Fourth round of VentureGarden opens for entries

THI offers $50,000 as grants to support the best participating companies of the year
“VentureGarden”- Helping People Grow Ideas, the program on the promotion of entrepreneurship
Submission of Applications until October 4th
 
ATHENS, September, the 14th, 2015
Following the success of the past three cycles of the program on the promotion of entrepreneurship VentureGarden, The Hellenic Initiative-THI announces the new round for the submission of applications for the new, fourth cycle of the program.
VentureGarden is conducted jointly by the Anatolia School of Business of the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT), member of Anatolia College, and ALBA Graduate Business School at the American College of Greece in Athens, with the support of The Hellenic Initiative, which renews its commitment to the program, through supporting the best of the participating companies with a total of $50,000 provided as grants.
 
Applications for the fourth round of the intensive course program have already begun (www.venturegarden.com) and will last until October 4th, 2015. The courses will commence on October 19th, preceded by the assessment phase.
 
VentureGarden is a comprehensive educational and training program for entrepreneurs that want to develop their skills, gain access to a continuously growing entrepreneurial network and receive hands-on training. The program is provided free of charge and is addressed to all people who wish to turn an idea into a business reality.
 
The program offers 10 intensive classes, through which participants become accustomed with the most important elements that define a successful start, as well as mentoring support of 12 months, based on the personalized entrepreneurship goals of every participant.
 
Already, during the three cycles of the program, more than 580 applications have been submitted in total, with 185 of them selected to attend the program in Athens and Thessaloniki. Throughout the program’s three cycles, 42 teachers and mentors have offered 215 hours of classes to participants, offering counseling and substantial support, enabling them to turn their business creativity into real business results. It is worth mentioning that to date, more than 300 hours of mentoring support have been offered to the participants of VentureGarden.
 
Furthermore, among the business opportunities offered to distinguishing participants of the programs, were events such as Venture Fair, which took place in June 2015, and two “graduate” teams of VentureGarden had the opportunity to present their business plans to investors from America and the United Kingdom, as well as the MIT Entrepreneurship Forum, which took place in MIT in Boston, with the participation of two teams of VentureGarden.
 
Michael Printzos, THI’s Program Director, noted: “VentureGarden is a program, the success of which is the best proof of the current need for programs and initiatives that contribute to the development of entrepreneurship in Greece. During the tough times our country is going through, the development of entrepreneurship is most essential than ever, and we stick to our goals and are here to fundamentally support young people and remarkable ideas.”
 
For additional information concerning the completion of the application please visit www.venturegarden.gr.