27 January 2017
Opening of the Trading Session, Friday, January 27, 2017
The best "Virtual Businesses"
of Junior Achievement Greece

 

The Athens Stock Exchange welcomed in today's opening of the trading session the best «Virtual Businesses» of Junior Achievement Greece.

In 2016, the Athens Stock Exchange opened its doors to extrovert-oriented listed and unlisted companies with successful business plans, innovative ideas, and efficient management teams. We shall continue to welcome entrepreneurship stories at the Opening and Closing of the trading sessions of the Athens Stock Exchange.

The Athens Stock Exchange, expanding the initiative already implemented on informing and educating secondary and post-secondary education students about the Athens Stock Exchange and the concept of shareholding, welcomed for the first time students that declared the session open and presented their own «Virtual Business».  

More specifically, it hosted students from the 1^st General High School of Kalymnos, the Alonia Pieria Junior High, the High School of Psychiko College, and the 2^nd High School of Arsakeio Psychiko, who excelled in the National Competition of the «Best Virtual Business» program, presenting their own businesses.  

The international program «Virtual Business» has been implemented in junior highs and high schools throughout Greece for the last 11 years by the non-profit educational organization «Junior Achievement Greece», under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs. The Team «Kalymnos Climbing Escape» excelled in the respective 2015 Greek Competition. In the Greek Competition held on June 24, 2016, the Team «Smileybin» from the Junior High of Alonia Pieria won first place, followed by the Team «MAPP» of the High School of Psychiko College, and Team «Epeikon» from the 2^nd High School of Arsakeio Psychiko.

The CEO of the ASE, Sokratis Lazaridis, congratulated all students, their teachers, and Junior Achievement Greece for this excellent initiative and stated:
«The Athens Stock Exchange shall support entrepreneurship and the initiatives of Junior Achievement Greece that provides experiential training to young people.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome these young people that experiment on the idea of entrepreneurship, establish virtual companies, design products and services, and come up with innovative ideas.  

This initiative is significant for one more reason; the students dared to put themselves out there, and publicly present their "businesses". It is the opportunity to showcase the value created by effort, and in collaboration with their classmates, as well as with external volunteering partners. This challenge to achieve extroversion is needed now more than ever.

This effort is even more important, because it can motivate other young people to engage in entrepreneurship and feel what it is like to create things whose value is respected globally".

The President of Junior Achievement Greece, Litsa Panagiotopoulou, stated: "The efforts of Junior Achievement Greece focus on the introduction of young students to the modern business world, to facilitate their fast integration and functioning in the 21^st century, as well as to help and encourage their decision to thrive. Today's unique event -pioneering for the Athens Stock Exchange and Junior Achievement Greece- coupled with the cooperation and participation of the ASE provides them with the opportunity to get to know and learn about of the basic operating mechanisms of modern markets; an experience not easily gained at a young age. It shall greatly contribute to our efforts, and the work of Junior Achievement Greece".

The General Director of Junior Achievement Greece, Argyris Tzikopoulos, stated: "Junior Achievement Greece offers Greek students many opportunities to successfully follow the path to innovation and entrepreneurship. Today's memorable event at the ASE was one of them, because it honored all participating students and gave them the chance to meet important people. Now, they want to set higher goals, and we are certain they are eager enough to achieve them".  

For all of us here at the Athens Stock Exchange, it is important to contribute to a mentality change from consumption to production and from savings to investment.  

The question is how fast can investment activity be developed, within a globalized and continuously changing milieu, and how will it shape the country's productive fabric that will determine the terms of production for the next 50 years. 

Πρόγραμμα Παρουσιάσεων
00:00	Greeting Mr. Pantelis Lamprou, Strategic Communication & Market Analysis Division
05:32	Speech Mr. Argyris Tzikopoulos, General Director of Junior Achievement Greece
11:32	Journalist Ms. Maria Giannetou, Head of Press and Public Relations "Virtual Businesses" of Junior Achievement Greece
13:02	Team «Kalymnos Climbing Escape
27:11	Journalist Ms. Maria Giannetou, Head of Press and Public Relations "Virtual Businesses" of Junior Achievement Greece
27:52	Team«Εpeikon», 2nd High School of Arsakeio Psychiko
36:58	Journalist Ms. Maria Giannetou, Head of Press and Public Relations "Virtual Businesses" of Junior Achievement Greece
37:30	Team «ΜΑPP», High School of Psychiko College
47:35	Journalist Ms. Maria Giannetou, Head of Press and Public Relations "Virtual Businesses" of Junior Achievement Greece
48:17	Team «Smileybin», High School of Alonia Pieria
58:35	Journalist Ms. Maria Giannetou, Head of Press and Public Relations "Virtual Businesses" of Junior Achievement Greece
58:39	Speech Ms. Litsa Panagiotopoulou, President of Junior Achievement Greece
1:15:16	Position Mr.Sokratis Lazaridis, CEO of the ASE

