Launched in May 2025, AmCham Greece’s office in Washington DC affords the Chamber a permanent presence in the United States, allowing it to work on the ground, at the heart of US and global decisionmaking, to deliver value for member companies and fortify bilateral trade relations.
American Trojan – A Book Talk with Dr. C. L. Max Nikias
C.L.M. Nikias, K. Sokou
AmCham Greece – USA had the pleasure of hosting Dr. C. L. Max Nikias, President Emeritus of the University of Southern California (USC), at its Washington DC office for a fireside chat about his new book, the memoir American Trojan: Leadership, Resilience, and the Renewal of Higher Education.
The conversation focused on Dr. Nikias’s journey as an immigrant to the United States and how his bold vision transformed USC into one of America’s most elite universities: During his time as president, he worked to build bridges between USC’s two campuses and sought to position the university for leadership in the increasingly challenging landscape of higher education, driving key decisions that helped USC’s reputation soar and implementing a record-breaking fundraising campaign that secured resources for groundbreaking research and lifechanging student scholarships.
Further discussion centered on the future of higher education, looking at its current crisis and the core problems facing universities today, and exploring the need for renewal and Dr. Nikias’s recommendations for how universities can reclaim and fulfill their role in transmitting knowledge, driving technological progress and societal impact.
Born in Cyprus, Dr. Chrysostomos L. Max Nikias served as the eleventh president of USC, a position he held from August 3, 2010, to August 7, 2018. He is currently President Emeritus and a Life Trustee of the university and the holder of the Malcolm R. Currie Chair in Technology and the Humanities. He is recognized internationally for his pioneering research on digital signal processing, digital media systems, and biomedicine. The US Department of Defense has adopted a number of his innovations and patents in sonar, radar, and communication systems.
Exploring the Role of the Greek Diaspora
A view of the panel discussion
AmCham Greece – USA participated in the ACG in Conversation – Washington DC 2026 event, which was organized by the American College of Greece under the auspices of the Embassy of Greece in the USA and held at the University Club in Washington DC. Looking at the role of the Greek diaspora in promoting Greece’s longterm, sustainable growth, the event focused on how talent, investment, and international partnerships can strengthen Greece’s future.
AmCham Greece was represented at the event by Katerina Sokou, Executive Director of the Washington DC office, who moderated an engaging panel discussion titled “Empowering Greece’s growth through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.” The panelists—which included Michael Printzos, Country Director for The Hellenic Initiative (THI) in Greece; Marcos Veremis, partner at Accolade Partners; and Dr. Ed Wingenbach, President of The American College of Greece—discussed the role of international academic and technological partnerships in strengthening Greece’s future and supporting sustainable growth and explored the contribution of the diaspora in advancing education, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Greece.
Showcasing Greece as a Life Sciences and Biotech Hub
The delegation outside the Greek Consulate General in San Francisco
AmCham Greece – USA joined forces with Enterprise Greece, Hellenic Biocluster (HBio), and a delegation of nine elite Greek startups, scaleups, and innovation platforms during their visit to California, where they traveled to showcase Greece’s considerable potential as Europe’s new, emerging biotech and life sciences hub.
On June 26, 2026, AmCham Greece – USA Executive Director Katerina Sokou was among a handful of distinguished individuals invited to speak at “Greece – Redefining the Future of Life Sciences,” a special business and investment networking event hosted by the Consulate of Greece in San Francisco for the Greek mission. Highlighting the impressive capabilities of Greece’s biotech and life sciences industries, Sokou noted that the Chamber’s Washington DC office has observed growing US interest in the Greek biotech ecosystem, as investors seek to capitalize on the opportunities for transatlantic partnerships and European market access that Greece offers in its positioning to scale up its global life sciences.
The curated gathering was attended by select Bay Area investors, VCs, biotech executives, research institutions, and other ecosystem stakeholders who had the opportunity to find out more about the work of the nine participating Greek companies operating across the fields of precision diagnostics and liquid biopsy, oncology and regenerative medicine, AI-enabled drug repurposing, therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, CRO and regulatory services, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and biotech infrastructure and innovation support services.
