Imam Baildi is the first young Greek band that has managed to bring Greek music from the 40s, 50s and 60s to an audience around the world. Their music is based on remixing songs by legendary composers and singers, as well as combining them with new sounds and production techniques to make them contemporary.

As Criteria Entertainment brings the Sounds of Greece to SXSW for the first time with backing from leading green products company Earth Friendly Products and En Lefko radio, Imam Baildi is one of the acts selected to perform in Austin.

Initially formed by brothers Lysandros and Orestis Falireas, Imam Baildi expanded to include other members over the course of a few years. Since 2007, the band has released two albums that have been very succesful in Greece and received wide critical acclaim in Europe – both albums were in the top 10 on the European World Music Charts in 2009 and 2011.

We spoke to Lysandros about the band’s music as well as their first ever upcoming show in the U.S. at SXSW.

What inspires your music?

It’s really hard to define, but as we work mainly with old tunes, what inspires us is the fact that something composed 50 or more years ago manages to touch us still. Sometimes it’s the lyrics, sometimes it’s a melody or just the sound of these recordings that’s very moving, and we’ve seen it’s not just us, but also all the people who like our music. We’ve grown so accustomed to this way of working that even when we work on our compositions, we regard them as something written by someone else, and us as the guys who have to change it. When we come up with our own ideas for our tracks, we just let them sit for a month or so and then change them into something different just as we would do for a remix.

What can people expect from your performance at SxSW?

They can expect our best! It will be a very danceable show, especially since it’s only 40 minutes. We’ll be playing our finest and most danceable tracks. When making the tracks, we work more as producers and less as a band, meaning we let each track take its own course, and that’s why we incorporate many different styles. This is also true for our live performances. In SXSW, we’ll play several remixes from old Greek tunes, some of them have more hip-hop elements, some latin, some more electro, and also some Balkan music, which is also part of our shows. Our horn players come from Northern Greece, and they were playing these tunes in weddings and fairs ever since they were old enough to hold an instrument. It’s gonna be a band of six – drums, percussion, dj & bass, bouzouki, guitar, sax, 7 clarinette. Our singer, Rena, is infatuated with old-style singing, and our MC was born in Greece but has roots in Santo Domingo so he mixes all the vocal finesse of the Caribbean with the Greek elements. We’re preparing a massive sounding act, no time for relaxing parts in a 40 minute show, with lots of different styles that all have a common flavor, that of the old Greek recordings.

What does it mean for you to be able to perform at the music festival?

It means everything. Not only is it the first time we play in the States, but also probably the largest festival we’ve attended so far. We’ve performed in major European Festivals, such as Roskilde, Sziget or Lowlands, but they all seem miniscule compared to SXSW. It’s really a lifetime chance for us, and the feedback we have so far is very encouraging. Seems like people there are really going to enjoy it.

You have a Kickstarter to help with funding. How important is that for musicians like yourself?

Browsing Kickstarter and seeing all these great projects is great, we knew that already, but having your own project up there is something else! It’s not just about fundraising, but also very much about reaching out to people in a very direct and personal way. Just imagine waking up one morning, checking your email and seeing people you would never have known engaged to what you’re doing. Simply amazing. Also, the project guidelines oblige you to present your work in a very sincere and concise way. We’ve been trying to do it for 5 years now, and it just came out very natural when we made the Kickstarter video. We feel like we managed to say it all in just three minutes.

To get more on Imam Baildi, visit facebook.com/imambaildi, and their Kickstarter page.

Greek Reporter is an official Media Sponsor of “Sounds of Greece” at SxSW. Click HERE to visit our page dedicated to the initiative.

Stereo Mike, one of the Greek artists participating in the Sounds of Greece at SXSW event, talks about his success, as well as his upcoming performance in Austin.

This year marks the first time Greek music will have a presence at the hugely popular SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The event, which highlights music, film and interactive, has been the breaking ground for many up and coming artists and businesses.

Hollywood-based company Criteria Entertainment has put together a select group of Greek musicians for SXSW 2013, and Piraeus-born hip hop artist Stereo Mike is one of those talents. With major support from the leading green cleaning products manufacturer, Earth Friendly Products, and a newly formed Kickstarter page, the London-based Greek artist is heading to Austin in just a few weeks to perform for the first time in front of a U.S. audience as part of the Sounds of Greece @SXSW event.

It’s no surprise Stereo Mike was selected to participate in the festival. His strong fan base was a defining factor when he was voted the first ever Best Greek Act at the MTV EMA Awards in 2008. To add to his list of talents – including rapper and DJ – he is also a producer and teaches music production at a London university.

