Success stories

New entrepreneur:
Stefano Esposito (Italy)
Age: 27
Company name: EEMPM – European Economic Mi-gration Project (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Community, social and personal services

Host entrepreneur:
Eleni Zeppou (Greece)
Age: 63
Company name: EKO Greece https://ekogreece.com/ (30 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Community, social and personal services

Stefano is a Young Entrepreneur from Italy who decided to approach the third sector from an entrepreneurial perspective, aiming to create an NGO that deals with international economic migration in the European Union from Maghreb countries and use it as a tool to foster economic development in both hosting and receiving countries. He was introduced to the EYE through colleagues met in his previous experiences. The curiosity of discovering a new business environment and his aim to bring his own idea triggered his desire to experience the EYE exchange. He travelled to Greece to collaborate with Eleni Zeppou, the General Secretary in EKO, a non-profit organisation established in 2013 with the purpose to create an inclusive society through intercultural dialogue and exchange. Eleni enthusiastically accepted her role as a business mentor to Stefano and introduced him to the organisation operations and the European mentality on youth empowerment.

Stefano and Eleni engaged in several activities: starting from the overall understanding of the project life cycle to the management and organisation of Stefano’s future NGO on the standards of EKO and the design of web marketing strategies. Stefano gained a lot of experience in project management, while the expertise and young spirit of Eleni and her colleagues helped him to comprehend the facets of an NGO. On the other hand, Stefano gave his precious contribution to opening up EKO to new groups and partners via the use and development of social media and by introducing new patterns of collaboration through Italian universities. He contributed to the accomplishment of the planning and elaboration of an important project proposal on immigration, contacting various stakeholders and representatives of other NGOs, brainstorming with the partners, and participating in the budgeting process of various projects.

The successful exchange of the two entrepreneurs has brought to light a real engagement in the future for potential partnerships and collaborations. The wide range of contacts all over Europe and the world from EKO helped Stefano in getting to know new potential partners for his future business. Despite the Covid19 restrictions the two entrepreneurs have managed to grow in the context of new developments via web platforms and other tools acquiring new know-how and skills dealing with and overcoming various obstacles related to distance and physical presence and responding to all challenges of the new digital work world and virtual communication practices. Both entrepreneurs considered their cooperation very fruitful from business and personal perspectives.

 

For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:

New entrepreneur's contact point:
Eduforma S.r.l. (Padova, Italy)

Host entrepreneur's contact point:
Asset Technology (Athina, Greece)

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