Laura Neroulias Bisiotis: Empowering young Cypriots to thrive in the USA

Laura Neroulias Bisiotis, Founding President, Cypriot Young Professionals of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Founder of LORA PR talks to CBN about the organisation’s aims and plans for the future.

The Founding President also shares some of her own journey in business, inviting others to make the most of what Cypriot Young Professionals and the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce have to offer.

What first prompted the formation of the Cypriot Young Professionals and what are its main aims today? For example, how can young professionals benefit from joining?

What started off as a thought quickly became a greater discussion that ultimately cemented a strong journey for the Cypriot Young Professionals (for short, CYP) of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce. I still remember everything so vividly. It started off in mid-2012 with a kick-off meeting that took place at the Keo Room at the Cyprus Trade Center in New York. The setting was set with about 15 Cypriot ‘kids’ (all in their mid-late 20’s), and five adults from the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We were invited to all sit around a table, introduced ourselves and discussed how we can do something really great for young Cypriots who are looking to thrive in the business world, meet like-minded individuals, and ultimately, build communications and partnerships that would shape a strong economic future for the Cypriot community in the States.

Many of us did not even know each other previously, and most of us did not grow up amongst other Cypriots. What was interesting was that our upbringings and memories of visiting Cyprus in the summer months as kids and being raised by Cypriot parent, parents, or family members was very prominent and helped mould us. Somehow, we were plucked from our everyday lives to attend this meeting that looking back, it truly was fate.

The biggest impact from that meeting was that we had a mix of professions that were represented, including, public relations, architecture, education, finance, law, entertainment, the arts, accounting, fashion, fitness, real estate…and that made a whole difference. That is when I personally knew that this initiative was going to be a very different organisation. One that was inclusive and open to all types of businesses. That was something I wanted to be part of.

With the mission of the Chamber really focusing on promoting trade and investment, and fostering business opportunities between Cyprus and the United States, when we first were putting together the idea of the Cypriot Young Professionals to be under one roof, one of the most important things we wanted to focus on was being a resource for young Cypriots coming to America and wanting to find their way in the business world. Building CYP, we wanted to make sure we had programs in place that would make them feel welcome to come, network, ask questions and become great. I learned this from my father, Colonel Andonios Neroulias who previously served as President of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce and more so, was the President of AHI (American Hellenic Institute) and for years, and years, and years, would host monthly networking events at the same location in NYC. I would see so many people coming from Greece & Cyprus with their resumes directly to his events, looking to network and my father would always find a way to connect them with someone, or many people, that could help them navigate a new place.

To take that mindset a step further, it was important to build professional development programs, host career fairs, put together fireside chats and leadership dinners, create entrepreneurial workshops, and help connect and foster ‘pick up the phone’ relationships with many incredible Cypriot business leaders in the States so they too could navigate easier and be successful.

Having the full support of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce since that exploratory meeting allowed us to have great mentors along the way. Every Chamber Board Member was excited for the next generation of Cypriots to take over and have it be done in our own style. Social media was starting to get really strong at that point and being that I was in public relations and marketing, that brought in many new ideas from digital perspective that got everyone excited. It was a whole new world to explore.

In creating the Cypriot Young Professionals of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the things that we had to do from the get-go was create an action plan and general education around “CYP.” Who we are, what we do, and how we can help you. By doing so, we knew this would help clear up any questions people may have. I took initiative to organise a one to five-year strategy which always, at the core, was how we were going to generate, 1) awareness and trust in our organisation, 2) events that met our mission, 3) build membership, and ultimately, 4) carry the momentum for years to come.

We were starting something in the Cypriot community that did not exist for the younger generation, and we took this very seriously. One of the reasons we have been able to continue to be successful through all 10 years is because we always have a core group of individuals involved that are part of very different professions which also means they all have different experiences, think differently, and bring in different perspectives, new type of creativity to events, programs, partnerships and ways to promote and push each other to be leaders. It has always blown my mind.

What role does technology, including social media, play in your organisation’s work?

Technology has played a mega role in the formation and also the continuation of the Cypriot Young Professionals. Planning the launch of CYP, Facebook groups and pages were strong, and Instagram was starting to get more steam. I knew that if we wanted to make this a successful organisation, to be effective, to reach wider audiences and ultimately, continue to be relevant for the next era, it was not going to be enough to just go to in-person networking events, pass out flyers and put-up signs. We needed to go digital and that was a huge part of my strategy. Coming from a public relations & marketing background, once we nailed down the name of our organisation within the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the vision and the 5-year plan, I had to create what that looked like socially (traditional in-person events and media), as well as digitally for database, engagement, and all things marketing. Making sure we had a presence digitally through social media, database collecting, newsletters, and website was vital, and was going to be a way where people will be able to find us, and where we could find them as well.

Your organisation recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. What would you consider some of the major milestones of the past 10 years?

If I could sum this up, ultimately, it would be what we have been able to achieve personally because of the Cypriot Young Professionals of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, especially the Founders - that is most notable. We have all stuck together since the initial meetings, we built the organisation to be a resource for others and along the way, each of us created our own very successful businesses and/or expanded our careers. Without realising it, CYP prepared us for so much that was to come, and so much that would be expected of us.

We have politicians and business leaders. For instance, Michael Tannousis (who-- great story-- I met with his sister, Jovanna Tannousis while attending at SUNY Binghamton University, and we started the Hellenic Cultural Society (2004) and even after college ended, kept in touch where a CYP fate awaited), is a New York Assemblyman (just re-elected for his second term) who began his career in public service in 2006 when he was hired as an aide to former New York City Council Minority Leader James Oddo. After graduating law school, he became an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted major felony offenses. We also have Stathis Theodoropoulos who is 4th Ward Councilman for the town of Kearny, New Jersey and is the founder and principal of a successful lighting business, Firefly Lighting, which he has been able to grow due to the many connections he has made through CYP (aka, Method Design is one of his clients).

