Πηγή: Metavallon.org
It’s been tiring though über fun and productive! This past week marked the end of the first stage of our Startup Series cycle for 2013, the Gymnasium. It took 8 weeks of creative collaboration and intensive work, for 5 elite participants to successfully complete the program decisively making their way to the next ever more demanding Startup Series stage, the Academy. And ultimately to business launch!
The Gymnasium was once again supported by our valued partners at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the ALBA Hub for Enterprise and Development, the entrepreneurship hub of ALBA Graduate Business School at The American College of Greece, whom we thank dearly.
The Gymnasium is the first of a total of three stages comprising «Startup Series», Metavallon’s comprehensive professional training and support program for aspiring entrepreneurs that covers their needs in their journey from concept to business launch, securing funds and first venturing footsteps. Its purpose was to help participants develop their business idea and assess its feasibility through educational workshops on business management and skills development sessions. At the same time, participants had the opportunity to test their knowledge and strengths, as well as their personal interest and motivation to continue their entrepreneurial journey through the next stages of the Startup Series.
During the 8 weeks of Gymnasium Athens, a total of two (2) ideas were developed in the fields of mobile health, and online professional networking. We at Metavallon are very excited and mighty proud to be working with Augmeded and Sophicus!
The end of the Gymnasium was all fireworks – so to speak – as the teams were called on stage to pitch before two corporate and angel investors receiving valuable feedback to advance their ventures.
What’s next? February is prototyping month for our aspiring entrepreneurs, while we at Metavallon are fervently working our new Venturing Hub. Mid March marks the beginning of the Academy and some serious business planning, mentoring and investor networking for the teams. Stay tuned!
About Metavallon
Metavallon is a Greek non-profit organization that provides early stage entrepreneurs with a supportive structure to develop, launch and solidify their ventures.
Through its proprietary three-stage program, the Startup Series, Metavallon seeks to motivate talented Greeks, educate them on key principles of entrepreneurship, expose them to experienced entrepreneurs, experts and investors, and provide them with the necessary resources to start their own businesses.
Created as a resolution to the frustration of young educated Greeks amidst the crisis and the onset of what will be a devastating brain drain, Metavallon aims to create an entrepreneurial movement in its home country, Greece, and help educated Greeks envision again their future here. We truly believe that great untapped talent and ideas lie within Greece; and in a rapidly evolving world with seemingly more problems than solutions, it is vital to cultivate a society of venturers as a viable way out of the dead ends presented before us. By mobilizing the global Greek community and leveraging the optimism and enthusiasm of young people, we, at Metavallon, support aspiring entrepreneurs to launch and grow their own new ventures, enabling them to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors, create jobs, and ultimately provide a boost to the Greek economy.
More specifically, we aim to:
- Address critical challenges faced by early stage entrepreneurs: entrepreneurial education and training, entrepreneurial models and mentorship, networking, access to startup financing
- Create successful ventures that become models of innovation, high impact quality entrepreneurship and social enterprises for Greece and the world
- Broaden employment opportunities particularly for talented university graduates
- Engage a community of entrepreneurs, business professionals, academics and thought leaders from Greece and the Greek Diaspora towards the development of entrepreneurship in Greece
- Reveal the power and potency of venturing
Our mission: to develop and transform the ideas of aspiring entrepreneurs into thriving new ventures.
Our vision: a culture of innovation and high impact, quality entrepreneurship, a business environment of vibrant talent and growth, a society of venturing spirit and civil awareness.
We are waiting for you to join us; together, we can become a powerful metavallon factor in the world we live in!