Energy Security and the Vital Role of Greek Shipping
K. Sokou addressing the CBS Alumni Club of New York event
AmCham Greece – USA had a chance to present the Chamber’s Washington DC office at a Columbia Business School (CBS) alumni event in New York. The timely panel discussion, titled “When Chokepoints Close: The New Art of Energy War, Shipping, and Supply Chains,” was organized by Niovi Christopoulou, Chair of the Global Business and Tech Committee of the CBS Alumni Club of New York. The event featured a panel discussion followed by a networking reception.
The event’s speakers were Olga Khakova, Nonresident Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center; Diego Rivera Rivota, Senior Research Associate at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA); Dr. Nikos Tsakos, CEO of Tsakos Navigation; and Alex Whittington, Director of International Affairs at Cheniere Energy. Moderated by Yavuz “Vincent” Arik, Energy Consultant at Blend, the panel discussion centered on the weaponization of energy and the energy crisis resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Key takeaways included the importance of securing the supply chains to alleviate future energy crises and the vital role of shipping in the global energy supply, particularly the role of Greek shipping in moving US LNG into Europe.
During the event, AmCham Greece – USA Executive Director Katerina Sokou argued that Greece is a reliable US partner able to play an even bigger role as part of a secure supply chain for international and transatlantic trade and investment in strategic sectors including defense, technology, energy, and shipping.
A Partnership Fit for the Future
By Katerina Sokou, Executive Director, AmCham Greece – USA
By collaborating with the Greek American community, AmCham Greece can help unlock the potential of US-Greece economic ties.
The Greek American community is one of the most vibrant and influential ethnic communities in the United States. Every critical intervention or key moment in US-Greece relations has arguably been facilitated by one, and usually more, Greek Americans.
When the Greek financial crisis of 2010 erupted, the resulting economic malaise and social cost mobilized the Hellenic community, which rallied to support philanthropic and entrepreneurial projects in Greece. Today, with Greece’s strong recovery underway and attracting investors from around the world, the diaspora is also participating in projects and partnerships that are contributing to the transition of the Greek economy toward a more extroverted, innovation-oriented growth model. For its part, the Greek government has created incentives to repatriate the skilled expats lost to brain drain during the crisis years and to attract foreign talent, including from the Greek diaspora.
AmCham Greece’s expansion into the United States represents a historic opportunity to work with the Greek American community
Functioning as a bridge between the two nations, the Hellenic community’s networks and organizations in the United States have long driven people-to-people ties and institutional connections between the US and Greece. Successful Greek Americans are no longer just restoring their ancestral village properties. They are also mentoring startups, supporting philanthropic organizations, and actively investing in and working from Greece, unveiling the diaspora’s potential as an agent of positive economic change.
The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce appreciates the strategic value of the Greek American community and is focused on strengthening its economic ties to Greece. Shortly after the inauguration of our US office in Washington DC, we sent a letter to the largest Hellenic organizations inviting them to collaborate toward our common goal of a closer partnership between Greece and the United States. To this end, in May 2026, AmCham Greece signed a memorandum of understanding with the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce, a strong New York-based business network that connects Greek and American business, culture, and education.
Our Washington DC office is also broadening its membership to include the Greek American community, bringing new US members into our dynamic business network in Greece and providing access to our global AmCham resources, including the United States Chamber of Commerce. We are engaging top talent and resources, making connections for academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and startups, and facilitating business partnerships to drive technological and business innovation across emerging as well as traditional sectors. At the same time, we are also advocating for policies that foster seamless brain circulation, supporting the creation of a more competitive Greek economy and promoting closer US-Greece economic ties.
Recognizing the diaspora’s work in preserving Hellenism and promoting bilateral relations, AmCham Greece President John D. Saracakis noted in his letter to the Greek American organizations that it is an honor for the Chamber to join their critical mission. Our Washington DC office is committed to serving both our Greek and US-based members, and our expansion into the United States represents a historic opportunity to work with the Greek American community to realize the full potential of a well-integrated diaspora to the mutual benefit of Hellenism, the Greek economy, and bilateral relations between our two countries.
