#5000 by 2020
Elpida Kokkota
Huge it certainly is, with Elpida’s ef-
forts now spanning upward of ten
countries as far-flung as Costa Rica
and Ukraine. The MeXOXO pro-
Athens, Greece
@elpidamexoxo
gram has evolved to offer three stages
to women in need of “a little push,”
In 2015, Elpida Kokkota made a commitment to the as she describes it. The educational
as mentioned, kick off with
Clinton Global Initiative to empower 5,000 women parties,
interactive sessions in both hard and
by 2020. Naturally, this recipient of the Greek soft skills, with plenty of motivation
and encouragement. One-to-one
International Women Award for Social Responsi- personal
consultations follow, con-
bility is on track to hit her target—and beyond. As ducted by MeXOXO’s team of ex-
from which participants take
Elpida’s non-profit community MeXOXO contin- perts,
away a fully formed business plan,
ues to build momentum on the global stage, she three-year financial plan, and pitch
The third stage, recently re-
discusses adapting her offering for the current cli- deck.
vised, places MeXOXO women in
mate and upholding a positive outlook in the most front of investors, offering the
chance to see their business ideas re-
challenging of times.
alized. In the first 18 months of op-
eration alone, the program has
opened $1M worth of opportunities
to women previously excluded from
the business world.
“I learn so much from them,”
says Elpida of the global “sisterhood.”
“We support women through serious
health and/or family issues. And it’s
through this that we learn to see life
differently.”
Her infectious positivity, she
thinks, is in part generational:
“We are driven by higher values. Our
How many organizations do you parents … raised us to be more free,
know that throw “educational par- more creative. I believe chaos is
ties”? Welcome to MeXOXO, important to existence because it
where positivity, color, and fun radi- means happiness is coming—it’s like
ate from the activities of a diverse the Big Bang.” But it’s also on entre-
network of women who are, con- preneurs like herself to “draft the
versely, facing some extremely tough future of the world,” she says. “The
situations. “We’re more of a com- more [they] create, the better this
munity
than a network,” says Elpida world will be. The majority of
Refer a friend
of her creation. “Our model is [based people who create social enterprises
Do you work with people with Hult
on] synergy. We have recorded that do this because they don’t want to
DNA? Recommend a colleague, friend,
for every woman we help, she testi- see pain anymore. At the end of the
or family member to study at Hult to
fies
to support four more women day, if we are not imagining some-
receive rewards for both you and them.
within
her family and community. thing bigger, higher—then what’s
Contact [email protected] for more info.
The indirect impact is huge.”
the point?”
Founder & CEO
24
MBA
Class of 2011
Changing Planet
The
Human Moment
By Dr. Amy Bradley
Leadership professor, Hult International Business School
Our organizations are becom-
ing increasingly dehumanized.
The move toward an AI-driven
world of work means intense
competition for a finite number
of “human” resources, and in
our drive to get ahead, our
capacity to notice and care
for ourselves and others is
diminished. →
Faculty
25