Greek Reporter caught up with Stereo Mike to talk about his success, as well as his upcoming performance at SXSW.

How excited are you to be performing for the first time in the U.S.?

Very excited. Not only because it’s the U.S., but also because it’s SXSW. I’ve reached as far as London…but this feels special.

What can someone expect from seeing your performance at SxSW?

They can expect to pretty much hear everything. I will be playing my own productions from the decks; I’ll be dj’ing them. I’ll be rapping, free-styling, and beat-boxing on top of that.

Because SXSW is so special and so big, I’m bringing Helena Micy, who’s a wonderful vocalist I recently started producing, and she’ll come and do a lot of my samples live. It’s going to be both of us onstage.

What do you hope the experience of SXSW will bring?

The most exciting thing for me is being there as a fan of music and technology. It’s double the pleasure to be there as a fan of arts and to be one of the people performing. It’s fantastic because a lot of my heroes in music started or became much bigger after SXSW performances. People like the Beastie Boys, that I absolutely adore, are very connected to SXSW.

The other thing is…I really do want to reach out to other artists as a producer and a songwriter.

How did you get started as a musician?

I was a classical piano player as a kid. By the age of 13-15, I started joining bands – more blues, rock bands – locally in Piraeus, in Athens. I just started playing a lot of old Doors and various equivalent of Greek blues bands and rock bands, so I was really a rock and blues keys player but then moved into synthesizers very quickly [and] electronic music.

A few years later, I came to study music technology in London; first in Leeds, in the U.K., and then I got a masters in audio production in London. Eventually that got me working in various hip hop studios…I ended up producing hip hop for other people, then doing it for myself and also teaching music production at the University where I graduated from.

Do you enjoy teaching?

It’s brilliant. It’s amazing to be teaching what you love doing, and vice versa.

Kickstarter is an outlet that helps raise awareness and funds for musicians, and is part of your journey to Austin. How important is social media for emerging artists?

I’ve totally embraced an online presence and digital media, and in my case, that was a necessity in the beginning because I was releasing records that I was producing with an international sound in London, but my lyrical act was mainly in Greek. So, from the very beginning, me living in London and releasing records in Greece meant that I had to fully embrace things.

Kickstarter is sort of a newer idea in the whole picture of digital media and online, but I think it’s a brilliant one because it allows a very direct way of communication to potential fans, or existing fans. You can come up with projects that would probably be delayed due to the formal mechanisms of going through a major label, and you can access your fan base very directly, and have a very direct method of giving them rewards, which are really our products.

Speaking of rewards, let’s talk about your MTV EMA award. You are the first winner in the Best Greek Act category.

Yes, that was nice. It was amazing…you know, we were a generation that definitely grew up with radio but also music television, so it was very important to me. Everything from early Beastie Boys videos to Nirvana. I remember crying in front of the screen when Kurt Cobain died, I was there with one of my best mates. We were very close to that. So, many, many years later, Greek MTV started in 2008. I was one of the first nominees, I was up against some big acts in Greece. I really didn’t think I was going to get it. I was so happy to be nominated on the newly formed Greek MTV, and then to hear that I won, I really didn’t believe it. I double checked with my manager, I triple checked the MTV website, but it seemed to be the case. I was sort of an emerging artist with a big online audience and I think this helped with the voting campaign…a few weeks later, I’m there next to Beyonce, and Kanye West, and Take That, and all these great people, and [was] thinking, “This is really happening!”

For more on Stereo Mike, visit his website – http://www.stereo-mike.com – and check out his Kickstarter page.

Greek-Brit Platon has taken the most portraits of world leaders than any other photographer. Some of his famous portraits include Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton, Silvio Berlusconi, Aung San Suu Kyi, just to name a small few. His work has been featured in numerous publications, such as TIME, Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and GQ. Photo credit: Norman Jean Roy

Greek-Brit Platon has been a photographer for 25 years and counting. His images are likely a snapshot in your mind that you’ve seen through one media outlet or another – whether on television, web, or even a poster you may have passed on the street. He’s captured moments in time around the world with the likes of George Clooney, the late Heath Ledger, Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton, Silvio Berlusconi, and Aung San Suu Kyi, just to name a small few.

After receiving his MA in Photography and Fine Art at the Royal College of Art in London, he got his professional start working for British Vogue. He was later invited to New York to work for the late John Kennedy Jr. and his political magazine, George. It’s taken Platon years to learn and perfect his craft, and while he admits he’s still having to “prove himself,” he says there’s only one audience he aims to please: everyday people.

