Pelonis 

President 

ACS Athens


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Maria Olson 

Deputy Chief of Mission 

Greek Embassy to the US


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Ted Vaigas 

Partner 

Mason Harriman Group


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Agily Zafeirakou 

Senior Education Technical Advisor 

The World Bank


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Nick Katsoris 

Founder & President 

The Loukoumi Make a Difference Foundation


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Litsa Panayotopoulos 

Treasurer 

American - Hellenic Chamber of Commerce


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Tim Ananiadis 

Principal 

HCI Hospitality


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Panagiotis Zikos 

CEO & Managing Director 

Otis Elevator, Cyprus & Greece


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Maria Loi 

Celebrity Chef 

Founder of The Loi Brand


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Elena Saviolakis 

Executive Director 

The Daughters of Penelope


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Ioanna Noula 

Co-Founder 

The Internet Commmision


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Antonis Menegas 

CEO 

EuroEnergy


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Angelos Pangratis 

Former EU Ambassador 

Founder of ALLILONnet


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Grigoris Zarotiadis 

Professor of Economics 

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Avraam Zelilides 

Professor of Geology 

University of Patras


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Dimitris Avramopoulos 

Former European Commissioner 

Former Mayor of Athens, Greece


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Alexandros Costopoulos 

Founder & CEO 

Foresight


CATALYZE. 



Impact 

Summit” 

PLUS 

The APAF, 


Wolves of K 

Street 

Nick Larigakis 

President & CEO 

American Hellenic Institute

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

01 

02 

03 

04 

05 

The Story & Mission of Hilarity for 

Charity 

Lauren Miller Rogen, Filmmaker & Co-Founder of Hilarity 

For Charity 

The 18th Sustainable Development 

Goal 

Alexandra Mitsotakis, Founder & President of The World 

Human Forum 

How Student Leaders Can Mobilize 

Their Peers to Achieve the UN SDGs 

Alexa Sifakis, Lydia Pinirou, George Sifakis Jr, Abbad 

Abduljawad, Naol Solomon, and Sela Dunn 

Fostering Inclusive Education in 

Greece & The United States 

With ACS Athens President Peggy Pelonis & Deputy Chief of 

Mission at The US Embassy of Greece, Maria Olson 

Breaking Down Barriers to Achieve 

SDG 4 on Quality Education 

Yanna Darilis, Peggy Pelonis, Nick Katsoris, Agily 

Zafeirakou, Lits Panayotopulos, and Ted Vaigas

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

06 

07 

08 

09 

Lessons For Future Global 

Leaders 

George Sifakis, Antonis Menegas, Panagiotis Zikos, Chef 

Maria Loi, Elena Saviolakis, Ioanna Noula, & Tim 

Ananiadis 

Greece's Energy Future: Balancing 

Renewables and Hydrocarbons 

Angelos Pangratis, Professor Grigoris Zarotiadis, & 

Professor Avraam Zelilides 

Establishing Optimal Relationships 

Within the European Union 

Former EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos & CEO 

of Foresight, Alexandros Cosotopoulos 

Positioning AHI for the next 50 

Years 

With American Hellenic Institute CEO & President Nick 

Larigakis

The Story & Mission of 

Hilarity for Charity 

With Lauren Miller Rogen, Filmmaker & Co-Founder of HFC 

Watch Lauren’s interview here: 

More from HFC here: 

HFC 

George Sifakis: What is Hilarity for Charity 

and the story that you're telling? 

Lauren Miller Rogen: Well, thank you for 

having me and having this conversation. We 

started Hilarity for Charity after my mom, 

Adele, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's just 

before her 55th birthday. Her parents, my 

grandmother and grandfather, had also 

experienced Dementia and Alzheimer's, and 

when my mom was first diagnosed, we felt, 

as many people do, which is scared, alone, 

and without any sort of hope. 

At first, my mom felt a lot of stigma around 

the disease, and she didn't want people to 

know because she had seen what her parents 

went through. She knew what she went 

through as a caregiver and wanted to protect 

us as much as she could. Unfortunately, this 

disease stops for no one, and I couldn't hold 

it in anymore and needed to talk about it. 

I'm a writer, a storyteller, emotional, and I 

connect with people, and I needed to connect 

with people about this. So we started talking 

about it and sharing our story. One thing led 

to the next, and we threw an event to raise 

some money. That's when I realized I wasn't 

alone. 

George: That's incredible. You've literally 

lived it. Now that you've arrived at a point 

where you've learned about brain health, 

there are things you can do. What does that 

mean? 

