This may we are proudly recognizing the accomplishments of successful women leaders all over the world and we are super glad to have an open and warm talk with a successful woman - Maria Calafatis. "It's supposed to be Hard. If it wasn't hard everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it Great". This is Maria's motto. She is the co-Founder of The Cube Athens, the largest co-working community in Athens, which hosts some of Greece’s best experts in technology. The Cube is also home to most of Athens’ technology events, hackathons, innovation sessions and training events. Through coding and business boot camps, The Cube is creating the next generation of top-tier coders and business makers.

Prior to this Maria had cofounded Greece’s first coworking community, coLab Athens with her partner Stavros Messinis. Maria is also a member of the Startup Weekend – Global Facilitation Team.

Maria has been involved with Startup Weekend since 2009 and has facilitated over 20 events around the world in cities such as Athens, Volos, Patra, Larissa, Thessaloniki, Vlasic, Torino, Copenhagen, Limerick, Saarbrucken, Heraklion & SWMoldova Women Edition this Spring

Maria was invited to join as a fellow to the RSA community in 2016 which provides a platform for the world's leading thinkers, sharing their ideas online, while their Action and Research Centre searches for new and innovative ways to solve society’s greatest challenges.

She loves challenges and connecting with people with the same mindset as her own and turning nothing into something huge & impactful.

Maria is a mother of two young boys Panos 13 & Georgie 11, loves to travel and staying fit & active, and loves trying out extreme sports.