From photographing the most world leaders than anyone else with his lens, to taking portraits of numerous celebrities, fashion icons, athletes, artists, and musicians for esteemed publications including TIME, Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and GQ, Platon is always looking for that moment, that “split second” where his sitter – or subject – gives themselves to him “completely.” And it’s not just about key public figures. It’s also about the poor, the revolutionaries, the people who stand up for themselves and society to improve their quality of life.

In 2009, he teamed up with the Human Rights Watch to help them celebrate those who fight for equality and justice in countries suppressed by political forces. The projects have highlighted human rights defenders from Burma, as well as leaders of the Egyptian revolution. In addition, Platon has become a keynote speaker, sharing his stories and experiences for various organizations as a means to communicate a message of humanity.

Born in London, and raised on the island of Paros until he was 7-years-old, Platon returned to the Mediterranean as a teen and began his “Greek project.” He started taking photos of some of the island’s hard-working residents, continuing the journey for the next 25 years. The collection was exhibited for the first time in Paris this past November.

In an exclusive interview with Greek Reporter, the award-winning photographer talked to us about his fascinating career and who he would like to photograph next.

In your 25 year-long career, what is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

That it’s not enough to be successful. We were told, until recently, that it’s all about success, fame, power, money, and it really isn’t. If you’re lucky enough to acquire any of those things, you then have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “But what am I going to do with it?” It’s not enough to have it; it’s what you do with it that counts. I have committed myself to trying to make a difference by using my powers of communication and storytelling to make people think about life, and to make people think about who they are and what they can do to make things better too.

What has been your most interesting experience so far?

Wow, there have been so many. Working with Putin was overwhelming and I think that’s one of the moments where I graduated into the tough guy school of photography. That really stretched me, that taught me a lot of things about myself – that you have to stay cool, and negotiate, and keep pushing but when the moment comes, you have to let go of your mind and use your heart and just use your feelings and use your powers of observation. That’s a very hard switch to [go] from one thing to another. Negotiating with a Head of State can be very tricky.

So how do you do negotiate getting someone to be your sitter, or subject, and let them have you photograph them?

You do it with charm, with experience. You realize you have to be a good judge of character…who really is on your side to try and make a sitting happen. You have to try and figure out not “what’s right for me, but what’s right for the sitter.”

My aim is to try and get inside their mind and figure out what’s right for them, otherwise they won’t do it. It helps me negotiate my point to get them to do sittings. If there’s nothing in it for them, then they just won’t do it.

I have a little simple wooden box that everybody sits on, it levels everybody out. This wooden box I have, [Muammar] Gaddafi has sat on it, Putin has sat on it, revolutionaries around the world have sat on it….it’s probably had more powerful bottoms on it than anything else in history. One day it will be in a museum when I’m old and gray.

Who has been the most fascinating person to sit on that wooden box?

Well, Gaddafi was pretty extraordinary. I’ll never forget that moment. He picked the worst moment to sit for me. It was at the UN, it was the last time he was in America, and Obama was making his first speech as President of the United States so it was a historic moment. I was backstage waiting for Obama to sit for me once he finished his speech, so I was there, Hillary [Clinton] was there, [David] Axelrod was there, Rahm Emanuel was there, the sniffer dogs, the Secret Service, Obama’s medic team were there, even the guy with the briefcase with the codes inside. Everyone was there. Gaddafi had heard that I was at the United Nations and that I had full blessing to do a series of portraits of world leaders, and he chose that moment to sit for me; not when it was convenient, but when I was in the middle of the White House saga.

Gaddafi’s entourage clashed with the White House entourage, and he walked up to me surrounded by about 15 female bodyguards dressed head to foot in military clothing. He gestured with a defiant move, “I will sit for you Mr. Platon, but I will do it under the nose of the White House administration.” And that defiance permeated the picture.

I fully understand that no matter how high someone is, or powerful at the moment I witness them, I know that the cycle can downturn and this person covered in this beautiful regalia and be walking around with all these bodyguards, can end up crawling out of a concrete hole covered in blood and eventually be shot.

Is there someone or somewhere you haven’t photographed yet that you would like to?

Oh my goodness, there’s so many. I really am turning my lens to the powerless and I want to create a set of cultural heroes, and I do believe I can play a role. Whether it be a small role, doesn’t matter. I can do my bit to try and rebalance values in society. I believe the heroes of our time, particularly in America, are the poor. These are people who have no voice and they’re showing great courage to get through life.

These are the people I can put the spotlight on, and through my photography, perhaps some of them could have a voice.

I never got Assad, I really would love to get Assad. I think he’s one of the tyrants in history.

Why the decision to focus on world leaders?

It wasn’t just because I wanted to photograph as many powerful people as I could. It was really to try to humanize power. And in times of confusion and fear, to look into our leaders eyes and say, “We trust you with our affairs and our well-being,” and, “Who are you? Are you really legitimate?”

