Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou awards Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Creator and Owner of the easy family of brands and Founder and President of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation has awarded young entrepreneurship in Cyprus for the first time.

This was achieved through the presentation of the 'Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2023,' during a ceremony held on 15 September at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation on Markou Drakou Street, Nicosia.

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou awarded a total of €60,000 to the top three entrepreneurial ideas, which were selected from 23 participants (1st Prize €30,000, 2nd Prize €20,000, 3rd Prize €10,000).

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou congratulated the three winners via Zoom, while Rena Rouvitha-Panou, a member of the Board of Directors of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation based in Cyprus, presented the awards to the three distinguished individuals in the presence of representatives from the media.

The first prize of €30,000 was awarded to Theodoros Panayides, the owner of the 'Stavros' restaurant in Pedoulas.

"Stavros" was a big dream that Theodoros Panayides turned into reality. The restaurant, located in Pedoulas, serves as a meeting point for people from all over the world. In a comfortable and welcoming space, with a breathtaking view, visitors can taste local products created with traditional Cypriot recipes. Theodoros Panayides stated that the prize would contribute to expanding "Stavros" to become a unified venue for dining, accommodation, and relaxation for tourists, with a focus on promoting Cypriot tradition and culture.

The second prize of €20,000 was awarded to Hasan Siber for the company 'Colive Ltd'.

With a vision of a more peaceful world, Colive Ltd produces extra virgin olive oil from olives that thrive on both sides of the island. The goal is economic cooperation between the two communities through the production of olive-based products. All proceeds from production are dedicated to building a larger community of farmers and food producers in conflict areas, with the ultimate goal of promoting global peace. Hasan Siber mentioned, "We are delighted to have won one of the 'Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus.' This prize will help us expand our business and promote Cyprus abroad."

The third prize of €10,000 was given to Eudokia Hadjiadamos for the 'Luluki Coffee and Donuts Shop' in Aglantzia.

At Luluki, fragrant coffee and delicious donuts meet in harmony. Combining classic and unconventional flavors, as well as offering vegan options, Luluki provides a variety of products such as Donut pancakes, Sweet donut burgers, Donut sandwiches, donut bites, and Donut tower cakes. Eudokia Hadjiadamos stated, "The award will help improve our training methods and marketing strategies while contributing to the further recognition of our brand."

During the award ceremony, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou said: "I am delighted because, for the first time this year, we are awarding young entrepreneurship in Cyprus. Congratulations to all candidates. For the first year, we received 23 applications with great proposals, which made the final selection process very challenging. That's why I invite the candidates to reapply next year, along with other young entrepreneurs who wish to participate in the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus. I am truly proud because we have chosen three worthy consumer-facing start-ups, two of which are in the hospitality sector and one in the production of top-quality agricultural products for retail. The fact that one of the three winners runs a business in my late father's homeland, Pedoulas, makes today's award ceremony even more special. Also, the owner of Colive Ltd is a long-standing friend of the Foundation, as his awarded company today is a thriving business registered in the Republic of Cyprus that contributes to the development of the country's economy and has been previously honoured as part of the Bi-Communal Awards."

The 'Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2023' mark the first event of its kind on the island, mirroring the established awards for young entrepreneurs in Greece, that have been running since 2008. The aim of the 'Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs' is to become an institution in Cyprus, running alongside the Stelios Bi-Communal Awards, which have been honoring Bi-communal business cooperation since 2009.

The Stelios Bi-Communal Awards will return in November, inviting interested bi-communal business teams (1 Greek Cypriot, 1 Turkish Cypriot) to submit their applications by the end of January 2024, since the award ceremony is scheduled for March 2024. This year prizes offer €10,000 to each of 20 entrepreneurs, each being a member of 10 bi-communal winner teams of two local business practicing bi-communal business cooperation. The total amount of the awards for 2023 will be €200,000.

As previously mentioned, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is Creator and Owner of the easy family of brands (www.easycom & www.easyHistory.info) and the Founder and President of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation (https://steliosfoundation.com.cy/