Greek and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs met last week for the inaugural of this year’s Stelios Award for Business Co-operation. This prestigious competition is now in its fifth year under the sponsorship of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, the education-to-entrepreneurship charity headed by easyJet founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.
Over twenty budding businessmen and women drawn from both sides of the Green Line mingled with past winners and contestants to share experiences, business tips as well as take advice from Foundation staff. Eleni Louciades, the Deputy Mayor of Nicosia, was also on hand to lend support.
The event, held at Stelios House, Limassol marks the opening of nominations for this year’s competition with entries closing on a date to be determined. Entrepreneurial teams must be drawn from both sides of the island as part of the process of inter-communal reconciliation. The impact of the Award is now recognised by both the Greek and Turkish media there.
Since its inception in 2009, the Stelios Award for Business Cooperation in Cyprus has been received by a wide variety of teams from a diverse range of business sectors, to include consulting, manufacturing, trade, tourism, web development and the arts. Over the last four years Stelios has made good on his pledge of €1 million towards peace on the island, awarding the Stelios Award for Business Cooperation in Cyprus to each of 20 joint ventures comprising one Greek Cypriot and one Turkish Cypriot entrepreneur.
Sir Stelios pledged to continue to support entrepreneurship in Cyprus in 2013 with ten awards of €10,000 to each winning team. He has called on other organizations, companies and entrepreneurs to join in the support of this Award with equal amounts of matched funding.