The spirit of innovation was alive and thriving at ACS Athens on Wednesday, May 21st, as students from the first, second, and newly welcomed third cohort of the ACS Athens OPEN program took the stage for Demo Day, a vibrant celebration of creativity, resilience, and real-world problem solving.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Dr. Peggy Pelonis, President of ACS Athens, who applauded the students for their courage to dream boldly and execute their ideas with focus and integrity. She emphasized the value of cultivating leadership and resilience in young people navigating an ever-evolving global landscape.
Carla Tanas, Dean of the Institute of ACS Athens and driving force behind the OPEN initiative, expanded on the program’s mission. “We are looking at ACS Athens as being our vision of tomorrow,” she said. “ACS OPEN empowers students to build an entrepreneurial mindset—helping them thrive in ambiguity, test bold ideas, and grow not only as innovators but as resilient, proactive individuals.”
The day unfolded in three dynamic acts, each representing a unique stage of the ACS OPEN journey.
The third cohort, just beginning their path in the upcoming academic year, took the stage first. With one-minute teaser pitches, these aspiring changemakers introduced their early concepts, bold seeds of innovation met with applause, curiosity, and encouragement. For many, it marked their first step into the entrepreneurial arena, supported by a community eager to see them grow.
Next came the second cohort, who have spent the past year developing solutions targeting real challenges on the ACS Athens campus and beyond. Their presentations reflected months of research, design, and iteration, addressing diverse topics such as sustainability, community building, digital tools for learning, and student engagement. The ideas were as impactful as they were creative, solutions with both heart and vision.
Rounding out the event were the first cohort teams, returning with refined prototypes, in-depth market analysis, and sophisticated business plans that underscored their progress. These teams, now seasoned by their experience, shared not only their evolving ventures but also their entrepreneurial growth, each pitch a testament to lessons learned, persistence, and adaptability.
From AI-integrated campus applications to eco-conscious student-led initiatives, this year’s Demo Day was a powerful reflection of the innovation ecosystem thriving within ACS Athens. Perhaps most inspiring was the interaction among cohorts: newer teams soaking in insights, whispering ideas, and jotting down notes as they watched their peers, proof of a culture rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and mutual respect.
As one student from the second cohort shared, “It’s a transformative experience that focuses on the entrepreneurial journey and highlights its unpredictability. Every day was a new challenge waiting to be conquered.”
As the curtains closed on Demo Day 2025, it was clear: the future is not just imagined at ACS Athens, it is being actively built by the visionaries of tomorrow.
Congratulations to all of this year’s ACS Athens OPEN participants. The future is bright, and it’s being built here, one idea at a time!