Lauren: It means that our brains have long 

been something that we know so little about. 

In the body, it's sort of the last frontier as far 

as what health and the medical community 

have learned how to care for and how to 

keep healthy. In the years that I've been an 

Alzheimer's advocate, which is 15 years now, 

I've gone from thinking that there's nothing 

you can do to learning that 4 out of 10 cases 

may be preventable or delayed until there's a 

cure if you lead a brain-healthy lifestyle, and 

that is huge. 

I thought for so long that there was nothing, 

and that's not the reality. That's what's so 

incredible and so exciting: telling young 

people that this doesn't have to be your 

destiny. You may be able to do something 

about it, and you're going to improve your 

life along the way. It was a really powerful, 

empowering thing to learn about. 

CATALYZE MAGAZINE | 1

The Story & Mission of Hilarity for Charity 

George: We're here at the HOSA conference in Houston, Texas, and you're sharing this 

story with thousands of future health professionals at HOSA. Have you thought about the 

exponential impact and the sheer power of your storytelling? You're a writer, so you 

understand, but now that you've seen it and these students and young folks are watching 

this incredible film, Taking Care, how do you feel about that? Do you recognize the 

magnitude of what you're doing for humanity? 

Lauren: Thank you for saying that and you know, it's a handful of things. On the one hand, 

I feel a little self-conscious and exposed that there are deep, honest emotions and private 

moments of my family that we share, but all in service of teaching people. My mom was a 

teacher for 35 years, and if there's something that she would want, it would be to teach 

people about the disease and if they could do something about it. I'm a little overwhelmed 

that our story is so out there, but at the same time, this was the goal. The goal was to show 

people and teach people that this is the disease. 

This is the deep, dark, terrible part of Alzheimer's, but also, here's what we did about it. 

Sometimes, you have something really terrible put on your plate in front of you, but maybe 

there's something you can do about it. I think and I hope the documentary shows people 

that, One, they're not alone if they're going through it, but two, that we can do something. 

You can always do something. I couldn't cure my mom, but I could do this. 

Lauren Miller Rogen at The HOSA - Future Health 

Professionals International Leadership Conference 

Ideagen’s Daniel Kerns with Lauren Miller Rogen 


2 0 3 0 G L O B A L I M P A C T S U M M I T 

Alexandra Mitsotakis, Founder & 

President 

The World 

Human Forum 

The 18th Sustainable Development Goal 

Alexandra Mitsotakis 

World Human 

Forum 

George Sifakis: Having that focus on the people; we talked about it earlier today, people 

are the center of everything that happens. We tend to think that there are institutions, 

whatever it may be, whether it's a government or a company or an organization, but within 

it's still people. We really do lose sight of that, but I think you have honed in on exactly 

that, but there are challenges. At Ideagen, we do what we do because we bring people 

together. 

We bring organizations together and highlight what companies, organizations, and the 

public sector do to change the world and develop global partnerships. We develop 

dialogue. We've heard from so many thought leaders here today, but I'd like to hear from 

you directly as to what you think are the biggest global challenges, and I want to commend 

your brother on the work he's doing right here for the country of Greece. I'm awestruck by 

his leadership as a Greek American, and I'm proud of him and of you as his sister, who 

supports him to do the great things he's doing. 

Alexandra Mitsotakis: I'm so proud of him, too, and this is so necessary, but it's not 

enough. Politics can't solve everything, and politicians can only do so much. Society has to 

follow. This is where I believe that the work happening from the top down must meet the 

work that is happening from the bottom up. That work is happening in a diluted way in 

society, where so many initiatives are taking place simultaneously, but they're usually not 

recognized and supported enough. Sometimes, they don't even need support. All they need 

is for governments and bureaucracy to not stand in their ways and let the energy of citizens 

act and make the change we desperately need. 


T H E 1 8 T H S U S T A I N A B L E 

D E V E L O P M E N T G O A L 

Alexandra: Yes, we need politics, and my brother is an amazing political leader, but I think 

he also understands the need to use the energy and the capacity of citizens. If we do that, 

then we will succeed. 

Now, you asked what the biggest challenges are; how difficult is that answer? We have 17, 

and you know them well, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but at the World Human 

Forum, we believe that something is missing, and this is the 18th challenge. 

What is missing is precisely what we were discussing before. Connection and understanding 

that our challenges are not different crises; they are all one crisis. They are a crisis of 

civilization. They are a crisis of values, and if we don't understand that and we stay siloed in 

the work we do without realizing we are part of something bigger, we won't get anywhere. 

