Mike Manatos has spent his entire professional and personal life working with the global Greek diaspora and promoting Hellenism and Orthodoxy around the world. Having worked closely with the most successful and philanthropic diaspora Greeks, many of whom serve on the THI Board, he brings to THI unique and valuable experience, relationships and passion.

Mike has served on the Boards of numerous Greek and non-Greek nonprofits including: the Executive Boards of Leadership 100 and the National Hellenic Society; the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; and the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as Committee Chair, among others. He co-founded and served as Executive Director of the Washington Oxi Day Foundation, creating the world-renowned OXI Courage Awards and Service Awards. He served as Chairman of the Board of Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic where he has been involved in various capacities for over 26 years and has personally raised over $2 million for the Foundation and granted the wishes of over 250 children.

Mike most recently served as President of Manatos & Manatos where he worked for 35 years. He is the 3rd generation of a family that has been firmly embedded in US policy-making in Washington DC for now 90 years.

Honors he has received include: the inaugural “Philotimo Award” from the Hellenic Hearts Foundation; the inaugural “Parents of the Year” Award (with his wife Laura) from the Loukoumi Foundation; one of Washington Life magazine’s “Philanthropic 50”; one of “DC’s most powerful siblings” by Politico.

Mike has lived in the Washington, D.C. area all of his life. He is married to Laura Evans Manatos, an 18-year anchor and reporter for Fox 5 News in Washington, D.C., and currently CEO of Laura Evans Media – a progressive PR firm.  They have three children – Sienna (20), Andrea (18) and Lucas (15) – and are extremely close to their family, many of whom live on their same street.  A fitness fanatic and self-proclaimed work out nut, Mike has raced in more than 50 triathlons and carried the Olympic Torch for the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece.

Nick Tsismenakis brings more than two decades of senior financial leadership experience across nonprofit organizations, public accounting, and complex multi-entity operations. As Director of Finance at The Hellenic Initiative, he oversees financial operations, reporting, budgeting, audit coordination, and internal controls in support of THI’s mission and its global philanthropic activities.

Throughout his career, Nick has worked closely with executive leadership teams and boards to help organizations achieve financial excellence, institutional discipline, and long-term sustainability. His experience spans strengthening financial governance, improving operational effectiveness, and ensuring transparent stewardship of resources in mission-driven environments.

In addition to his role at THI, Nick is the founder and principal of a New York–based CPA practice providing advisory, forensic financial, and outsourced CFO services to nonprofit organizations, government-related entities, and closely held businesses. Nick is deeply committed to service and philanthropy. He serves on the board of PGA HOPE, a national initiative that uses the game of golf to positively impact the lives of military veterans and save lives by supporting their physical, emotional, and social well-being.

A Service-Disabled Veteran of the United States Navy, Nick served honorably on active duty with multiple overseas deployments. His responsibilities included managing mission-critical systems supporting operational readiness and effective execution. His military experience instilled a strong foundation of accountability, teamwork, and sound judgment under pressure that continues to shape his professional and service-oriented leadership.

Nick has been married to his wife Demetra for over 25 years. He lives in Manhasset NY with their two daughters, Mirianthi and Antonia, and is actively involved with his family in the Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox community in Port Washington. Family, faith, and service remain central to their lives.

Christina Maroulis is Director of Operations at The Hellenic Initiative, where she leads organizational operations, internal systems, and cross-functional execution, ensuring alignment between strategy and implementation. She plays a central role in overseeing high-impact initiatives across fundraising, programs, events, and governance, and has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s operational framework during periods of growth and transition.

With a strong background in operations, organizational management, and strategic execution, Christina brings a disciplined, results-driven approach to building scalable processes, driving accountability, and supporting informed decision-making at the organizational level. She is deeply committed to advancing impactful initiatives for Greece through operational excellence and long-term organizational stewardship.