How does that play into what Greece is going through right now?

Greece is going through a terrible ordeal – economically, as well as almost an identity crisis. It goes much further than just economics. The Greek ideals are being questioned. The bizarre thing is, there was this massive movement to almost move away from Greek tradition. All the young people whose families came from villages, all gravitated towards Athens; they wanted a better life, they wanted better education, they wanted better opportunity, and that’s what we all want. What they were promised, wasn’t delivered. In many cases, young people are retreating back to their homes because their quest failed and they’re going back to tradition, and in many cases, back to a simple life that their grandparents lived because there’s no opportunity. Society failed them. That’s part of the reason why my Greek project is so relevant. On the surface, I was criticized by some people for just showing a romantic, old view of Greece. But that was my intention; this is the Greece I grew up with. A lot of the images are 25 years old. It’s true, that in many ways, the Greeks I photographed disappeared. It was a reminder to the world, but really to Greece to say, “Yes, but look at who you are, look at the real values. Don’t let globalization destroy this beautiful history and legacy you have.”

Who are the people you photographed in Greece?

All the people I photographed are not rich, they’re not famous, but there’s an earthiness to their spirit. I’ve photographed so many celebrities who have either had face surgery or once it’s in the magazine, their skin is retouched. So what we’re doing is completely eradicating real signs of living and we’re obsessively being young to the point where we’re denying ourselves the pleasure of getting old. On top of that, we’re actually denying ourselves, as a society, the value of going to the matriarch or patriarch of our family and saying, “I’m lost…and you’ve really lived. Can you advise me?” We’re not asking the elderly in society those questions, and they know the answers ’cause they’ve done it!

One time, I was terribly lost; my father had died. Despite having this big studio in New York, and having done okay with a career, none of it meant anything anymore. I went back to Greece that year in wintertime, not to take pictures on that trip, but to really look for the answer. I was walking along the beach one day, and I saw this old man and he was sitting on a rock. He had a handkerchief, which he had opened up – he had a piece of bread, a little plastic bottle with homemade wine in it, and he had some olives. And he ate one olive, then he ate a piece of bread to go with it, and then he raised his cup to the sea, made a gesture and then drank it. I went over to him and I said, “Excuse me, I’m from New York, where everyone says it’s the center of the world and it’s the best city in the world, and I’m a photographer. I thought I was doing okay, but my dad just died and it’s wiped out any sense of direction for me…and you’re an old guy, you must have lived, you’re sitting here toasting to the sea, you must know something that I don’t.”

He looked at me, and he said, “I know what the answer is young man. The answer is to master the art of living, and only then will you be free….you have to have a moment or two on a regular basis where you recognize how good it is to be alive.”

My Greek project is to say, “Stop. Just think for a moment what it is to be alive. Look at this old man’s boot. Look at this old lady’s hand. Look at the beautiful way this old lady ties her hair. And just sit and feel.” That’s what it’s about.

Do you have any plans to possibly move from still photography into making movies or documentaries?

Most photographers fancy themselves as frustrated filmmakers, or they love the idea of film. I mean, I’m interested in film only as a storyteller…I’ve started to interview people a lot because on-set, they say very personal, honest things to me, and it’s nice to have that captured on film. But quite honestly, the kind of people I’m going for, the moment is so rare and so precious that it takes all my energy to capture it as a still.

I’ve learned in my work that the rush creates the moment…It’s like asking a sprinter to run a marathon, they’d kill themselves. It’s the same thing with me; I’d become, in a way, a photographic sprinter.

Let’s talk a little bit about your shift from photography to being a keynote speaker. How did you get involved in that?

I signed up with the Washington Speakers Bureau last year, and it’s becoming a bigger part of my operation than ever before. I’m being asked to speak at places all around the world, talking about humanity, and storytelling about compassion, and what I feel is right and wrong, and using my journey as a photographer and the fascinating people I’ve met along the way to get points across as illustration through my work.

I find I’ve been very privileged; I’ve spent time with some of the most extraordinary people of our time. The pictures are one thing, but what’s really amazing is the connection between the sitter and myself; that’s what I live for. I keep very strict diaries of everything that went on, and I find myself recounting these stories and threading them together as a kind of theme of what is good leadership today, and what are our values, and what have we become, and what should we be, and what is fair or what is not fair.

I think it’s important to tell both sides of the story. In today’s society, if you watch the media, particularly in America, everything is so focused and marketed that if you’re watching a channel, it’s either to the left or to the right; there’s no cross section of storytelling. It’s all marketed for an audience driven by advertising and big corporations. So you never really get a straight story. It’s time for people to look at humanity, and I’m nothing more than one of the storytellers.

