As part of the large-scale #LiveALegacy2026 conference in Athens, important networking meetings and discussions about future partnerships took place between the NGO “Association of Ukrainian Women in Greece,” Business Woman magazine, and representatives of Greek women’s organizations, educational initiatives, and social projects.
Special attention was given to meetings with Maria-Nefeli Chatziioannidou — Member of the Greek Parliament, social entrepreneur, and founder of the initiatives “Code it Like a Girl” and “Yperoxes Gynaikes” — as well as with Penelope Theodorakakou.
The Live A Legacy 2026 conference, organized by Mastercard and WHEN under the slogan “Hear the Stories. Embrace the Wave,” brought together women from business, IT, media, sports, and the arts to discuss female leadership, professional growth, and the power of personal stories.
For Ukrainian women in Greece, events like these are becoming not only a source of inspiration, but also a real tool for development, integration, and launching their own projects. This mission is currently being carried out by Business Woman magazine’s director in Greece, Hanna Oliinych, together with the team of the NGO “Association of Ukrainian Women in Greece,” creating a support platform for women who aspire to grow and build a new professional future abroad.
Some of the most powerful moments of the conference were the speeches delivered by the speakers and experts.
Maria-Nefeli Chatziioannidou emphasized that women no longer need to wait for permission to be heard in politics, technology, and business.
During her speech, Penelope Theodorakakou shared a phrase that became one of the key messages of the event:
“People’s stories have the power to change other people’s lives.”
A particularly strong impression was also made by the speech of AI educator Georgia Maniati, who spoke about gender stereotypes in professional environments and language:
“The word ‘doctor’ has no gender — and competence doesn’t either.”
Meanwhile, digitalization and artificial intelligence expert Vasilis Tsolis highlighted an important message for everyone afraid to begin something new in the AI field:
“You do not need to know everything to start. Begin with what you already know — and the path will reveal itself.”
It is precisely these stories, ideas, and connections that are shaping a new wave of female leadership today — open, international, and action-oriented.
As a result of the networking meetings, preliminary agreements were reached regarding future cooperation, the implementation of joint women’s business gatherings “Women Who Act,” as well as new international initiatives to support Ukrainian women in Greece.
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Photo: from the archieve of Anna Oliynych