In the context of a set of actions that aim at enhancing the extroversion and internationalization, of Eurobank’s Innovative Youth Entrepreneurship Program, “egg - enter•grow•go”, a series of informative meetings with outstanding members of the global academic community were held at the egg Programme's premises at Athens.
“Egg - enter•grow•go” welcomed in September Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Dean of G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University in Toronto who has served as Minister of Immigration Policy in Ontario Government. She was toured through the Programme’s premises and met 13 entrepreneurial teams & Residents of Egg’s 5th cycle who presented their business ideas to Dr. Bountrogianni.
In addition and in the context of the informative meetings that take place at Egg, 30 post–graduate students from University of Washington, based in Seattle, and their Associate Professor Mr. Dick Moxon, also visited egg Programme's premises and had the chance to meet with more than 10 of Egg’s start – up companies.
Dr. M. Bountrogianni, with origins from Hania – Crete, was updated by Mr. Sotiris Sirmakezis, Eurobank’s General Manager, Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer, who was accompanied by executives of “egg - enter•grow•go” and of Eurobank’s Innovation Center. She was informed about the results of Egg’s four cycles, of the constant effort that Eurobank makes in order to support and develop youth entrepreneurship in Greece, and she recognized the pioneering character of the start – up ecosystem and the high level of the resident teams.
In this context, the possibility of synergies between egg - enter•grow•go and G. Raymond School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University in Toronto was explored as well as the possibility of organizing a business mission for egg’s start – up companies to Toronto and the creation of an exchange program among students and young entrepreneurs, by egg - enter•grow•go and G. Raymond School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University.
Toronto is considered to be Canada’s largest ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship and ranks 8th in the list of the top 100 Innovation Centers, globally.
The second visit at “egg - enter•grow•go” was made by 30 post- graduate students University of Washington based in Seattle, who were accompanied by Associate Professor Dick Moxon. They visited egg’s premises and met with more than 10 egg’s start – up companies, giving the opportunity to the young entrepreneurs to present their ideas, in front of a familiar and demanding audience and get feedback about the innovation and the commercialization possibilities of their ideas. Dr. Dick Moxon and the post – graduate students showed great enthusiasm about the
Programme’s effectiveness, the teams’ dynamism and their remarkable ideas. They focused
especially on the range of sectors and markets that are covered by egg’s activity and they noted that
the experience that they have now, after this visit, overrules the perception that prevails abroad for
Greece in crisis.
At this meeting the possibility of egg’s cooperation with University of Washington through
training programs with Seattle’s start – up ecosystem, was discussed. Egg aims to offer to its teams
the possibility to get pro bono training in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship and provide
connection opportunities with big companies like Amazon, trip advisor etc.
Seattle is the rising force in the field of youth innovative entrepreneurship, ranking 8th in the
global list of start – up ecosystems.
In the context of enhancing its extroversion, egg sent a mission of ten selected business teams to
Boston, at the beginning of 2017. The teams attended a training program at “StartMIT”, got
mentoring from top academics and visited technology companies that are active in their fields of
interest.