To see more of Platon’s Greek project, and to view some his other work, visit http://platonphoto.com

U.S. Marine Pete Holevas

Pete Holevas of Queens, New York, said he was inspired to enroll into the U.S. Marines because he wanted to serve his country and told of his inspiration in a interview with Markos Papadatos, and his military experience.

His parents are from Nafpaktos and he has been to Greece twice and said he intends on going again. “I am proud to have Greek blood and I have lots of heart, I think it’s because of that ‘Spartan blood.’ I go to the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Flushing, Queens, whenever I am home,” he said.

He also wanted to make his family proud since many of his family members were in the military and he wished to proudly carry on this tradition. “This is why I chose to join the most elite fighting force in the world,” he said.

His boot camp training began on Sept. 11, 2012 and he became a Marine on Dec. 1. “My contract with them is for six years and down the road I will be thinking about re-enlisting. I love it,” he exclaimed.

He said, “Marines live by the core values of honor, courage and commitment. They taught me that very well and I am more disciplined and I have more respect now. My parents are proud of what the Corps has done for me and I am very happy that I adopted all of these values and I am using them in my everyday life.”

He said that his greatest influences in life include his family, especially his mother. In addition, he has looked up to his drill instructors that worked hard for three months to turn him from a civilian to a United States Marine.

Regarding his plans for the future, he stated, “I am a reservist and I have the opportunity to come back home after all my training. I plan on getting my Bachelor’s Degree at the John Jay College in Criminal Justice, in an effort to become a police officer in the future and I hope to simultaneously be a Marine.”

For Greek-American youths thinking of enlisting in the military, he advised them to do so. “The benefits the military gives you are good but especially the pride and the honor it is to serve the best country in the world is very reassuring. My advice is to join after high school and get a good job in the military and start your career there.”

“I would like to thank all Greek-Americans that supported me while I was in boot camp, especially the Greek Church which gave me lots of faith in God to never give up,” he said. He added that, “I would like to thank everyone who supports the military. I joined to serve and fight for the American people so that they can go to sleep at night and not have to worry about their lives being in danger. I love the Marine Corps and I would like to extend my gratitude towards the Greek-American community for their support.”

Many years later, Joanna, who was beginning a family of her own, decided it was time to head back to Greece. The journey – from being a 10 year-old who was internationally adopted, to reconnecting with her mother as an adult – is documented in her book, The Girl From the Tower: A Journey of Lies.

Giangardella took the time out to speak with Greek Reporter about her experiences and struggles, and offers advice on what other Greeks who are searching for their families can do to find them.

When did you decide to write your book, The Girl from the Tower: A Journey of Lies?

Twenty years ago, I went back to college for my degree in Fine Arts [and] part of my curriculum was creative writing. I then wrote a short story about my journey to America as a 10 year-old. My professor suggested I move forward and continue to write the whole story and send it out for publication. I wrote a synopsis and query, sending it out to 16 publishers. I received eight responses requesting the first two chapters. I stopped there, afraid to continue.

Was it difficult for you to come to the decision to reunite with your relatives years after you went to America?

No. I never stopped thinking about them; I was terribly homesick…not knowing how to contact them as a child. Later, when I married, I began my search, writing to Red Cross and UNICEF without a response. I decided that when I was financially able, I would travel to Greece and knock on doors.

Did you have concerns about seeing them?

The only concern came from a re-occurring dream. Upon my anxious and excited arrival, no one wanted me, no one cared. I would wake up from this dream concerned that they forgot who I was, ignoring me.

Your adopted parents were Russian and Bulgarian, and refused to let you speak Greek or associate with your culture, which is described in the book. Do you speak Greek now, or have you incorporated the culture into your life in the present day?

Yes, when reunited with my family I traveled back almost every year. I immersed myself into the culture of which I felt more at home then here in the US. Each time I returned, I learned more Greek. Reading Greek came the easiest for me.

Did you befriend any of the other children who were in the adoption program? Were their experiences similar?

Unfortunately I have met only a few recently. Their experience here in the US had been very different then mine – more loving, more accepted. Growing up, I was not allowed to visit or befriend any Greek children other then my adopted brother who was from Greece as well. He was left on the doorsteps of an orphanage.

For Greek adopted children that may be looking for their birth parents, how would you suggest they begin the process?

First, if they have any knowledge of their Greek family name and place of birth they can write to the church, they have baptismal records; someone always knows someone with that name. Second, if they have nothing to follow, there is a lawyer I know in Athens who has all archives of adoptees from that period and can help for a very small cost.

