The National Hellenic Student Association of North America has announced it will host its 23rd bi-annual convention in the heart of Toronto, Canada, March 20-22. With a focus on leadership, the NHSA Convention is poised to bring together students, young professionals, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders in various fields, for a weekend of presentations, networking, and socializing.

“We are delighted to be welcomed back to Toronto after eight years, with strong support from the local Hellenic Student Associations, as well as political and business leaders,” said NHSA Chairman Konstantine Ouranitsas. “We look forward to the speaker line-up that promises to deliver an engaging conversation,” he said.

Canada’s largest city, Toronto is known for its famous CN Tower, gorgeous lake scenery, and proximity to Niagara Falls, and is home to some 45,000 Greek-Canadians. In fact, Greek is the 20th most popular language in Toronto, according to the 2016 Canada Census.

Every year, NHSA offers students and young professionals the opportunity to grow academically, professionally, and socially, through unique networking and engagement projects along with their peers and established professionals of the Hellenic community in North America, Greece, and Cyprus.

The NHSA Convention comes offers a great deal: $160 for visitors (including a 2-night hotel stay), and $65 for locals, offering an affordable weekend comprised of a day-long conference, three group meals, transportation, an organized walking tour, and an NHSA t-shirt. Attendees may also qualify for travel and attendance stipends. For more information, visit nhsaofamerica.org.

This year’s NHSA Convention speakers include:

Fotini Iconomopoulos: Nicknamed ‘the negotiator’ since childhood, Iconomopoulos is an expert communicator with a passion for helping organizations and individuals get what they want. For the last decade, she has been helping Fortune 500 clients and audiences to achieve their business goals, increase profitability, and create a competitive advantage.

Steve Kriaris: Founder of the Kolonaki Group, a food and beverage product import company, Kriaris introduced the magic of Greece to Canadian consumers some two decades ago as a young entrepreneur. Today, his portfolio consists of over 80 products from Greece and over 80 wines and spirits from around the globe.

Anastasios Moussas: Founder ICS and an SOS Children’s Villages Ambassador, Moussas has offered his services to numerous governmental agencies (both provincial and federal), companies, NGOs and international organizations.

Dr. Marie Bountrogianni: Former Dean of the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University, Dr. Bountrogianni advises governments nationally and internationally on accessibility and other issues, including New Zealand, Ukraine, Greece, Korea, and Japan.

Tony Lourakis: An award-winning entrepreneur, business leader and philanthropist, Lourakis is CEO of Fleet Complete, the fastest-growing telematics company in the world, continuously ranking on Growth 500, Deloitte Fast 500, and Branham300. Active in the Greek-Canadian community, he also serves as president of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation.

Voula McLaughlin: Founder of Reaching for the Stars Children’s Foundation, McLaughlin left her career in advertising to help orphaned and abandoned children. The annual Reaching for the Stars fundraising event has raised more than half a million dollars for children. McLaughlin runs the organization on a full time basis, visiting the children she helps through her foundation.

Peter Polydor: Founder and President of Ergo Holdings, a privately-held group of companies in the finance, tech and real estate sectors, Polydor focuses on investments in tech and high-growth sectors. In addition to his work at Ergo Capital, Peter is the Founder of the Eureka Building, a 3-acre tech hub meant to foster innovation and entrepreneurs with locations in California and Canada.

Themistoklis Aravossitas: A teacher of Modern Greek Language and Culture at the University of Toronto and at York University, Aravossitas’ research focuses on Greek and heritage language education in North America. His publications include, among others: Rethinking Heritage Language Education (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and Language Diversity and Education Matters (Gutenberg, 2019).

The National Hellenic Student Association of North America serves as an umbrella for Hellenic student organizations of universities throughout the United States and Canada. NHSA, the largest Hellenic student and young professional organization in North America, with over 50 member-chapters, promotes Hellenism, education, mentorship, and overall unity of the Hellenic community.