The National Herald and The Hellenic Initiative have begun a partnership to introduce the NEXTGEN of Greek/Cypriot ‘movers and shakers’ to the rest of our Community around the world. Established to inform its readers about all things related to our homeland and its respective communities throughout the world, TNH is now providing THI’s New Leaders (40-years-old and younger), with a new platform to showcase their ideas and to engage their communities in a deeper, more meaningful way while simultaneously building a bridge to Greece and Cyprus. Our next featured New Leader is Eugene Theodore. Get to know him below!

Last Name, First Name

• Theodore, Eugene

Alma mater?

• University of St Andrews

What city do you live in?

• Geneva

Where in Greece are you from?

• Patra/Epirus

Occupation?

• Storytelling Consultant

What motivated you to get involved with THI?

• The legacy THI has already created is astounding. And as THI enters its second decade, a time where Greece and Greeks find themselves with new challenges, I want to commit my experience and resources to making a difference where it matters.

What do you hope to achieve through THI?

• Firstly, improve THI’s storytelling abilities -capturing and promoting the amazing work THI does to create even more opportunities to have an impact. Secondly, exponentially improve THI’s impact within the entrepreneurial spheres to transform Greece into the worldwide player it deserves to be.

Favorite activity to take part in where you live?

• Street Photography. It allows me to combine my love for photographing architecture and urban landscapes while meeting new people with amazing stories to set against these backdrops.

Favorite place to take your non-Greek friends when they visit you in Greece?

• There is a sea cave at the bottom of the cliffs of Sounio. You take an unmarked path down from the Temple of Poseidon and soon find yourself in a glistening cave where the sound of the sea hypnotizes you as the sun sets in front of you.

Go-to Greek dish/drink when you’re missing the homeland?

• Bamies Laderes with Feta

Favorite Greek product you can find outside of Greece?

• Pavlidis Bitter Chocolate

Top three people of Greek/Cypriot descent you admire?

1. Tina Fey
2. Peter Diamandis
3. Vangelis

In addition to THI, how are you involved in/help the Greek/Cypriot community?

• I work in the start-up tech space with the Greek Diaspora abroad but also with first-time Founders in Greece to nurture businesses which can positively impact Greece, Greeks, and humanity at large.

What is the biggest crisis Greece/Cyprus faces today?

• The schizophrenic identity of who and what Greece is today, and what it needs to be (which in fact means what we used to be). We have great roots, but they need to be replanted and given a chance to grow again in the right way.

One piece of advice an elder has given you that has proved invaluable?

• Be able to sit at the same table with a king and a pauper, and treat them both the same.

Favorite quote from a Greek philosopher?

• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

One Greek/Cypriot tradition you’ll never stop keeping?

• Making Melomakarona for Christmas and red eggs (complete with stickers and decorations) for Easter.

How has your Hellenic background helped shape who you are today?

• New York city is a diaspora of the world -making it both exciting to meet new people and cultures but also harder to connect given the widely varied range of views and beliefs. My Hellenic heritage guided me through as I learned about our history, our culture, our beliefs, and our philosophies. They truly shaped the way I think, the way I interact with others, the way I deal with problems and shape opportunities. ‘Philotimo’ is but one simple, powerful, principle I live by, but there are dozens of others, too.

Life Motto?

• “Find the path that helps you climb, or spend your whole life on the ground.”