Latest News

February 10, 2024
Press release for the first network of bicycle-friendly cultural venues in Athens

Wanna cycle into history and art? The first network of bicycle-friendly cultural venues in Athens is underway for the many bike aficionados out there!

The “Cycle into History and Art” program comes to enhance urban cycling, filling an important gap in the city as each venue will now host specially designed, secure bicycle parking spaces, offering a solution to the ones who would like to use their bike to visit the site. Through the creation of a network of such spaces, cultural routes will then be established, which Athenians and visitors alike can follow.

Prominent destinations of cultural interest have already entered the network such as the National Gallery, the Benaki Museum (Pireos 138), the Kypseli Municipal Market, the Athens Municipal Arts Center, the Melina Cultural Center, the Museum of Folk Art and Tradition Angeliki Hatzimichali, the Plato’s Academy Digital Museum and the Municipal Gallery of Athens. And the list will grow, so stay tuned!

The initiative belongs to Cities for Cycling and is implemented with the sponsorship of our Foundation.

January 20, 2024
Applications are open for the Ecotourism & Natural Disaster Management program "Olympus 2024"

We would like to share with you an interesting new experience for social contribution and personal development!

Ecogenia – the nonprofit organization that mobilizes young people through community service projects to promote sustainable development and climate action in Greece – is currently in the process of finding the next team for their upcoming project on Mount Olympus.

With the motto "You offer – You’re trained – You get paid", Ecogenia invites you to a hybrid 14-week program on ecotourism and natural disaster management in Litochoro and the wider Olympus area.

Applications will be open from January 15 to February 25, 2024. You can find the full description of the program and job position here.

December 10, 2023
Dimitris Georgakopoulos' interview at Capital.gr

Here’s a new interview of the President and Co-founder of Helidoni, Dimitris Georgakopoulos, to Capital.gr. Dimitris is unfolding his life’s roadmap from the time he was studying in the U.S. till today. He talks to Eleftheria Piperopoulou about his major milestones;

◽ the establishment of Buildium and the 15-year course until its acquisition

◽ the creation of Outseta – an experiment in organizational design and purpose at the startup ecosystem

◽ his return to Greece, the impact investments through Zeno Capital and the philanthropic work of Helidoni Foundation.

To read the interview, click here.

November 15, 2023
Ecogenia is heading to Mt. Olympus and invites us to help them reach the peak

In Spring 2024, the Ecogenia team will again be putting boots on the ground to lead their first disaster management pilot. This project will combine ecotourism program impact (trail maintenance and revitalization work) with disaster management (wildfire fuel reduction, fire breaks, community engagement). Litochoro will serve as the homebase for the project and will include work in the foothills of Mt. Olympus National Park.

Ecogenia’s next cohort members will be equipped with the essential skills in order to support local efforts in ecotourism infrastructure projects, as well as implementing community-based disaster preparedness and prevention.

The program is part of a strategic partnership with the U.S. Embassy Athens and in collaboration with the California Conservation Corps and the Dion-Olympus Municipality. For the month of November, Ecogenia has set out to raise €15.000 through their #PathToOlympus campaign. Every contribution, big or small, will take them closer to their goals for a resilient Greece and a protected Mt. Olympus!

https://ecogenia.org/donate/

November 5, 2023
"Close the Food Cycle" by InCommOn: outcomes and impact at a glance

The results of the first "Close the Food Cycle" pilot, a program designed and implemented by InCommOn, are very encouraging in terms of its impact to the local community (see relevant post).

The project aimed to inform and activate the citizens, businesses, students and local authority of Papagou-Holargos around the proper management of food waste, so as to gradually shift them towards adopting the separation-at-source habit and the use/expansion of the brown bin network.

The ICO team tested different tools and actions from a wide range of activities to explore what works best and concluded to a guide that can be applied on organic waste (and possibly other recycling streams as well) and be replicated to other Municipalities.

A big thanks to InCommOn for contributing to the transition to a more circular everyday life for all, through a series of inspired and effective programs!