You can do something big or something small; it doesn't matter. What matters is that we 

know in the back of our minds that what is needed is not just to solve one challenge. Take 

the climate crisis; everybody speaks about the climate crisis, and it's hugely important, but 

it's not all there is. There is the issue of plastics and the issue of biodiversity. The Earth 

today has exceeded its boundaries. The problems we are facing are so complex that we 

cannot just address one without addressing the others. So you ask, what the biggest 

challenge is, but The Human Forum wants to remind the world that it's one challenge. It's to 

change the civilizational model and move towards a more ecological civilization. 


Learn more about how the APAF 

can help here: 


IDEAGEN GLOBAL 2030 GLOBAL IMPACT SUMMIT 6 

How Student Leaders Can Mobilize Their Peers to 

Achieve the UN SDGs 

With Alexa Sifakis, Lydia Pinirou, Abbad Abduljawad, George Sifakis Jr, Naol Solomon, & Sela Dunn 

Alexa Sifakis: How can student 

leaders effectively mobilize their peers 

to take action toward achieving 

specific Sustainable Development 

Goals within their local communities 

or schools? 

Abbad Abduljawad: I think this 

question is very relevant to what we do 

at SMA (The Saudi Model United 

Nations). Empowering our fellow 

students is one of our goals, and that's 

done through the nature of what SMA 

is and what we try and achieve. One of 

my favorite things about what we do at 

SMA is we try and build passion. 

Passion is one of the things that we try 

to encourage in people who attend our 

conferences around Saudi Arabia. 

Using myself as an example, Model 

UN helped me build a passion for 

economics, enabling me to research 

this subject specifically and 

empowering me to learn more. Model 

UN, and what we do specifically at 

SMA, helps our fellow peers and 

students in Saudi Arabia build passions 

that are relevant and international in 

various sectors of academia, 

economics, finance, sustainability, and 

politics. This is how we really 

empower the youth in our 

organization. 

George Sifakis Jr: I also believe 

student leaders can do this by 

advocating for specific goals. An 

example of taking action towards 

specific goals is as simple as just going 

to a homeless shelter and providing 

food and supplies for them in 

coordination with SDG Three. 

Lydia Pinirou: And what role do you 

all believe student leadership plays in 

advocating for policies and practices 

that promote sustainability and social 

equity aligned with the Sustainable 

Development Goals?

How Student Leaders Can Mobilize Their Peers to 

Achieve the UN SDGs 

Naol Solomon: Student leadership 

plays a crucial role in advocating for 

policies and practices that promote 

sustainability and social equity aligned 

with the Sustainable Development 

Goals. Student leaders have the power 

to raise awareness, mobilize their 

peers, and engage with decisionmakers 

to push for changes that 

address environmental issues and 

social injustices. By advocating for 

sustainable practices and policies, 

student leaders can influence school 

administrations to support the SDGs, 

leading to a more sustainable and 

equitable future. 

Sela Dunn: Student leadership is very 

important when inspiring peers to step 

up and take action with SDGs, and 

student leaders make an impact on 

others to drive them to the end goal. 

Alexa: Can you share an example of a 

project or initiative led by students that 

has made a tangible impact toward 

advancing one or more of the SDGs? 

What were the key leadership qualities 

that contributed to success? 

George: A project I participated in this 

summer was an immersion trip located 

in Emmitsburg, Maryland, which 

focused on helping others who are not 

physically fit to take care of their own 

homes. A key leadership quality that 

contributed to the success of this trip 

was taking the initiative and showing 

your willingness to help. 

Abbad: To add onto that, one of the 

projects that I was a part of in the past 

years was I was the deputy head of 

finance for my school's student 

council, a student body where we help 

organize events for the school. We 

worked on a couple of events, such as 

the TEDx and market day for our 

school. One of the most beautiful 

impacts was that by the end of the 

year, we had almost accumulated what 

would be equivalent to $100,000 for 

charity gained purely by student 

initiative. It was students buying and 

selling at school and then donating 

their profits to the student council, and 

it was the student council conducting 

sales in school with the hopes of 

gaining revenue to help reduce 

poverty. 

Although I admit it is a bit of a local 

goal, it was an impactful initiative that 

we were able to take at the student 

council. I know it's a bit of a cliche to 

say, but teamwork is much more 

complicated than just working 

together. It was one of the things that 

we needed and developed in my 

service to the student council to be able 

to donate $100,000 at the end of the 

year to a charity in Saudi Arabia. 

Naol: One inspiring example of a 

project led by students that has made a 

tangible impact towards advancing the 

Sustainable Development Goal is the 

plastic-free campus Initiative. 

