Stelios presented five entrepreneurs with EUR50,000 each for their work in promoting business cooperation in Cyprus at an award ceremony at the Chateau Status restaurant in Nicosia’s buffer zone.
The winners are:
Danae Stylianou and Rahme Veziroglou: This partnership produced the film “Sharing An Island” and will continue to disseminate the film island-wide and internationally, with plans to produce a bi-communal TV series and a bi-communal TV production company in the future.
Harris Galazis and Emre Serdar: This partnership provides high-tech, aluminum building facades for large-scale construction projects throughout the island.
Antry Mylona and Mehmet Birinci: These partners in business and “partners in life” import and market home care equipment and cleaning products throughout the island, offering after-sales service, recruitment and development of dealers and sales people as well.
Alkis Kaimakis and Tagmach Chankaya: This partnership is focused on collecting recyclable material – cardboard and paper – baling it and exporting it outside of Cyprus.
Yiannos Ioannou and Mehmet Ertepinar: This partnership imports and distributes dental products throughout the island of Cyprus.
In its third year, the Stelios awards for business cooperation in Cyprus promote island-wide, bi-communal business cooperation between entrepreneurs by giving promising ventures the funding boost they need to grow. The award is funded personally by Stelios through the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, which is dedicated to the three E’s – Education, Entrepreneurship and the Environment.
The five winners come from a range of disciplines, but all demonstrate island-wide entrepreneurial activity and consist of at least one Greek-Cypriot and one Turkish-Cypriot partner.
Commenting on the awards, Stelios said:
“I have been very impressed by the quality and enthusiasm of all of the applicants for this Award coming from a wide variety of inudustries and business models. Congratulations to the 5 winning teams – they are an excellent example of how the two communities can work together for the island of Cyprus. I wish them much success – and look forward to welcoming more applicants in 2012!” Foreign Minister, Erato Kozakou Marcoullis also attended the Stelios Awards, saying: “We need more people like Stelios to keep the hope and the dream alive for cooperation.”
During his philanthropic visit to the island, Haji-Ioannou also spent the morning with the relatives of the victims of the Mari Explosion. There he contributed €50,000 to the €90,000 fund he set up earlier this year to support the victims’ families. He encouraged others to make a pledge to the account which is still open.