 

 

Video of the event of January 27, 2017
Presentation of the best «Virtual Businesses» of Junior Achievement Greece
Highlights of the event of January 27, 2017	Opening the event of January 27, 2017
Statements Ms. Panagiota Frangos Team «Kalymnos Climbing Escape 1st General High School of Kalymnos	Statements Mr. Thanos Karamitsos Team MAPP High School of Psychiko College
Statements Ms.Helen Markopoulos Team MAPP High School of Psychiko College	Statements κας. Tania Pantelidou Team SMILEYBIN High School of Alonia Pieria
Statements κας.Dimitra Chatziangelaki Team EPEIKON 2nd High School of Arsakeio Psychiko	Statements κας. Iro Zioudrou Team SMILEYBIN High School of Alonia Pieria
Statements κου. Panagiotis Gellos Volunteer, Founder Conferience consultant SmileyBin	Statements κου.  George Doukidis Professor Athens University of Economics Vice President of Junior Achievement Greece
Statements κου. John Risopoulos Journalist, Board Member Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Association	Statements κου. Helen Shkodra, Life & Business Coach Member KEMEL
Statements κου. Gerasimos Skouras Parent

 

Photos of the event

 

The best "Virtual Businesses" of Junior Achievement Greece

1^st Prize - 2015: 1^st General High School of Kalymnos: "Kalymnos Climbing Escape"

• "Κalymnos Climbing Escape": A website showcasing in an innovative and distinctive way how Kalymnos has recently become the top international destination for climbing, boasting high quality rocks, and over 2,500 signposted routes.

1^st Prize - 2016: High School of Alonia Pieria: "Smileybin"

• European Innovation Award "MetLife Life Changer Award", and European "Leading Personality Award" to the President of "Smileybin", Maria Kokala.
• "SMILEYBIN": A smart recycling bin with a user reward system. Recyclable materials are weighed, and discount points are collected towards either municipal taxes or stores.

2^nd Prize - 2016: High School of Psychiko College: "Μapp"

• "Mapp" (Marathon APPlication): A mobile app that aims to promote the Authentic Marathon of Athens. It provides an innovative tracking service that enables tracking and tracing of runners.

3^rd Prize - 2016: 2^nd High School of Arsakeio Psychiko: "Epeikon"

• "Εpeikon": A mobile app combined with VR cardboard glasses, virtually transferring users to the Temple of Epicurean Apollo -a 5^th century BC monument-, aiming to promote Greek civilization and reinforce the Greek economy.

 

About Junior Achievement Greece

Junior Achievement Greece is the Greek chapter of Junior Achievement Worldwide, which is the largest and most longstanding non-profit educational organization in the world, implementing entrepreneurship programs and basic economic principles in 122 countries, with the participation of over 10 million students per year. Junior Achievement was established in the US approximately 100 years ago.  

For 11 consecutive years, Junior Achievement Greece has been implementing modern global educational programs in primary, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.

The work of Junior Achievement Greece is supported by teachers and volunteers that selflessly offer their time to implement those programs. All JAG initiatives are implemented at no cost for the children, since they are financed through sponsorships from institutions, member-companies, and private individuals.

 

About Athens Exchange Group

The Athens Stock Exchange since its establishment in 1876, consistently participate in the financial and business developments in the country.

Athens Exchange Group (ATHEX Group), provides support to the Greek Capital Market. ATHEX Group operates the organized Equities and Derivatives markets, the alternative market and performs clearing and settlement of trades.

The Athens Stock Exchange, through its markets, offers solutions and financing tools to businesses, expands investor choice by providing a safe, stable and easy environment in full alignment with international practices and the European regulatory framework.

Its shares are traded on the Main Market of the Athens Exchange (Symbol: EXAE). More information about the Athens Exchange Group, can be found in the links provided here, website, company profile and overview of the market.