Implemented by a group of high 

school students in my community, this 

initiative aimed to reduce plastic waste 

and promote environmental 

sustainability, aligning with the SDGs. 

By embodying the key leadership 

qualities, the student leaders behind the 

Plastic-Free Campus initiatives were 

able to drive positive change, raise 

awareness about environmental issues, 

and inspire their peers to adopt more 

sustainable behaviors. 


Fostering Inclusive Education 

in Greece & The United States 

Dr. Peggy Pelonis 

With Dr. Peggy 

Pelonis, President of 

ACS Athens 

& 

Maria Olson, Deputy 

Chief of Mission at the 

Greek Embassy to The 

United States 

DCM Maria Olson 

Watch the interview here: 

More from ACS Athens here: 

ACS 

Peggy Pelonis: You are very passionate about education, inclusivity, and accessibility, 

and that's the place I want to start because recently, I was at the US Embassy event, the 

celebration of the 4th of July event, and the theme was inclusivity. Can you tell us a little 

bit what that means to you? 

Maria Olson: First, I want to say thank you for hosting me here today and for being 

part of my child's education at ACS Athens. Our theme of education, inclusivity, and 

accessibility is a theme that's really near and dear to my heart, and it's one that makes 

sense for our diplomatic relationship with the government of Greece. Inclusive 

education means essentially child-centered education. It means bringing the tools that a 

child needs to learn to that child so that they can engage, and that includes kids with 

special needs. You asked how we came to that theme: Pulling aside the curtain on 

diplomacy, every time you go to a country and you're engaging with that country, you 

take a look around to understand what is important to the people and government of 

that country. 


Fostering Inclusive Education in Greece & The United States 

Maria: Greece is the birthplace of the modern Western education system, so 

education is very near and dear to people's hearts here and in the United States. As 

part of our agenda on prosperity, but also on human rights, education is a really 

important place to start when we're thinking about engaging with the government of 

Greece. 

I mentioned the prosperity agenda; inclusive and accessible education also makes 

sense when we're working with the government of Greece on creating a prosperous 

society. For Greece, if you look at the statistics, we know the economy here is 

booming, but we also know that the population is declining. If you look at the 

statistics in 2050, Greece may lose 2 million people. We want to create a system where 

you get all of the kids into the workforce and give everybody the tools that they need 

to succeed, including the 20% of the population who may have some kind of 

disability. 

At the end of the day, if we are lucky to live long enough, all of us will face some kind 

of disability, so inclusive and accessible education makes sense on so many levels. 

Furthermore, disability rights are human rights and July is Disability Pride month, so 

that was also a factor when choosing our theme. 


IDEAGEN GLOBAL 2024 GLOBAL IMPACT SUMMIT 10 

Breaking Down Barriers to Achieve SDG 4 on Quality 

Education 

With Peggy Pelonis, Ted Vaigas, Ltisa Panayotopoulos, Nick Katsoris, & Aigly Zafeirakou 

Yanna Darilis: What major barriers 

still exist under SDG #4 (education) 

that you think need more work and 

need to be overcome? 

Dr. Peggy Pelonis: Poverty is one. 

There are different kinds of mindsets 

across the world that don't allow 

certain populations, like girls, to get an 

education. Lastly, I would say the 

unavailability of safe places to learn 

and institutions that have the resources 

to provide for students. 

Ted Vaigas: I think that barrier in 

education is the old way of thinking, 

like math and science, and just 

thinking in verticals. 

Ted: When you pull all that together, 

that individual starts to think about the 

crucial mindset and the skill set. They 

start to think about what they know 

through their education and their 

experience, who they know through 

the network of people they're going to 

meet, and the social skills that are so 

important. 

Then, the concept of I will do 

something in life. I will take my gift 

and do something, but I'm going to 

give it back. Those barriers are what 

we have to break open, and once you 

do, you have unleashed a superpower 

in each young person that will take our 

society to the next level. 

Litsa Panayotopoulos: I strongly 

believe that the fundamental barrier in 

order to carry on and achieve SDG 4 is 

to give equal access to technology. We 

need to appreciate the younger 

generation, listen to them, and support 

them exactly as we've described. Not 

to try to oblige them to listen to us, but 

to listen to them and support them in a 

way that teaches us as well. 

Nick Katsoris: I believe one of the 

biggest barriers, believe it or not, are 

the educators themselves. The 

educators need to be more like Dr. 

Peggy Pelonis, who listens to the kids 

and gives kids opportunities. A lot of 

schools that I go to, teachers say ‘This 

is all wonderful, but we don't have the 

time for this.'

