Starttech Ventures is delighted to announce that our founder and head of entrepreneurship, Dimitris Tsingos, is to receive a prestigious Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund (GMF).
Tsingos co-founded Greece’s first student startup in 2000 (Virtual Trip). He is behind 10 spin-off tech startups launched between 2003 and today, was selected among 68 Marshall Memorial Fellows for the 2017-18 application cycle—41 from Europe and 27 from the United States.
What is the Marshall Memorial Fellowship?
Flagship leadership program
The Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) is, in essence, the GMF’s flagship leadership development program. Created in 1982 to introduce a new generation of European leaders to the United States. It awards the best and brightest from all sectors, including business, government, and civil society.
Tsingos said:
“It’s an honor to receive this fellowship in what is the 70th anniversary year of the Marshall Plan”
“The Marshall Plan represented an audacious and innovative strategy to tackle the most pressing challenges of its time. And the spirit of that plan is as relevant today as it was in 1947.”
“The types of challenges may have changed but the fundamental goals are the same – to promote democracy, free enterprise, universal respect for all by bold thinking and international cooperation.”
Selected fellows engage in 6 months of preparation, designed to enhance their understanding of transatlantic relations, before embarking on 24 days of policy immersion across the Atlantic.
What is MMF today?
Today, the MMF alumni network numbers nearly 2,500 leaders.
GMF selects fellows from all 50 U.S. States and across 39 European countries. These fellows join a network that includes notable alumni. Including Emmanuel Macron, (MMF’06) President of France and Federica Mogherini (MMF 2007, Italy), EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Also, Bertrand Badre (MMF 1998, France), Managing Director and World Bank Group CFO at the World Bank. And Annie Maxwell (MMF 2007, United States), President of the Skoll Foundation.
What is the GMF?
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. Founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance. Its goal is the strengthening of transatlantic cooperation on regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities.
The organization is based on the principles of the Marshall Plan. An American initiative to aid Western Europe. As part of a special package, the United States gave over $13 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II.
Transatlantic exchange
GMF contributes research and analysis and convenes leaders on transatlantic issues relevant to policymakers. Therefore, GMF offers rising leaders opportunities to develop their skills and networks through transatlantic exchange.
It also supports civil society in the Balkans and Black Sea regions by fostering democratic initiatives, rule of law, and regional cooperation.
In addition to its headquarters in Washington, DC, GMF has offices in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Belgrade, Ankara, Bucharest, and Warsaw. GMF also has smaller representations in Bratislava, Turin, and Stockholm.
*If you’d like to support the work of the GMF movement, you can donate here.
