Greeks, the people, and the Greek community of Boston
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Saturday Greek Night at Ilona

Join us Saturday, December 28, 2024 at Ilona starting at 10pm for a night of music and socializing. No cover, but table reservations are recommended. Please call Fotios at 617-293-8557 for info and tables.

Greek Dance Director Dr. John Pappas

We welcome the inspirational Dr. John Pappas to the show! John graduated cum laude from Boston University and then Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where he was chosen to participate in the Teacher Training

Composer / Pianist / Professor Panagiotis Liaropoulos

We welcome the amazing Panos Liaropoulos to the show! Panos is a Greek composer and pianist. He was born in Athens, Greece and since 1997 he has resided in Boston, MA. He holds a Doctoral Degree in Composition from Boston University where he studied with Theodore Antoniou and Lukas Foss. He pursued his graduate studies on a Fulbright Grant and he was the recipient of the 2001 Boston University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theory and Composition. He is also the recipient of the 2018-2019 prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. Join us on this journey!

Journalist/Writer/Editor Nancy Agris Savage

We welcome the amazing Nancy Agris Savage to the show! Nancy is the former owner/editor of the Hellenic Chronicle that was originally founded by her father, Peter Agris. She is a communications professional with experience across a wide spectrum of fields, including journalism, public policy, speechwriting, political advocacy, editing, essay preparation, and college counseling. Three decades plus of writing skills have been honed in the fast-paced world of Capitol Hill, serving as editor-in-chief of one of the nation's largest ethnic weekly newspapers and as founder and executive director of a 30-year-old endowed scholarship foundation providing grants totaling more than $800,000 to aspiring journalists and communications media representatives. Join us!

Greek American Sports Founder Nick Tsiotos

We welcome the amazing Nick Tsiotos to the show! Nick Tsiotos is the Sports Editor of Greek Americans in Sports and a Boston Public School teacher with a dedication to excellence in education. Passionate about sports and his Hellenic culture, Nick has also worked as a journalist for The Hellenic Chronicle, as Sports Editor for The Hellenic Voice, and contributed to The AHEPA Magazine.

The Boston Marathon Annual Wreath Ceremony

Every year, the Boston Athletic Association receives four gold wreaths, cut from olive trees of the city of Marathon, as a symbolic gift from the people of Greece. The olive wreath tradition represents all the indispensable ideals for which the citizens-soldiers fought in Marathon over 2,500 years ago: freedom, individual dignity, and the power of democracy, all of which remain relevant today.

Father Alex Orphanos

We welcome Father Alex Orphanos to the Boston Greeks Podcast! Fr. Alex serves as the Presiding Priest of the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Lynn, MA. He assumed this role on October 23, 2022. In his first year as the Proistamenos, he has focused on the ministries of the church and has built up new youth, young adult, and faith-based educational ministries. Working with the Parish Council and community leaders, Saint George has seen an increase in stewardship showing that the church is in a time of growth. The future is bright at Saint George.

Realtor Georgia Balafas

We welcome the amazing Georgia Balafas to the podcast! Georgia is a REALTOR and Associate Broker helping sellers, buyers, investors and developers in real estate transactions. After earning two degrees from Boston University — a B.S. in Communications with a concentration in Advertising and a Master in Multinational Commerce — and gaining a decade of business experience in advertising and marketing, Georgia began working full-time in the real estate industry in 2010.

Entrepreneur Nikitas Tsoukales

Nik Tsoukales founded REALTOP after spending more than 15 years growing multiple sales teams, call centers, and businesses using digital marketing. In his career, he’s been awarded multiple INC. 5000 Awards for fastest-growing private companies in the United States, been responsible for multiple business turnarounds in the financial space resulting in millions of dollars in revenue recovered as well as organically growing multiple companies online dominating organic SEO, Google PPC, and Social Media. Nik and his team of digital marketing experts are responsible for more than 89k actual clients acquired using online marketing and counting with a diverse range of business types including financial services, dental, medical, legal, real estate, and more.