Valentini Gkonou is a strategy and growth leader with experience across global consulting and multinational organizations. Her work is shaped by a longstanding interest in the intersection of international affairs, business, and mission-driven organizations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Tufts University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

She began her career at The Coca-Cola Company, where she held regional strategy and brand leadership roles, leading innovation, consumer insight, and long-term growth initiatives across Central and Eastern Europe. She later worked at McKinsey & Company in New York, advising Fortune 100 clients across consumer goods, telecommunications, shipping, nonprofit and other sectors on growth strategy and large-scale transformation. Throughout this period, she remained closely connected to Greece and contributed strategic and analytical support to The Hellenic Initiative’s work.

Valentini currently serves as Strategy Director of The Hellenic Initiative, where she helps shape the organization’s long-term strategic direction and advance initiatives that strengthen the economic opportunity and impact in Greece.

Evana Pliakos has built her career around designing mission-driven experiences that bring people together with intention. As Director of Events at The Hellenic Initiative, she works with leadership, donors, and community members to convene the global Greek diaspora in support of philanthropy and initiatives that invest in the future of Greece. Deeply connected to Hellenism, she approaches each gathering as an opportunity to strengthen relationships, build trust, and advance the organization’s mission through thoughtful, well-executed programs.

Prior to joining THI, Evana worked in marketing and consulting roles, most recently as Marketing Manager at Objective Partners, where she supported six related staffing and recruiting businesses. Partnering closely with senior leadership, she helped clarify brand positioning, grow audience engagement, and support business goals through clear communication and storytelling. Her experience includes branding, digital content, and campaign planning, and she has remained actively involved in nonprofit work. Evana is also committed to teaching and knowledge-sharing and has guest lectured at Loyola University Chicago, led personal branding workshops, and participated in panels focused on career and business development.

Evana is based in Chicago and remains actively involved in philanthropic and cultural initiatives within the Greek-American community, including teaching Greek to young children. Outside of work, she enjoys playing the piano, tennis, and traveling, experiences that continue to shape her appreciation for culture, connection, and global perspective.

Xeni Kouveli is a Creative Consultant and a Digital Creator, specializing in visual storytelling, with experience across brand image, content direction, and aesthetic strategy. She brings a refined eye for detail and a strong understanding of visual identity to create cohesive, modern narratives that elevate both personal and commercial brands. 

With studies in graphic and web design, Xeni has more than 10 years of experience in social media management and content creation, and has been recognized as an award-winning blogger for her impact in the digital space in 2018 by Marie Claire magazine in Greece.

Alongside her creative work, Xeni has contributed to the non-profit sector through her involvement with The Hellenic Initiative, where she supported purpose-driven projects through creative thinking, communication, and visual direction. She has designed and contributed to several successful fundraising campaigns, helping raise awareness and engage broader audiences through social media. She combines creativity with cultural awareness and social sensitivity, offering a thoughtful, strategic approach to consulting that balances impact, authenticity, and style.

Results-driven marketing and communications professional with over a decade of experience leading high-impact digital and social media campaigns across global markets. With a degree in Marketing Communications from DEREE – The American College of Greece and advanced summer coursework in Marketing, Advertising, and Video Production at Yale University, Tania combines strategic thinking with strong creative execution.

Her professional background spans agency, freelance, and in-house environments, including roles at Ogilvy and Millennial Marketing Agency, where she managed strategy, content creation, budgeting, reporting, and optimization for major international brands in travel, FMCG, luxury, and automotive sectors such as Aegean Airlines, Mondelez, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo.

As the founder of welovegreece_, a high-growth Instagram platform with over 130k followers, Tania also brings firsthand creator and influencer insight, helping brands connect authentically with audiences through strategic storytelling and innovative digital experiences.

Having graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Industrial Design (’01), John has specialized in providing design services ranging from logos, invitations, reports, newsletters, backdrops, websites, meeting collateral, decor, photography and much more. Through his photography, John has been given the extraordinary privilege to capture historic moments in the life of the Church, most notably during official visits to the Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Moscow, Georgia, as well as the Churches of Greece, Poland, Czech Lands and Slovakia, Finland and Ukraine.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to New York in 2001 and has used his talents to serve the needs of the Orthodox Christian community at-large for nearly 20 years. He and his wife, Angelika, now raise their family in Cleveland and continues to be involved in Church administration and design.