Dimitris Maragkos holds a BA in Communication, Media and Culture from Panteion University of Athens and a Msc in International and European Studies from the University of Piraeus. For the last 11 years he works as a communication specialist in Organizations who Coordinate European and National programs for Education, Training and Research. Since May 2015 he is an Independent EU expert speaker in the Team Europe Network, coordinated by the Representation of the European Commission in Greece. Within this network he encourages dialogue between European institutions, young people and civil society. Currently he coordinates the "Knowledge and partnership bridges" Initiative in the National Documentation Center.

‘According to Dimitris we all need “bridges” in order to broaden our horizons and expand our network!’

Konstantina holds a BA in International and European Studies from Panteion University of Athens and a MSc in Marketing and Communication from Athens University of Economics and Business. She has many years of work experience in corporate communication and project management (European and national programs) with a specialization in knowledge intensive sectors, entrepreneurship and innovation. She has also organised numerous events aiming to boost youth entrepreneurship and promote open innovation. From February 2019, she supports the development and promotion of the «Knowledge and partnership bridges» initiative’s services in National Documentation Center.

Konstantina believes that cooperation is a key element for growth, development and success. Through the “Knowledge and partnership bridges” initiative, Greeks from all over the world are able to cooperate, exchange and transfer good practices in the country.

Nancy has been working in research almost all of her life, holding a PhD in Humanities and steadily conducting interdisciplinary research. She started working for the Initiative on the basis of her broad methodological background and the variety of her collaborations. She is active on issues related to the evolution of young scientists and the conditions of conducting research in Greek reality. Within the "Knowledge and Cooperation Bridges" Initiative she is working on the mapping of the ecosystem for the initiative, on the Greek Expats networking and on proposing actions for the Initiative that arise within this framework. 

‘Nancy thinks that healthy co-operation is the foundation for every advancement may it be our career or our intellectual and personal life, and a safe way towards achieving our goals, since "if you want to go far, go together".’

Ioanna Vlachou is a graduate from the Law School of Athens and the Master’s European Law Program of the University of Leiden and she has been a researcher in Athens' Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence. Since 2013, she has been practicing law, handling cases of various disciplines successfully, while in the past she had had the chance to work for the European Commission, having acquired valuable experience in the ‘backstage’ of EU law and policy making and implementation. She is a member of the national pool of Trainers for Erasmus+/Youth. She has participated in European Youth Conferences as a youth representative of Greece.

"Through “Bridges” Ioanna wishes to make good use of her knowledge, competences and experiences gained in Greece and abroad and contribute to the development of Greece and of its young people ’transforming nuances of the brain drain to a genuine chance of enrichment and constructive interaction'."

Polina studied International Relations at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki and Cultural Studies at Sabanci University in Turkey, where she has lived for much of her life. She has concentrated on the notion of the home as a space wherein cultural identities are produced through orality and memory. She is a member of the Border Crossings Network, an academic network focusing on anthropology and ethnography in the Balkans, and the Human Economy Programme, the University of Pretoria which focuses on economic anthropology. In the past, she worked at the Tomato Industry Museum, Santorini (in research) and now provides the Initiative with administrative support.

‘For Polina, people networks are of great value and can bring beneficial results for both the individuals themselves and for society.’