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About

Thanks for stopping by.

I was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and grew up in Halkidiki and later in Kilkis — a small, family-friendly town in Northern Greece with wonderful people.

Lake Doirani in Kilkis

My introduction to technology came early: in 1987 my dad got me and my brother our first computer, an Amstrad 6128  – the one all the cool kids had: diskette drive included. The 464? Cassette tapes. That was enough to permanently infect me with the tech bug.

My first computer was a Amstrad CPC 6128 launched in 1985. What was yours?
You are a real gamer only when you have played Ghosts’n’Goblins on the green pixel screen of Amstrad

I went on to study Electrical and Computer Engineering at Democritus University of Thrace, and later moved to Athens, where I joined Microsoft full-time. Alongside my professional career, I completed an MBA and a Ph.D. at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), both within the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Xanthi Old Town
The old town of Xanthi, shaped by the wealth and influence of tobacco merchants who built many of its most beautiful houses.

Professionally, I have been with Microsoft Greece since 2000, working across a wide range of roles — including marketing, technology evangelism, sales, partner development, startups, and leading the Microsoft Innovation Center. Over the years, I’ve worked both as a team leader and as an individual contributor, always at the intersection of technology, business, and people. Currently, I am part of the AI Startups team at Microsoft EMEA, building partnerships with the next unicorns and most promising scale-ups of the Central And Eastern Europe.

Bill Gates inaugurates IMicrosoft Innovation Centre in Greece - YouTube
Bill Gates inaugurating Microsoft Innovation Center in Greece in 2008 – the first tech incubator and ecosystem builder in the country, supporting over 800 startups over the years.

I am deeply passionate about technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and education in Greece. I strongly believe in the talent and brainpower we have in the country, and I try to contribute back whenever possible. Over the years, I’ve been involved as a mentor, supporter, or advisor in several startup and innovation initiatives in Greece and Europe, including Startupbootcamp, theEgg, SEV, iT4Gov, Microsoft Innovation Center Greece, Startup Tel Aviv, Founders Institute, Innovation Farm, and others.

I have also served on the strategic advisory committee of the MSc in Management Science & Technology (MSM) at the Athens University of Economics and Business, participated in the National Competitiveness Advisory Board of the Greek Ministry of Development, and acted as a reviewer for EU Commission R&D projects in grid infrastructure for e-science.

Coaching is another area I care deeply about. I hold a certification in executive coaching, and I see coaching as one of the most powerful ways for people to learn, grow, and support one another — both professionally and personally.

In my free time, I write music, play tennis, and travel. These hobbies help me stay curious and creative.

This blog is a place where I write about  AI, startups, tech trends and thinking in progress — sometimes structured, sometimes exploratory.

You can find me on

— Fotis