NEW YORK – The 14th Concordia Annual Summit opened with fascinating discussions and engaging speakers on September 23 at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel in New York City. Nicholas Logothetis, Concordia Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, gave the welcoming remarks along with Matthew Swift, Concordia Co-Founder, President and CEO. Logothetis noted that the name Concordia “is derived from Latin and means harmony and peace and speaks to the core of our mission in creating cross-sector partnerships for social impact.”

The Annual Summit is “the largest and most inclusive, non-partisan gathering alongside the United Nations General Assembly,” Logothetis said and thanked everyone for attending. “Thank you for being here today and thank you for being a part of this impressive, mission-driven community.”

The Global Mental Health Crisis among Young People: A Conversation with Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, and Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, drew a capacity crowd on the first day of the Summit. The global mental health crisis has reached unprecedented levels, affecting millions worldwide. However, amidst the challenges, The Diana Award, created to empower young people to make positive change, is keen to create a campaign centered on hope. The Diana Award is driven by Princess Diana’s belief that “young people have the power to change the world” and this conversation included two young winners of the Diana Legacy Award, Christina Williams from Jamaica and Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia. Together the panel explored the reasons behind the mental health crisis, shared insights into overcoming mental health struggles, and highlighted the power of hope and resilience.

Bolstering U.S. Diplomatic Strength in Times of Tension featured U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Nicholas Logothetis in a timely fireside conversation. Senator Coons shared his foreign policy expertise and insight as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, emphasizing both the role and challenges of U.S. diplomatic engagement within the competitive international security environment. In advancing U.S. national interests and supporting key allies and multinational coalitions, Senator Coons spoke on leading transatlantic efforts to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and NATO commitments, confronting rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and working to counter destabilizing activities in the Middle East.

Leadership Remarks were made by George Logothetis, Executive Chairman of Libra Group and Co-chair of Concordia’s Leadership Council, highlighting the importance of leadership in society. Libra Group is the 2024 Concordia Annual Founding Sponsor. Logothetis spoke about visiting an organization in Greece that helps children suffering from cancer, noting that “these children sang songs of hope and joy to us… It was deeply stirring, deeply moving.”

“Kindness can flourish in the wake of pain… love, community and leadership count a great deal… to the young leaders of tomorrow with us today, I say to you now, you have not failed until you stop trying and you are not defeated until you stop fighting,” he said. “The path to being the best version of self is not paved with selfish stones… let Concordia this inspiring gathering of souls from all over this planet, more than 100 countries represented here, remind us all of our better angels… Few things in this world are perfect, but we do have perfect moments, this is one of them, thank you, we have much to be grateful for.”

General Wesley Clark gave the introduction for the presentation of the 2024 Concordia Leadership Award to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The award recognizes global leaders within the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who inspire others through their ability to turn vision into impact. Stoltenberg then shared his insights in a discussion with General Philip Breedlove (USAF, Ret.).

Greek-American General Andrew Poppas, Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command, was one of the panelists in the Leadership through Crisis discussion along with NobleReach Foundation CEO Arun Gupta, Professor Karthik Ramanna of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, and moderator Shaila Manyam, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Burson. Gen. Poppas said: “It is a privilege to be here and I am very grateful to share the stage with the experts… Building trust is an imperative part, especially within the military around the world… the trust comes when you have that foundation, building the team, and that team comes from shared experiences, sharing hardships… mental and physical, and when you come through that, what I call leadership laboratories, and as you go through them, we build confidence in each execution, in each other as a team, but also in your leader.”

Aria Hotels, Libra Group’s Greek-born hospitality subsidiary, also announced at the Summit that it is expanding internationally to Cartagena, Colombia, with Aria Maria, named in honor of ‘Maria Me Ta Kitrina’ (Maria Dressed in Yellow), a song beloved by both Libra Group Executive Chairman George Logothetis and former President of Colombia Ivan Duque since their childhoods. Makis Pantazatos, Aria Hotels CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the venture, noting that “we are proud to bring the authentic Greek hospitality experience to Latin America for the first time.”

More information is available online: www.ariahotels.gr.

The Concordia Summit runs through September 25. Learn more on the website: https://www.concordialive.com/2024annualsummit/home.