Breaking Down Barriers to Achieve SDG 4 on Quality 

Education 

Nick: We have all these other programs, but you need to find the time to listen. That's a big obstacle because, sure, kids are 

going to learn science and math and languages, but they need to learn how to be good people. Then, in the end, that makes 

them happier people because it gives them purpose and makes them a better student overall. 

Aigly Zafeirakou: I will speak more at the institutional level. I think that the barrier to reaching the goals is not among the 

people or the communities. I have been to more than 35 countries and everywhere in the world I've visited, even in a small 

village in Mali where people are without education; they treasure education. They want progress for their children. 

The problem is at the policy level and how those elected to manage society, set up the right policies, and distribute 

resources equitably, not only for those who have a voice but also for those who don't have a voice. To reach the 

Sustainable Development Goals, we need the right policies and equitable distribution of funding. 



Lessons For Future Global 

Leaders 

With Tim Ananiadis of HCI Hospitality, Elena Saviolakis of The 

Daughters of Penelope, Ioanna Noula PhD., Chef Maria Loi, Antonis 

Menegas of EuroEnergy, and Panagiotis Zikos of Otis Elevator 


View the entire Summit here 

Ideagen 

George Sifakis: What perspectives are so important for future global leaders? 

Maria Loi: For me, we have to be united to create. I've traveled to many different 

countries because I think one thing that unites us is food. That's what I fight for because 

food is always present. You start in the morning, then lunch, then dinner, everyone. Even 

when you have a death in your house, you have food. It's a language, and we have to pay 

attention to that. That's what I want to teach the new leaders. Not to see food as fast 

food and you just go, but to see food as a vehicle in your life. 

Elena Saviolakis: I think, in addition to what Chef Loi is saying, it's also about the ability 

to effectively communicate and motivate everyone in your organization or business so 

that everyone is on board with the goals. But also, you need to develop self-awareness so 

that you know your limitations and your strengths. 


Lessons For Future Global Leaders 

George: These are the fundamentals that drive what I believe and what Ideagen believes; it's 

the ability to communicate. It is so fundamentally important. You're going to stand out, 

and you're going to go so far if you're able to communicate. You'll be ten miles ahead of 

anyone else in your age group and for the rest of your life because it's about people. Even 

AI is developed by people, but when it breaks down, who's going to fix it? It's going to be 

people. In the end, all of these things are driven by people. 

I'd like to ask you all one of my favorite questions. We've asked literally thousands of 

people this question over the years on Ideagen, and it is: what is one key lesson you can 

share that has the potential to change the world? 

Ioanna Noula: First of all, I'm glad we agree on the element of communication, but the 

lesson I've learned is that we should be doing more listening. The example you gave of a 

family at dinner looking only at their devices goes against the purpose of the Sustainable 

Development Goals, which is to achieve intergenerational justice. To do so, all generations 

and people from all walks of life must be able to listen to the message rather than make 

assumptions. From my expertise working with children, my biggest frustration is that kids 

have so many things to say, yet we don't have the mindset of listening and taking them into 

account. 

Instead, I would say we are responsible for them being in front of their devices and for them 

not listening. We don't set the right example, and I think in the business world, in the tech 

world, and so on, it's important to create spaces where people have a voice. A place where 

they can share their thoughts, where they can complain. Spaces where we listen and take 

into account what is being said to turn noise into signals. Last but not least is transforming 

these messages into solutions, repairing, offering remedies, and moving forward with the 

lessons from the past. 

Panagiotis Zikos: I've had the opportunity to actually lead two organizations. First, Otis 

Elevator, which is a huge company. A lot of mechanics, people dealing with elevator 

callbacks, maintenance; its a difficult job. At the same time, I lead a software company. 

There, you have the software engineers; they are the ones creating AI models, so you can 

imagine it being a bit crazy. What I realized being a leader of these two companies is that 

what makes someone a good leader is the power of empathy. 



Panagiotis Zikos: This is aligned with what Ioanna mentioned. You need to be an active 

listener. You need the ability to see the world differently because everybody has a different 

perception of the world through their eyes, through their experiences, and through the 

imperfections of other people, especially the ones whom we are working with. 

Leading is just a role. You are working with people in the same environment. You have to 

have the ability to understand their truth and their perspective. If you can do that, then you 

can work for collective action, not having many individuals working, doing their best and 

hoping that eventually this will be paralyzed to make a huge strength, but creating the 

environment that these individuals, eventually, by doing their best job, they will be happy, 

and the organization and the community will be going to the correct direction. For me, this 

is such a special ability to have. The ability to see that in the next year, in the next decade, 

we will still be here being happy, doing what we are doing, which is going to change, of 

course, because things are changing. 

