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Name: Ioannis Verdelis
Current Startup: Syntellia, Fleksy
Education:
- MS in Information Systems, and Organization/Management from The University of Manchester
- BS in Computer Science from the University of Warwick
Bio: At the start of his career, Ioannis developed the first fractional property ownership program launched in Dubai. With his help, Select Property achieved both commercial success and publicity as one of the biggest innovators in the overseas property market.
Ioannis then joined Best International, a real estate consulting group. He undertook projects in 24 countries, was a speaker in a number of conferences, and featured in a series of publications in the real estate press. Under Ioannis’s tenure, Best International achieved 100% revenue growth despite an otherwise challenging real estate market in Europe, and became widely recognized as a leader in Europe’s real estate market, winning a series of awards.
Lessons Learned: We were one of the applicants for the Empact100 List, a showcase of best companies started by entrepreneurs under 30, and were invited to attend the recognition event at the White House and Chamber of Commerce. We did not make the list because we did meet the entire criteria for the contest, but met a lot of great people and learned about a lot of exciting startups. I found that entrepreneurs in my peer group are very willing to share what has and hasn’t worked for them and their startups. One thing I learned from attending this event is that we need to build up our network and learn from each others mistakes.
Staying Motivated: I never have a problem staying motivated because I am very excited by what I do. I am solving a problem that people are able to relate to and understand 99% of the time. It is very gratifying and encouraging to know that you have support. Finding people who support you can help with motivation if you are discouraged.
Greatest Mentors: I have been listening to people around me who are also working on startups. We are currently working out of RocketSpace and we get to talk with a lot of other technology startups.
I am also excited to find mentors and build relationships with startup founders at Founders Network.
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