Daphne Karnezis

Working in hotels gave 33-year-old entrepreneur Emma Efmorfidi a close-up view of the hospitality industry’s waste problem. After seeing first-hand “how many towels and sheets are thrown away”, she says that she began to ponder how worn-out materials might be given another life.

In Greece, summer arrives with two questions: which way is the wind blowing and how hot will it get? Christina Souzi has spent more than 30 years answering both as a trained meteorologist and TV weather presenter (as well as a national institution). For most Greeks planning a ferry crossing or a weekend at the beach, the forecast matters.

On the Greek island of Symi, where the clear eastern Mediterranean Sea gently laps onto secluded beaches, a gray warship maneuvers in the main bay while a patrol boat with commandos docks alongside luxury yachts.