Built in Bulgaria: How Local Entrepreneurs Turn Ideas into Impact
What does it take to build a startup in Bulgaria? The Startup Journey is a […]
This week on The Recursive podcast we are getting to know Vicky Foteinou. She’s a program manager at the Greek innovation and technology company CrowdPolicy and a manager of the Visa Innovation Program in Greece.
Her journey in the startup innovation ecosystem started about 10 years ago when she joined CrowdPolicy. The company is helping startup founders succeed in their businesses through hackathons, accelerators in different tech sectors in Greece. Vicky has contributed to the development of CrowdPolicy, joining them from the very start. Foteinou is also closely associated with Fintech through her work for the Visa Innovation Program.
In her conversation with Desy Karapchanska, Vicky reflects on the power of networks in one’s life.
“I truly believe that people’s networks are the most important things in life. It is what gives us the strength to go further and build new relationships. And I truly believe in the power of teams, which can bring great creativity and is what actually gives us strength at work.”
Vicky shares that she is inspired by the creativity of the founders she works with and how important it is to take action in every endeavor you pursue. This is what Vicky considers to be her superpower, but she also sees it in the drive of her mentees.
“[Entrepreneurs] are passionate, they are flexible. Even if they fall, they stand back on their feet, even if they face failures. And they try again, and they never stop evolving.”
Vicky has an iMBA in Business Administration but she has also developed a deep interest in psychology. She has run organizational trainings, educational seminars, exams in Greece and abroad, as well as conferences for public and private sectors. She got interested in organizational psychology because she aimed to understand people, their needs, and what they mean by what they say. In the episode, she talks about the importance of empathy in entrepreneurship.
“Empathy doesn’t mean to be like the other person. Empathy means to understand the other person, remain in our beliefs, and move further better along with them.”
In this episode, Vicky Foteinou explains how CrowdPolicy and the Visa Innovation Program have shaped her perspective on innovation and creativity. She shares her views on the future of the program and the evolution of the Greek startup ecosystem.
Watch the episode to find out how women participation in tech has improved over the past few years and why that matters.
And check out the previous episode with Dimitris Kalavros-Gousiou on the vision of the ecosystem’s future, the value proposition Greece has for the nomad founders, and the power of the interconnected Greek diaspora.