Tim Ananiadis: There's no silver bullet to good leadership; however, I think, along with 

everything else, there is compassion. I think you need to be a compassionate leader. A lot of 

times people look at this as a weakness to a leader, but it's actually the opposite. It gives the 

opportunity for someone to do good. 



Tim: I think listening, as others have said, is crucial. When I say listen, I mean really listen 

because a lot of people listen, but they don't really understand. Lastly, you need to 

encourage hard conversations. The majority of people I've dealt with throughout my career 

were afraid to engage in any kind of challenging conversation because they just didn't want 

to deal with it. As a leader, I think that's a very important thing because it encourages 

respect from the people you're working with 

George: That's incredible perspective. I learned this lesson from Ideagen's Former Chairman 

of our Board, former Congressman Louis Stokes. He spent 30 years in the United States 

Congress and was a very good friend to me and my family. One day, I asked him, 'Lou, how 

did you last in the United States Congress for 30 years, being such a nice guy?' because 

that's what he was, a nice guy. He became very serious and said, 'George, never mistake 

being nice for being weak.' 

Most people, especially younger folks, think that when they're starting their career, they 

have to be hard-nosed to charge ahead and to step on others to get to where they're going, 

and you really don't. It's remarkable to think about. We all stand on the shoulders of giants. 

That's how we are here today, and I'd like to ask you all for a final call to action. What 

would that be? 

Antonis Menegas: I will continue with what has been discussed so far, and these are all very 

important messages. Leadership counts very much, and we see it today in our world. Great 

leaders have a responsibility to create new leaders. We need to empower people, and I'm 

very lucky to have benefited from a culture of empowerment. We need to place trust in 

people. There's a huge amount of untapped human potential that can move this world 

forward. 

As you said, kindness is a sign of strength. We need to have these characteristics: empathy, 

active listening, instilling trust, empowering people. This way, you'll see literal miracles 

happening; I truly believe that. I've seen how people can rise up: underdogs, people that you 

didn't think could reach a stage if they weren't given an opportunity. We need to be an 

inclusive community. We need to provide opportunities to people that society hasn't given 

them. We have all benefited from being on this stage, and it's our responsibility to give back 

as well. 




Angelos Pangratis Grigoris Zarotiadis Avraam Zelilides 

With Former EU Ambassador Angelos Pangratis, Professor at the Aristotle 

University of Thessaloniki Grigoris Zarotiadis, and Professor Avraam 

Zelilides of The University of Patras 


View the entire Summit here 

Ideagen 

Angelos Pangratis: We covered, to some extent, this issue of the economic importance of 

the potential Greek oil reserves, and I think Professor Zelilides' answer is very clear. He 

believes, and I would agree with a high degree of certainty, that such reserves exist. 

Professor Zarotiadis could you tell us the thoughts you have on the issue of potential 

exploitation of such reserves by Greece? Any thoughts, doubts, questions, or hesitations 

from your side? 

Professor Grigoris Zarotiadis: I can't argue with the estimations of Professor Zelilides in 

regard to the extent and size of the exploitable reserves, being either natural gas or petrol 

in the areas that are under the control of the Greek state. However, what I can argue 

about is the economic effect, how this resolves, considering the size of the reserves, and 

how the exploitation of these reserves could affect the Greek economy. To do this, I 

would like to highlight three important points. 




Grigoris: First, who has the right to exploit these reserves as the main benefactor financially 

speaking? This is a question that has to do with how the Greek state would, hypothetically, 

be able to negotiate with foreign investors and how they would exploit the reserves. It's a 

matter of negotiation with big companies, and it has to be considered. There are examples 

internationally of great economic effectiveness and great economic benefit from this, but 

this does not necessarily mean that it will stay within the country. 

The other two arguments, in a way, are related to the Mediterranean version of the socalled 

"Dutch Disease Case." This is something I, among other colleagues and analysts, 

have contributed to, and two additional potential negative spillovers need to be considered. 

This has to do with the fact that the Mediterranean is not the same case as the North Sea or 

other seas where exploitation has been extremely beneficial. Two factors, the so-called 

"Clean Costs" and the "Dealing Costs," of which I would like to have the opinion of 

Professor Zelilides. What we mean by Clean Costs is the assessment of potential negative 

effects that the exploitation of large amounts of hydrocarbons could create in terms of 

fishery, tourism in the coastal areas, agricultural production, etc. This is the problem with 

respect to the so-called "Cleaning Costs" in case there are any problems affecting the 

environmental production and condition of those sectors. Dealing Costs are even more 

interesting in a way because these rely on a geopolitical agreement on which country and 

which state has rights in a specific area. This Dealing Cost can be very high because this 

type of agreement involves military and diplomatic variables that can create problems. 