Is there anything they should prepare themselves for emotionally?

It depends of their state of mind. If it has been their passion to find where they come from and re-connect with their families without criticism of the circumstance of “why” they were adopted, then it will be a rewarding journey. They need to prepare themselves that the story behind their adoption can be heart wrenching; mothers die without knowing what happened to their babies once left on the door steps of orphanages all over Greece.

With the current economic and political upheaval in Greece, Greeks were finding themselves too poor to care for their children. What are your thoughts on that 60 years after you, and Greeks, went through a similar situation?

What I have found in Greece, as part of their culture, is that it takes “a village” to raise children in Greece; it is exactly that. Children are never alone. They have grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and [in] some cases, neighbors that look after them. Here they are disconnected with extended family, some never see each other. Only in situations of children having no one or [a] life-threatening situation would it be likely for them to be placed in a foster or adopted program. There are many loving people out there; I know that to be true, but there is nothing stronger than family.

Greece will overcome their difficult time as they have done before many times because of loyalty to their family and loyalty to their history.

What do you hope readers will take away from your story?

There is nothing stronger then the love between a mother and a child; that history repeats itself because people forget; that children are continuing to be exploited because of greed and indifference; to bring awareness to an event not found in the history books. I hope my story will be read by people in the US so that my mission of finding others will happen. Most of all I want to publish my book in Greece, written in Greek, because I think especially now it will give them “hope” to those still looking for their loved ones, but also that my experience can happen to their children if they send them away. In a time of despair, keep your family close, keep your children closer. As a mother and grandmother I understand and forgave my mother because she trusted people. She endured pain, guilt and a weeping heart but was never forgotten. Her whole life was always seeing to others needs, never her own.

For more information on Joanna and The Girl From the Tower, visit her website: http://joannasonya.com

Photo Courtesy of Xander Demos’ official website

Guitarist Xander Demos may be rocking in the music world, but he says he’s in touch with his Greek heritage too. Demos, known for his blasting rock/metal rhythms, is touring the U.S.

She is going to study Biomedical Engineering while staying active in the community and said she especially loves Greek culture and Easter celebrations.

According to an interview in Real Life magazine, she will be in Athens to take part in the 30th Athens Classic Marathon on Nov. 11 and was photographed for the campaign Marathon for Greece, which aims to change Greece’s image abroad.

She said her dream is to eventually be able to buy a house in Greece and stay here with her family, but for now her obligations as the Teen Queen of America and education will keep her busy.

Writer of code, fixer of all things electronic, dispenser of inappropriate humor, enemy of grooming and formal clothing, and friend to all furry creatures, Toli works hard, sleeps even harder, but always makes time for family and the important things in life. Things like eating cheese, reading obscure legal documents, and trying to talk Christine into watching reruns of Star Blazers.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I grew up in Greece, and left in 1989 to study at Stanford University in California. I finished my Bachelor’s, and then proceeded to start my PhD thinking that I wanted to be a professor someday. A few short years after that, and as I saw one classmate after another join the Internet boom of the 90’s, my greed got the better of me and thus I put an academic career on hold (and it is still on hold). So I dropped out of the Ph.D., got a Master’s as a consolation prize, and co-founded a company. That got me hooked onto early-stage companies (startups), so I pursued a series of them, as either a founder or early participant: three of them did well, and two failed miserably; the successes gave me confidence, the failures taught me humility. In most cases I’ve taken on engineering, rather than management roles. The subject matter has varied from orthodontics and eating disorders to high-frequency trading. As my wife jokes, I have a case of “Professional Attention Deficit Disorder.”

On the subject of my spouse, I am married to the best wife ever, and I have the best dog ever. Our little house in Texas is in an area where the nature and weather are very similar to that of the southern Peloponnese. While I enjoy my work tremendously, we have taken significant time off as a family to travel to and volunteer in Hawaii, Vietnam, and elsewhere, including three wonderful months spent at a yoga retreat where I repaired toilets, my wife cleaned them, and, in return, we both took unlimited yoga classes.

You are scheduled to talk at TEDxAcademy this fall along with many distinguished guest speakers. What should the audience expect to hear?

The audience should expect to hear amazing and mind-altering insights… from the other guest speakers. From me, however, they will just get a handful of observations into the unique culture of Silicon Valley startups. Startups vary a lot, but most share some common cultural elements such as: the willingness to take a risk in the pursuit of large, and highly uncertain, rewards; the strong bonds of trust between participants; the almost maniacal dedication to the company in its early phases; and, a desire to realize some ideals, such as not being evil (Google) or open collaboration (FB). In my talk, I’ll cover those cultural elements of startups which I feel are most relevant for Greek firms, policy-makers, and individuals as Greece attempts to reboot its economy. Though to be perfectly honest, the real reason I am giving a talk at TEDxAcademy is to get to hear all the other amazing speakers for free.

