After studing Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics at MIT, Miltos Kambourides went on to be founding partner of Soros Real Estate Partners in the late 90’s.
He then became founder and Managing Partner of Dolphin Capital in 2004, a private equity business specialising in real estate investments, which has remarkably raised over €1 billion of equity funds and has investments in 6 countries. His activities,though, do not stop there: along with his wife he started a travel app, trekrecord, he combines entrepreneurial spirit and deisgn with OmniView & One Athens, while simultenesouly giving back to society with projects like the Dolphin Capital Foundation and the Miltos Kambourides Fellowship. It’s no doubt that Reload Greece is proud to have him as a sponsor (recently being a major sponsor for Reload Greece’s 1st Forum, along with the support of Meliora Communications & Korres), and we are very excited to share with you his expriences, thoughts and ideas through this interview.
Dolphin Capital has built up a portfolio of real estate in many countries around the world. What are the benefits of running a global venture like Dolphin Capital that is directly connected with Greece?
Well at the moment, running a global venture that is connected in Greece is not seen as an advantage. In reality though the market fundamentals for high-end resorts in Greece are very strong and there is plenty of affordable human capital.
Do you think there is room for innovation in the Real Estate Market?(Are there any interesting trends in the Real Estate industry that Reloaders can take advantage when starting their own ventures either on a global scale, or in Greece or the UK?)
There is always room for innovation; otherwise there would be no progress in the products offered. In the resort developments of Dolphin we try to push the envelope in terms of aesthetics, service and sustainability.
Can you describe your experiences with the Trekrecord travel app? What inspired you to do this and what were some of the difficulties involved in setting up the app?
My wife and are passionate travellers and wanted an application that counts the number of countries we have been to, compare with others, share travel experiences with friends and keep our personal travel diary. Trekrecord does all that and more.
Dolphin Capital Foundation has a very active CSR profile. Can you tell us a bit about the projects that the Foundation is supporting and the impact you are creating?
Dolphin Capital Foundation is a non-profit charitable entity set up in December 2007, dedicated to help the surrounding regional communities and the natural environments where Dolphin invests, by donating to various charitable endeavours.
The key contributions of the Foundation to date are environmental equipment provision, sponsorships, scholarships and other educational and health support to the local communities.
Tell us about the Kambourides Fellowship programme at MIT. What is it that drove you to be involved in supporting educational activities?
This fellowship supported for a period of three consecutive years the work of a three PhD students with a research focus in the area of computational engineering.
Emphasis was placed on fundamental research with potential long-term substantial impact on the foundations of computational engineering, and students were selected based on accomplishments, quality, growth potential, and communication skills.
How can projects such as One Athens that use innovative design and development create social change?
An exclusive project such as One Athens is very innovative in its design and structure. The building has been reincarnated into a cement and glass residential complex that is redefining the capital’s niche market for luxurious real estate in the city centre.
Aspiring to become a new kind of community in the city centre, One Athens is also the first residential complex in the city to offer 5-star-hotel amenities such as a 24-hour concierge service and security, as well as a fully equipped gym, a spa area with its own swimming pool, a playroom for children, a Club Room for movie screenings and a fully equipped Business Suite that can accommodate meetings of up to 14 people.
What inspired you about Reload Greece that made you contribute to our mission?
Young people that have ambitions in life, engage in new and innovative ideas and methods should be supported and be given mentorship. I share Reload Greece vision to create a business community where people can share their dreams and be inspired by each other.
If you could call your 20 year-old self and give him some advice, what would it be?
Work hard but enjoy life, dream big but be humble, be well informed, follow role models, reach out to the world.