Nicosia gears up for major entrepreneurial festival
Nicosia’s city centre will be transformed into a vibrant hub of innovation and culture on September 25–26, as INSPIRE 2025 brings together more than 85 distinguished speakers, immersive masterclasses, and live entertainment.
The event will also feature open-air networking spaces in what organisers describe as Cyprus’ largest entrepreneurial festival to date.
Makarios Avenue and the surrounding urban fabric will host a series of themed stages, designed to spark candid conversations about leadership, innovation and purpose-driven business.
The event, delivered in English and Greek, aims to explore the human side of entrepreneurship through unscripted fireside chats, panel discussions and bold storytelling, combined with street food markets, DJ sets, student bands and even stand-up comedy to keep the atmosphere lively well into the evening.
Among the headline speakers are Dmitry Bagrov, managing director of UK-based DataArt, Charalambos Vrasidas, founder and executive director of CARDET, and Alexander Sapov, CEO and co-founder of Gettransfer.com. Roni Aloni, managing director of Leonardo Hotels Mediterranean, joins the line-up alongside Nayef Kassatly, managing director of BBBI Ltd, and Dor Isseroff, COO at Tango.
Cyprus’ Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou will also take the stage, together with Olympic cyclist Andri Christoforou and Marinos Sotiriou, founder of the American Medical Center.
The festival’s programme reflects a diverse mix of sectors and perspectives. At the “Road to Success” stage, entrepreneurs from every industry and CEOs of leading organisations will share their personal journeys, offering insights into the challenges and breakthroughs that shaped their paths.
On the “Conquer the World” stage, visionary Cypriot business leaders making waves abroad, together with local companies expanding into international markets, will explain how they broke barriers and achieved global success.
The “Global Entrepreneur” stage will provide a behind-the-scenes look at building businesses from the ground up, with renowned entrepreneurs sharing personal narratives about risk-taking, failures and triumphs, concluding with heartfelt advice for future innovators.
At “The Innovation Stage: The Game-Changers,” bold thinkers and fearless doers will showcase success stories rooted in research and technology, highlighting ideas that have reshaped industries.
The next generation will also take centre stage. At “The New Gen Leaders’ Stage,” Cyprus’ second, third and even fourth-generation entrepreneurs will discuss the transformative shift in business leadership, as Millennials and Gen Z share their ambitions and concerns.
Meanwhile, “The Generation Z and Alpha Stage” will spotlight secondary school students presenting fresh perspectives and bold ideas for the future.
The festival’s informal spaces aim to humanise the entrepreneurial journey. At the “Cocktail Stage,” seasoned executives, young founders and even politicians will answer unconventional, thought-provoking questions before an evening of drinks and stand-up comedy.
Beyond business, the “Inspiration Stage” will showcase moving stories from athletes, performers and creatives, underlining the shared traits of ambition, discipline and perseverance.
The “ESG Stage” will address ethical entrepreneurship and the power of responsible innovation, while the “Start-Up Stage” will celebrate exciting success stories from emerging companies.
Speakers such as Chrysostomos Papavasiliou, founder and CEO of Island Oil Holdings, Petros Petrou, director at Alpha Cyprus, and Artemis Pneumatikou, head of PR and communications at TechIsland, are expected to bring valuable insights on leadership, strategy and innovation.
Filios Patsalis, founder and CEO of NIPD Genetics, will discuss advances in healthcare, while Angelos Petrou, founder and CEO of GET AP, and Milena Caramondani, general manager of Margherita Artigianale Cyprus, will share personal accounts of building businesses locally and abroad.
Organisers say INSPIRE 2025 is more than a festival. “It’s about equipping, uplifting and uniting the entrepreneurial community under one bold vision, to redefine success, together,” they noted.
With a strong emphasis on the next generation, the festival seeks to create a “living lab of entrepreneurial culture where creativity meets ambition and experience meets aspiration.”
Cyta Business is the festival’s strategic partner, while Bank of Cyprus, ECOMMBX, PwC and Zorbas are among the main sponsors.
More than 4,200 visitors are expected over the two days, including start-up founders, family-business successors, senior executives, investors, artists and policymakers.