How did you end up working in Facebook and what is it like working for Facebook?

From my background, it should be obvious that I prefer startups to big companies. Yet when Facebook (FB)’s Head of Engineering –whom I knew from Stanford and subsequent collaborations – contacted me and asked me to apply to FB, it was my personal respect for him that made me reconsider. As I found out through the interview process two years ago, FB was (even then) a big company, yet it maintained (and still does) some elements of startups which appeal to me. So, when they extended an offer, I accepted it (and declined Google’s).

A key way in which FB resembles a startup is that the impact which a single engineer can have on the company is substantial, as is the degree of an engineer’s autonomy and latitude granted to innovate. This means that new FB features, be they improvements to the front-end user interface or back-end infrastructure are not exclusively driven by top-down efforts; individual engineers are also often the source and driving force behind such leaps forward.

Spiderman learned that “with great power there must also come great responsibility”. Similarly, FB engineers are held to high standards of performance, which includes not only one’s individual contribution in the realm of software, but offering assistance to other employees in FB’s strongly collaborative culture.

To my great disappointment, however, FB does not provide Spiderman suits to its employees.

Nevertheless, it offers a wealth of other benefits such as health benefits, free on-campus meals, equity within its compensation packages, and many more.

Can you tell us what research/work do you currently conduct at Facebook (or is this confidential?)

My focus is image processing. More than 350 million photos are uploaded every single day onto FB, and many, many more are being viewed by FB users. These photos originate from a variety of media (snapshot cameras of all sorts of types, smartphone cameras, scanners, etc.), and they all need to be converted into a uniform and compact representation for storage on FB’s systems. My software and its associated algorithms do that conversion with minimal loss of visual quality.

Once stored, the images then need to be delivered to a variety of devices, with a wide range of display technologies and network bandwidth capabilities. My software does a similar delivery-type conversion; for example, it delivers lower resolution images to smartphones with small screens and slow connections, while it delivers higher resolution images to desktops with high-resolution displays and fast connections.

The main challenge of my work, and that of many other engineers at FB, is dealing with the huge scale of operations. It’s one thing to design algorithms that accomplish a rarely executed task; it’s a whole different story writing software that needs to process a very high volume of images quickly and while minimizing power consumption.

The main reward of my work is that almost a billion people see my work every time they use FB, as they upload and share their favorite images. And, sometimes, those photos are not just entertainment and fun cartoons – they can be photos of a wildfire spreading, and used during evacuations. It is hard to imagine a job that has such a broad impact.

What advice do you have for those considering applying to Facebook? What kind of skills is Facebook looking for in a potential candidate?

The most important advice is: you won’t know if you are good enough to work at FB unless you try. So look at the jobs posted on www.facebook.com/careers and if you find an opening that is a good match for your skills, do not hesitate to send your resume to Janine Doyle (janine@fb.com). FB considers both summer internship and full-time applicants, and it has very high hiring standards, as do most of the top-tier firms at Silicon Valley. Each job opening has its unique set of required skills, but for engineering specifically, FB seeks engineers who are passionate about, and good at, writing code. In addition, all employees should feel motivated by the company’s mission to connect people.

For Greek engineers, FB usually requires that employees move to Silicon Valley and assists with the process. In my view, this provides a unique opportunity for Greeks to gain exposure to the broader culture of Silicon Valley, even for just a few years before they may choose to return to Greece – injecting the Valley’s spirit of innovation into future Greek ventures can be pivotal to their success.

(This interview was conducted by our content partner Mosaiko.gr – Photo by:  Niki Siropoulou)

Nicholas Logothetis, co-founder of the Concordia Summit, speaks exclusively to Greek Reporter for the non-profit organization which aims to foster public-private partnerships. He also notes that Greece may be a very possible destination for a future summit.

Concordia is a Singular Convening of Former and Current Heads of State, Business Executives and Non-Profit Leaders Devoted to Promoting Public-Private Partnerships. Bill Clinton to be joined by Laura Bush, John McCain, Donna Karan, Alvaro Uribe, Thomas Kean, Mikheil Saakashvili, and more on September 27 in New York City. 

In an economic environment of uncertainty, links that match the strengths of the public sector and the private can be the answer to a better world. That is why Nicholas Logothetis, together with one of his best friends from high school, Matthew Swift, decided to start The Concordia Summit, a non-profit organization that helps foster relationships between government officials from around the world with NGOs and private entities.