We have successful leaders who own their own businesses. For instance, Demetrios Comodromos has his architecture + design firm, Method Design (he is an ultra-legacy, as his father is the founder of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce) …we have Petroula Lambrou Kalognomas who left her life as a corporate CPA to start a very successful cake pop & specialty dessert business, Patty Pops…we have Peter Michael who started his own real estate brokerage, Piere Michel Real Estate...we have Tatiana Raftis-Serghides who has been surrounded by cosmetics her whole life, and after the passing of her uncle, the incredible Nikos Mouyiaris, she wanted to carry on what became known as a family business and start a new chapter of cosmetics in the family called, The Beauty Tailor…and me as well (Laura Neroulias Bisiotis) who started my own public relations/marketing company called, LORA PR, focusing on media relations, social media, digital/SEO management, events, celebrity partnerships and more. Many of the CYP Founders are part of my client roster and are my very own clients (Method Design, Patty Pops, Piere Michel Real Estate, etc.). We also have those who have very successful careers at their respective companies including Renos Savvides (20+ years in finance and currently at Neuberger Berman). Also, we have Christina Shailas who served as a two-year term president of CYP and is now living in Cyprus full time. She is the Founder/Director of Gear Education, a boutique firm specialising in educational technology services, working closely with schools to develop strategies that drive change by providing expert consultation and training on the use of technologies in education. Gear Education is proud to be the first Google for Education Partner in Cyprus and she represents the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the Cyprus Liaison.

While we may not be seeing each other at CYP monthly meetings anymore, we all work together and continue to mentor each other in our own ways. Sticking together has been a huge opportunity for us to succeed. Many of us also now sit on the Board of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce which is a big achievement. The Chamber has always been open to us, and being able to sit amongst them is incredible.

Also, can you tell us more about how the anniversary was marked?

On Saturday, 24 June 2023, the Cypriot Young Professionals celebrated and honoured the years of accomplishments the organisation has had over the last decade. Going back to our roots, the event took place at CODE Astoria, previously known as Central Astoria, New York (Cypriot-owned), and more importantly, a venue where CYP hosted all of their events during the first few years of inception.

These were my opening remarks at the CYP 10 Year Anniversary event, “It’s very sentimental and we have great memories here, launching the CYP Mentorship Program, hosting events for the Cyprus Children’s Fund, Saint Basils, and also, just being in the same room and coming together with so many of, “the Greats” of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce that always supported us. As CYP founders, this event is also a thank you to the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as they were the ones that also saw the need to create and put action steps in place to build a platform for young, business-eager Cypriots. They have been supportive of us in several ways, been open to our ideas, letting us run with them, coming to our events, and always picking up the phone if we ever need anything. While they all helped us and moulded us into the business professionals we are today, our goal is to do the same for a continued and bright future for CYP.”

Event sponsors included, Maria Pappas (President of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce) as Presenting Sponsor, Method Design as Benefactor (CYP Founder, Demetrios Comodromos is Partner), as well as many CYP founders and Chamber Board Members companies filled the step & repeat including, LORA PR (Laura Neroulias Bisiotis), Patty Pops (Petroula Lambrou Kalognomas), Firefly Lighting (Stathis Theodoropoulos), Piere Michel Real Estate (Peter Michael), United Glass & Architecture (Lambrou Family), Anna & Andreas D. Comodromos (founder of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce), The CB Concepts (Christos Bisiotis), Lisa & Nicolas Nicolaou (Chairman of the Board of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce), American Network Solutions (Philip Christopher), Hellenic American Bankers Association (HABA), Imian Partners (Ted Kakoyiannis), and much more.

While many of the CYP original founders, Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce Board members, CYP members (past and present) packed the room, the 10 Year Anniversary Event also celebrated the CYP founders supporting the next generation of CYP and the many new, and exciting things set to be announced that will continue to bring a forward-thinking, strategic vision that stands the test of time and emphasises a lifelong commitment to the Cypriot business community.

What is next for CYP? Are there any upcoming events/visits or plans etc. you can share with us at this time?

Personally, I would love to see CYP expand throughout the entire United States. Right now, we (the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber and CYP together) have a great base in New York and New Jersey however there are incredible Cypriots all over America. Especially as so much communication is done virtually, there is a lot of opportunity to get more people involved and also, help and reach more people which is important and part of our DNA.

I think I am a great example of this. I moved to Miami, Florida in 2015 (a couple of years after CYP began), and I was able to still be part of CYP and they were able to help me as well. I have also been serving as a Board Member of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce since 2019 while still living in Florida and have been able to be very involved with events, initiatives, marketing and building programs. There are many ways to grow our network even further, and I would love to be personally responsible for this on behalf of the Chamber and CYP.

Passing the CYP legacy onward, we are focused on having the best leadership in place that will be an important part of CYP’s forward-thinking community, to have a strategic vision that stands the test of time and emphasises a lifelong commitment to the community.

For those that are interested in learning more, or to become a member of the Cypriot Young Professionals of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, I strongly advise them to please visit the website (www.cyprususchamber.com/young-professionals) and also email: Cypriotyoungpro@gmail.com while they can also find us on social media (Instagram: www.instagram.com/cypriotyoungpros/ ,Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/CYPCUCC ,Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/CYPCUCC/ )