TechCrunch, the leading technology media outlet, came to Greece to hold the first StrictlyVC event in the country today (Thursday, 8/5), with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as a guest.

Behind the StrictlyVC initiative is Greek-born Konnie Loizos, the director of TechCrunch and inspirer of the event.

Who is Connie Loizos

Connie Loizos began her career as a journalist and writer, with a long and successful career in major US media outlets.

Before founding StrictlyVC in late 2013, she was a senior editor at Thomson Reuters, where she wrote thousands of articles, columns and profiles for the company’s various platforms. Her journalism career began at the San Jose Mercury News, where she covered business reporting. She went on to work at some of the largest news networks, including Dow Jones, Time Inc. and Crain Communications.

In addition to her career as a journalist, she has worked as a freelance columnist for publications such as Barron’s, Fast Company, Portfolio and Inc. She is also an active member of the San Francisco writing community, maintaining close ties to the journalism and technology communities.

On a personal level, Connie Loizos lives in the Bay Area with her husband, their sons and what she describes as an overly authoritarian terrier, while remaining a staunch supporter of the sports teams in her hometown of Cleveland – despite the frequent disappointments of their losses.

Her connection to Greece runs deep, as all four of her grandparents were from Ikaria. “Although I have no remaining relatives there, I have visited the island and felt an immediate, deep connection that surprised even me. It was a strange but very tangible bond from the moment I was there,” he says.

She has spoken to the APM, noting that “StrictlyVC was created to offer something that is becoming increasingly rare in today’s media landscape: depth, context and truly unpretentious information. In both our newsletters and our events, we focus on quality over quantity, substantive conversations over puffery and – most importantly – community building. I often hear that a StrictlyVC evening gives a sense of authenticity in a way that many events don’t and that’s very gratifying.”

For the first time, last year, StrictlyVC events crossed the Atlantic and took place in London. The second European event is taking place in Athens, today (Thursday 8/5), at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, with guests including the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as well as important investors and start-up creators. Another European StrictlyVC event will follow, in London, on 13 May.

“We hope to make this a recurring event on our calendar. The fast-growing startup ecosystem in Athens deserves the spotlight,” Loizos said. She says she is “really impressed by the resilience and growth of the innovation ecosystem in Greece, especially considering the economic challenges the country has faced, and I love to see it accelerating.” He was also quick to add that “I always support the country.”

He explained that the biggest trend today in technology “is revolving around how emerging technologies – specifically artificial intelligence – are reshaping fundamental aspects of society. Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning beyond specific applications to more general capabilities are transforming industries in ways we are only beginning to understand, and this is happening faster than most people realize.”

Having lived in the San Francisco area for decades and having interviewed some of the world’s most influential people, she stresses that “it is a persistent misconception that Silicon Valley remains the irreplaceable center of global technological innovation. I believe that great companies can be created anywhere. I also think it is now clear that the so-called Blitzscaling model, which prioritizes growth above all else and which has been promoted by Silicon Valley investors for many years, has produced remarkable successes, but also spectacular failures.”

In assigning the stories to her journalism team, Loizos encourages them “to look beyond the surface announcements and consider the broader patterns and implications. What does a particular funding round or product launch tell us about where an industry is headed? How can a regulatory change reshape the dynamics of competition?“. Her concern, she adds, is “about ensuring that we maintain the right amount of skepticism without becoming cynical, that we check the powerful while recognizing true innovation, and that we don’t get caught up in advertising cycles. It is easy to fall into this trap.”

And while all these world-changing developments in technology are happening worldwide, what is Europe’s place in the global innovation ecosystem? We ask her. “While the US often dominates the headlines with tech giants, Europe is increasingly developing its strength through an approach that emphasises sustainability, privacy, and evidence-based regulation. The European regulatory framework is seen as a challenge – some American billionaires are happy to say that it gives the US an advantage. But in the long run, I believe that positioning Europe as a global leader in establishing ethical guidelines for technology development may prove to be Europe’s greatest contribution to the global technology ecosystem,” he said.