“The idea came to us when me and my best friend Matthew Swift attended the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. We wanted to create something that would promote the ability of the private sector to work with the public sector rather than working against each other, or just working on separate tracks,” said Logothetis who attended the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

“In today’s interconnected world, I really believe in governments working together with the private sector, and this is the mission of Concordia Summit — to promote partnerships between the government sector, NGOs, and business.”

Although the organization was founded only a year ago, it has managed to attract many world leaders such as the former President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe and former U.S. President George W. Bush, who was last year’s keynote speaker.

“We are in our second year and we are still building the organization step-by-step, but we had a few interesting success stories that we will showcase at this year’s Summit,” said Logothetis, who also sits on the Libra Group’s board of Directors.

Just as it was last year, the 2nd Annual Concordia Summit’s keynote speaker is a former U.S. President. The event, which will be held on Sept. 27, 2012 in New York at the Plaza Hotel, will feature a keynote address by President Bill Clinton.

This year’s Summit will examine how public-private partnerships can help address challenges relating to Global Security, the Economy, Education, Environmental Sustainability and Health around the world. The diverse and experienced group of former and current corporate and government leaders will address and look for the most compelling elements of public-private cooperation in order to effectively address today’s most pressing issues.

Concordia also announced a new partnership with the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC) that will include the development of a 10-year strategic plan to further ensure public and private investment in children’s and women’s initiatives in Afghanistan.

“The organization (USAWC) was started by President George Bush and his wife, Laura, and it is now co-chaired by Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton. The organization’s mission is to empower women in Afghanistan,” noted Logothetis.

“What they need help with is creating a private sector committee of business leaders who would be able to promote opportunities for women in Afghanistan, so this is what we are announcing this year, the ability to create this committee for the US -Afghan Women’s Council. As the U.S. forces are moving out of the country, the private sector will become much more important in promoting opportunities for women.”

Concordia is not seeking to run the projects. As its founder said, the organization’s involvement aims to link private and public entities. “Our involvement stops when we bring the two parties together. We do not actually run anything, we are the in-between link of the chain trying to help address some of the world’s issues,” said Logothetis.

What are some of the pressing issues?  ”From our perspective we view education as an important issue; health, and all the aspects that come with that, such as vaccinations, economic security; and the eradication of extremism.” said Logothetis, a proud Greek of the Diaspora.

“Being Greek is very important to me. This year we won’t have any Greek officials as we are targeting specific world issues but we have a lot of people from Greece and people of Greek descent who will be attending,” he noted.

As the Summit moves toward its third year, the organizers are considering moving it to a different country, including Greece.  “We were discussing this. For the last two years, the Summit has been in New York during the U.N. General Assembly week but we are very open to looking at hosting the Summit in another country, and obviously Greece will be on the top of that list. Also we are looking to be hosting more events throughout the year and that is also something we can hopefully do in Greece. At some point we will do the Summit in another country and Greece is on the top of our list,” said Nicholas Logothetis.

 2012 Concordia Summit Speakers:

In addition to President Clinton, participants of this year’s Concordia Summit will include United States Senator from Arizona, John McCain; founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer organization, Nancy Brinker; former First Lady Laura Bush (appearing via video); The Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chairman-in-Office, Eamon Gilmore; fashion designer Donna Karan; The former Governor of New Jersey, Thomas Kean; the former President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski; former United States Representative from California, Jane Harman; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg; Chairman and CEO of the Libra Group, George Logothetis; Ambassador John Negroponte; President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili (appearing via video); former Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend and the former President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe.

For more information on the Summit and updates on speakers and the agenda visit http://www.theconcordiasummit.org/

Greek Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Tsiaras, spoke exclusively to Greek Reporter about the impact of American Elections in Greece and the purpose of his recent trip to the U.S.A.

“I cannot comment on the American election, this is something that concerns only the people of the USA” said Tsiaras.

However, a lot has been said about how the American Election will affect Greece, and the different candidates’ platforms include different plans for Greece. Many experts suggest that a Greek default may cost Obama his re-election, while Mitt Romney’s commentary often depicts Greece as the black sheep of world economy.

When Minister Tsiaras was asked about the impact that the result of the American election may have on Greece, he said that the American election does not affect Greece, nor is the election is something that concerns the Greek government.

Watch the interview below:

The Minister also addressed the need for the “Organization for Greeks Abroad” (SAE in Greek) to be reformed and become fully functional under a new operational model.

“This new SAE can also play a part in the voting process for Greeks abroad, something that this new government has plans to implement.”

Mr. Tsiaras continues his tour of the US in Chicago and New York, where he will participate together with the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs in the U.N. general assembly.