Five years after his first International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) experience, Dimitris Kalavros-Gousiou will return to the United States as a “Gold Star” IVLP alumnus.
Dimitris is the Founder and Curator of TEDxAthens, one of Greece’s most popular youth-oriented conferences that attract more than 2,000 attendees each year. He’s worked in the startup world, establishing his own startup accelerator, Found.ation, as well as a venture capital fund. These endeavors support young entrepreneurs, refugees and members of minority groups. His 2013 IVLP addressing social entrepreneurship was instrumental to his success, providing the contacts and ideas needed to further his career.
During his return trip to the United States, Dimitris will speak at the 'Diplomacy Begins Here' summit on September 19 at the Texas State Capital building, a Global Ties U.S. initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The single-day event will also include presentations by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk.
Throughout his travels to Austin, Denver, and San Francisco, Dimitris will engage with successful entrepreneurs and innovators in sectors such as high tech, new media, retail, and consumer services to exchange best practices and develop more effective public-private partnerships.
Follow Dimitris’ journey on Facebook and Twitter at @StateIVLP.