As far as I understood, many of the areas mentioned by Professor Zelilides are areas where 

it is clear who has jurisdiction over these areas. We are not discussing other reserves like in 

the eastern part of the Mediterranean where, if we accept it or not, there is a big dispute on 

who has what rights regarding the reserves. If I understood correctly, in the areas that you 

mentioned, Avraam, the dealing cost wouldn't be so high because the possibility of the 

Greek state controlling them is given. If this is the case, it takes the Dealing Cost question 

out of the discussion in these areas. 

Angelos: Professor Zelilides, in addition to the questions of Professor Zarotiadis, could you 

also touch on what you would like the ideal policy of the Greek government to be? What 

should our national policy towards the exploration of hydrocarbons and particularly 

natural gas be? 




Professor Avraam Zelilides: I'll go one by one. First of all, we are talking about the sea. We 

are not talking about agriculture. Yes, we agree that we have to protect our fish, but look 

previously where the fish increased. 

Grigoris: How should tourism in coastal areas be resolved as well? 

Avraam: If you go to Thasos and Kavala, you will see that every day, many boats go 

around the fishing platforms. Also, I would like to inform you that many countries tried to 

buy old platforms because at the base of the platforms there are an increasing number of 

fishing developments. I think that Greece will follow the laws of European Communities, 

but look around at places like Libya, Egypt, Israel, Albania, and Montenegro. They don't 

follow any rules, and they have no accidents. Why should you refuse to explore the 

hydrocarbons in Greece because you believe that perhaps you will have an accident that 

could destroy fish populations? There haven't been any accidents with more than 200 wells 

around the southeast Mediterranean. 

We are not in North Europe; we are in the Mediterranean. Within the last 15 years, new 

laws have been implemented that say how we will get money from the hydrocarbons, what 

the cost is, and what belongs to the government. This number is between 40 and 50%, 

depending on if the well is expensive, in deep waters, etc. If we agree that we are looking for 

natural gas in the area of Exxon Mobil, then we have to believe that the target is huge. The 

reservoirs are very rich in hydrocarbons. 

We need new resources. We need wind, we need solar and photovoltaics, but all this can 

follow the path of other successful countries. Australia, China, and others try to have new 

resources, but they don't cut coal. They don't cut hydrocarbons. There are many 

corporations within these countries looking for hydrocarbons. I believe that it is difficult to 

go down this middle road, but we have to follow the middle road because Greece has a lot 

of economic problems, and hydrocarbons can help solve these problems without destroying 

the environment, without destroying the mountains, and without destroying the land. 


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Establishing Optimal 

Relationships Within the 

European Union 


With Former EU 

Commissioner and 

Mayor of Athens, 


& 

Alexandros Costopoulos, 

Founder & CEO of 

Foresight 

Alexandros Costopoulos 

Watch the Interview Here: 

More from Foresight Here: 

Foresight 

Alexandros Costopoulos: When describing Europe, you mentioned that we haven't yet 

reached an optimal level of relationship between all the member states. Are you optimistic 

that in the future, Europe can find a way to reach that point? 

Dimitris Avramopoulos: It depends on our leadership. How do they perceive this 

relationship? That's why before, I referred to the fact that our generations had this vision 

to deliver what they believe, that everything is for granted. No, we have to take lessons 

from the past. We know that during the last two centuries the United States and 

European Union were together. Yes, we have entered a new period. It's good to mention 

and underline how important it is that the new zones of influence around the world have 

started being shaped. 

Europe has made it very clear, yes, we have external relations with all parts of the world, 

but our strategic partners and historical partners are the Americans. This relationship can 

even influence American policy towards other regions of the world. It has to be more 

interactive, and once it is, it's a win-win situation. 


Establishing Optimal Relationships Within the European Union 

Dimitris: Europe has become one of the most powerful economic powers in the world, 

but the Europeans, so far, have not managed to make Europe a powerful geopolitical 

factor, such as the United States. We can complete each other by being positive in this 

globalized world. 