Maria Behrakis

Join us for a wonderful chat with the amazing Maria Behrakis. Maria is a first generation Greek American community activist focused on education and Greek-American philanthropy. A mother of three children, Maria, along with her husband, Drake, is active with the National Hellenic Society which is dedicated to perpetuating, celebrating and passing on our Hellenic heritage. She is also a member of Leadership 100, a Greek-American service organization committed to preserving Hellenism and Orthodoxy in America. Maria and Drake are active supporters of the Behrakis Family Endowment at Boston College which was founded in 2001 for the advancement of Hellenic Studies and the promotion of travel abroad to Greece.

Psychiatrist Dr. Christoforos Iraklis Giakoumatos

We talk all things mental health with our esteemed guest Dr. Christoforos Iraklis Giakoumatos in his capacity as private practice practitioner. He is an addiction psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also the Medical Director at BrightView Massachusetts. Dr Giakoumatos also sees patients in his private practice either virtually or in person in one of his two offices in Boston MA or Hooksett NH.

Evan Turner of Xenia Greek Hospitality

Evan Turner, sommelier and wine director at Krasi Meze and Wine in Boston’s Back Bay, leads the largest all Greek wine list in the country. He is now leading the way in introducing New England to Greek wine.

Demetri, Stefanos, & Brendan of Xenia Greek Hospitality

Join us for a wonderful interview with a talented group of friends and business partners that are truly making waves in Boston. Demetri Tsolakis, Stefanos Oungrinis, and Brendan Pelley of Xenia Greek Hospitality sit with us to discuss how they came to be, where they are today, and what the future holds for this team that has created and is continually creating a fantastic Greek scene in Boston, and hopefully beyond!

Spiro Pappadopoulos

We hang out with restauranteur extraordinaire Spiro Pappadopoulos. Spiro grew up in Andover working in his family's restaurant while attending Andover High School. After attending Boston College, Spiro moved to New York City and dove into the restaurant business for seven years before moving back to Massachusetts.

Peter & Despina Sarianides of Theia Brands

Join us in learning about the incredible journey of Theia Brands founders Peter & Despina Sarianides. Their goal is to set the bar for a healthier, cleaner lifestyle. Their products are made with fresh, natural ingredients and they believe that their customers deserve a product that they can enjoy and feel good about serving to their families.

Stephania Tsimikas

We talk all things health and fitness with WBFF Pro competitor Stephania Tsimikas. We learn about her past, her life, her motivations, and how she became a pro athlete in the highly competitive world of strength training. Join us in getting to know Stephania!

Demetri Tsolakis

We had the pleasure of catching up with the amazing Demetri Tsolakis. For those that don't know, his footprint in Boston began with Committee Ouzeri + Bar and has extended to fast-casual Greco, and, most recently, Krasi Meze & Wine. Except for the fact that each concept is rooted in Greek culture, they are all very distinct from one another, with almost zero menu overlap. If that link to Greek culture forms the fabric of the restaurants, it’s Tsolakis’s deft touch as a restaurateur along with his creativity and his passion for all things Greek that are the threads tying them all together.

Eleni Vidalis

We loved chatting with the one and only Eleni Vidalis! Eleni is a Greek-American television host, producer, director, activist, and comedian. She is best known for hosting The Greek Program for 25 years, heading the Federation of Hellenic American Societies of New England, and hosting Boston's Greek Independence Day Parade. We discuss her journey and where she is today, so please join us in spending time with Eleni Vidalis!

Arthur "DJ Thrilla" Markos

We got to catch up with an old friend and a pioneer of the Greek music scene that arose from Boston in the late 90s/early 00s - DJ THRILLA! Thrilla has had an interesting and diverse journey in music and we got to hear all about it on this episode of the Boston Greeks podcast. Join us!

News Anchor, Journalist, & Consultant Mike Nikitas

We had the privilege of chatting with long time news anchor, broadcaster, journalist, and media consultant Mike Nikitas. His history leading up to today has been truly fascinating, and the integrity, self-awareness, and knowledge he brings to the table is greatly appreciated! Join us as we get to know a little more about Mike Nikitas!