About the speakers & moderator 

Marilena Antoniadou

Dr. Marilena Antoniadou is an accomplished academic leader, consultant, and business coach with extensive experience in higher education, particularly in managing education strategies and fostering employability. Currently serving as the Associate Dean of Education and Employability at the School of Business and Economics of the American College of Greece, she oversees academic programs, curriculum development, faculty development, and employability initiatives. Her leadership emphasizes bridging the gap between academia and industry, equipping students with practical skills for successful careers.

Previously, Marilena held significant roles at Manchester Metropolitan University, including Director of Education for the Faculty of Business and Law, where she spearheaded initiatives to enhance student satisfaction, retain triple accreditation, and elevate global rankings. Her teaching and research interests lie in organizational behavior, workplace emotions, and education for sustainable development, with numerous publications in academic journals.

Marilena’s professional journey reflects her passion for driving positive change in education. A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an active member of professional bodies, she has led innovative projects, secured research funding, and contributed to curriculum development internationally. Holding a PhD in Organizational Behavior and several postgraduate degrees, she is dedicated to developing inclusive, collaborative environments that inspire growth and learning.

Vanessa Archontidou

Vanessa Archontidou is a Greek alpinist, sustainability advocate, and communications strategist who brings together high-altitude achievement with leadership, business insight, and social impact.

In the spring of 2019, she became a member of the first Greek women’s mountaineering team to summit Mt. Everest — a defining milestone within her successful completion of the 7 Summits, having climbed the highest peak on each continent of the world.

Parallel to her mountaineering path, Vanessa has built a 20+ year career in Marketing and Strategic Communications, holding senior executive roles in multinational organizations. Today, she works as a Communications and Sustainability Consultant, advising organizations on purpose-driven branding, stakeholder engagement, ESG positioning, and impact storytelling.

Her leadership philosophy is deeply influenced by the mountains — environments where risk management, adaptability, and trust are essential. Since 2004, she has been an active member of the Athenian Mountaineering Association (AOS), completing professional training in climbing and winter mountaineering. As a certified Mountain Leader and Managing Director of Up&Out Elite Adventures, she designs and leads expeditions, outdoor leadership experiences, and corporate nature-based programs across Greece and internationally.

In 2020, she founded AWomanCanBe.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women’s leadership and inclusion through initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with particular emphasis on Climate Action and sustainable development.

Since 2021, Vanessa has served as an EU Climate Pact Ambassador, leveraging her dual expertise in communication and exploration to develop awareness campaigns, partnerships, and community engagement initiatives that support Europe’s climate transition.

Rania Assariotaki

Rania Assariotaki is Director of the Office of Sustainability at The American College of Greece, where she leads institutional strategies on environmental responsibility, social impact, and education for sustainable development. With over 15 years of experience in sustainability leadership in higher education, she promotes sustainability culture, human rights, and inclusive institutional change. She serves as Vice President of the Board of Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), supporting the global advancement of sustainability in higher education, and is an EU Climate Pact Ambassador for Greece. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of Lean In Network Greece, contributing to women’s leadership and empowerment initiatives. She actively participates in national and international sustainability and corporate responsibility networks, including CSR Hellas, United Nations Global Compact, and American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. Through her work, she fosters collaboration between education, business, and society to advance sustainable development, social justice, and gender equality.

Haris Daskalothanasis

Harillaos (Haris) Daskalothanasis is Executive Director of Outreach and Retention at Deree – The American College of Greece. Previously he served as head of International Student Services and as director of Media Relations. He joined ACG in 2003 following a 14-year career as a reporter and editor in New York City. He grew up in Athens and studied at Queens College of the City University of New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics. His main interests are history, literature and writing.

 

Maria Giannaki

Dr. Maria Giannaki–Arapaki is a board-certified Dermatologist–Venereologist and holds a PhD from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She completed her specialization at the renowned “Andreas Syggros” Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases in Athens, gaining extensive clinical expertise across the full spectrum of medical and aesthetic dermatology. She has actively participated in numerous national and international dermatology conferences, continuously advancing her knowledge and staying at the forefront of scientific and technological developments in her field. She specializes in advanced acne therapies and scar management, offering evidence-based, personalized treatment plans tailored to both adolescents and adults. Driven by a commitment to clinical excellence and personalized patient care, Dr. Giannaki–Arapaki founded Dermamedic clinic, a leading dermatology center located at 1 Chalandriou Street & Mesogeion Avenue, Agia Paraskevi. Her practice combines advanced technology with a refined, patient-centered approach, delivering innovative treatments designed to achieve long-term, natural-looking results. With a passion for healthy, radiant skin and comprehensive dermatologic wellness, she delivers care that balances medical precision with aesthetic artistry.

Vasiliki Kapari

Vasiliki Kapari is a senior HR professional with studies in International Relations and HR Management. She has acquired 21 years of professional experience in HR across various industries, including Technology, Wellness, and FMCG, and speaks five languages. Vasiliki has held both local and global roles in multinational and Greek enterprises, showcasing her versatility, expertise, and transformational leadership skills. For the last 15 years, she has been passionate about Corporate Responsibility and Organizational Citizenship Behavior, actively contributing to these areas within companies and through participation in organizations and forums. Her extensive experience and dedication to fostering a positive organizational culture make her a valuable asset to Wella Company and a respected leader in the HR community.

Helena Maragou

Helena Maragou has served as Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the American College of Greece since 2016. She previously served as Director of the International Honors Program from 2012 to 2017.

She holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A. in English from Kent State University, and a B.A. in English from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Her teaching has focused on American literature and culture, nineteenth-century English literature, literary theory, and drama. Her scholarly work includes refereed journal articles and presentations at international conferences on U.S. minority literatures, women’s literature, nineteenth-century American literature, and pedagogy in American Studies.

Sofia Papadopoulou

Sofia Papadopoulou OLY is an Olympic Bronze Medalist in Sailing (Beijing 2008) and a high-performance coach. She holds degrees in Sports Science and Olympic Education and is currently pursuing a PhD in Sport Management, with research focused on gender equality, leadership, sport governance and gender equality. She also remains an active athlete, competing nationally and internationally alongside a para-sailing athlete.

She serves in international governance roles with World Sailing as Vice Chair of the Regional Games Committee and a member of the Youth Events Committee, and sits on the Marketing Committee of the Hellenic Olympic Committee. Sofia leads the Hellenic Sailing Federation’s “Ιστιοπλοΐα Γένους Θηλυκού – Women in Sailing” program—finalist at the World Sailing Impact Awards 2025—and founded SailFem, an empowerment initiative for women sailing coaches, internationally recognized through the Anita White Fund (2023) and implemented with the support of The American College of Greece (Deree). She was also the first international female sailor selected for the WISH (Women in Sport High Performance Pathway) program, supported by IOC Olympic Solidarity, World Sailing, Hellenic Olympic Committee & Hellenic Sailing Federation, and she is a Magenta Project Mentor and a frequent speaker in Greece and internationally.

Through SailSofia her website platform, she translates elite sport and research into real-world impact—developing and delivering education and mentoring programs, and EU-aligned initiatives that support athletes, coaches, and sport organizations to build stronger, more inclusive pathways in sailing and other sports, anchored in Olympic values.