I don't like using the term globalization because globalization is done. It has been 

achieved. We have to talk about globality whether we want to admit it or not; this is the 

reality of today. Yes, we have to think nationally and locally, but at the same time, we 

have to start thinking globally. The Europeans have a historical background, and The 

United States of America has been a global power during the last century. They have to 

establish a dialogue positively, given what is happening in Central Europe, Ukraine, and 

other parts of the world, to avoid the unthinkable. Because if it happens, I don't want to 

refer to that. 


P O S I T I O N I N G A H I 

F O R T H E N E X T 5 0 

Y E A R S 

WITH NICK LARIGAKIS, PRESIDENT OF THE 

AMERICAN HELLENIC INSTITUE 

American Hellenic 

Institute 

Nick Larigakis, AHI 

George Sifakis: This year, AHI reached an incredibly impressive 50-year milestone. I know 

there are many, but what are a few key takeaways from the past 50 years of AHI's existence 

that you can articulate to our global audience, and then, how are you positioning AHI for the 

next 50? 

Nick Larigakis: It's important to have organizations like AHI, which are based here in 

Washington, D.C., the center of power and where policy is made, to advocate for the issues 

regarding the Eastern Mediterranean. AHI's role has been critical, and both sides of the Atlantic 

have expressed that to me in private and also in the public domain regarding the role of AHI 

and strengthening the US/Greece relationship. We do it as American citizens and what we 

believe is in the best interest of the United States, but also for the interests of our ancestral 

homelands of Greece and Cyprus to create a bond between these countries. AHI is a catalyst 

and a driving force, working to the best of our abilities, but with a little bit more resources, I 

believe we could be doing a lot more. Be it as it may, I've always felt like Greece punches 

above its weight, and AHI has punched above its weight. 

It's not just a matter of the policy development that we advocate for and the dialogue and 

legislation that we've introduced on Capitol Hill. One example of AHI's impact was the arms 

embargo by the legendary founder of AHI, Gene Rossides. Working with a large cross-section 

of the Greek American community at the time, we were successful in passing an arms embargo 

on Turkey back in 1975. You need a professional organization to be here, to listen, to engage, 

to advocate, and frankly, to keep policymakers' feet on the fire and remind them of the realities 

that exist in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of who is doing what to promote US interest 

and who is not but is called a NATO ally. 


P O S I T I O N I N G A H I F O R T H E N E X T 5 0 Y E A R S 

Nick: Another area we've targeted is outreach and education for the next generation of Greek 

American leaders. We have a very successful student foreign policy trip, which I just 

concluded, the 16th such trip. I had the honor and pleasure to squire 11 highly motivated and 

intelligent Greek-American students to the region and introduce them to the issues that we 

advocate for so we can create ambassadors and advocates for these issues moving forward. 

Unfortunately, there's a lot of misunderstanding and unawareness regarding many of the issues, 

even within our own Greek-American community, and that's a challenge we need to overcome 

as we move into the future. 

As you said, this is our 50th Anniversary at AHI, and I've been here for the last 37 years. I've 

been blessed, and as I look into the future and the next 50 years, I want to be able to bring in 

and mentor individuals who can continue the cause. Those who will continue to advocate on 

the issues and bring in their own vision of what we should be doing and how to do it. No one 

person has a monopoly on how the best way to do something. I've always said that we all have 

expiration dates, and although I still have a ways to go, at some point, you have to start 

molding, educating, and mentoring the next leaders of this organization to be able to take AHI 

into the 21st century. 


Editor's Note 

It's been an epic year for Ideagen Global as we come together to build 

partnerships that drive global change. 

We're witnessing remarkable trends, from groundbreaking advancements 

in technology to inspiring progress in sustainability. The world is 

evolving at a rapid pace, with AI and virtual experiences becoming more 

accessible and impactful, including innovations from ChatGPT and 

OpenAI. 

Looking ahead, we're energized by the opportunities 2025 will bring. 

Highlights include the launch of the weekly Catalyze Impact Podcast and 

the upcoming Global Leadership Summit in January. We remain deeply 

committed to fostering partnerships to advance the UN SDGs and to 

empower the next generation of global leaders. 

Together, let’s continue our work to build a brighter, more sustainable 

future. The Best is Indeed Yet To Be! 

GEORGE SIFAKIS 

GEORGE SIFAKIS 

Editor-in-Chief & CEO 

-Ideagen 

CATALYZE MAGAZINE | 25 

DANIEL KERNS 

Senior Editor 

ALEXA SIFAKIS 

Publication Co-Editor 

Pictured Top to Bottom 

Phyllis Ferrell, DAC 

The Daughters of Penelope 

Jeff Terry, GAF

Ideagen Global - Catalyze Magazine - Fall 2024

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