Nikos, FoundIt

Award-winning entrepreneur Nikos has launched a business to empower people with ADHD to unlock their potential.

In November 2024, Nikos was named the King’s Trust International Young Achiever for Europe, in recognition of his success channelling his own experience and expertise to empower others.

Last year, with input from the FoundIt entrepreneurship programme, Nikos launched a specialist coaching service for people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the first of its kind in Greece.

Building on experience

When he was first diagnosed with ADHD as a university student, a decade ago, Nikos found it hard to find help and guidance. Keen to reach out to others for mutual support, he soon established a local support group and an online community where people with ADHD could share experiences and approaches.

Now Nikos has taken this commitment to supporting others one step further, setting up a pioneering coaching service that aims to equip those with ADHD to better understand their strengths and manage their challenges, building the skills and strategies to thrive.

People with ADHD tend to have trouble with focus, planning and organisation. These characteristics can create extra barriers to success, and can lead to a negative cycle of frustration, perceived ‘failure’ and low self-esteem. Nikos’ new coaching business, based in Crete, offers a beacon of hope, empowering people to unlock their potential with approaches that work for them. His motto for his clients is ‘try different, not harder.’

Joining the dots

Nikos’ first degree was in computer science and he later completed an MSc in psychology and coaching, along with several coaching qualifications. After years working in IT and volunteering as an ADHD support group facilitator, he explains that his entrepreneurial ambition was the product of ‘joining the dots’ between his different strengths and interests.

Starting a new business is always daunting, but for Nikos there was no tried and tested path to follow, as his venture is genuinely breaking new ground. This only heightened his feelings of apprehension, isolation and uncertainty. Highly knowledgeable about ADHD and coaching, but aware of the gaps in his grasp of business, Nikos turned to the FoundIt entrepreneurship programme to boost his skills.

Enabling enterprise

FoundIt, delivered by our partners Bizrupt and 100 mentors, provides introductory business training for aspiring entrepreneurs, followed by ongoing one-to-one mentoring. The start-up workshop guides participants through essential topics such as budgets and business plans, and the programme then connects trainees with an experienced mentor to support them through the launch phase and beyond.

‘I joined Foundit in order to get into the business mindset,’ Nikos explains, ‘but also to be guided and empowered in my first steps, not only from knowledge, but also from the experience of others, the networking and the mentoring it offers.’

FoundIt helped Nikos pivot towards a more agile approach to business planning, honed his accounting and marketing skills, and significantly boosted his confidence, setting him up for success. Nikos’ achievement in establishing his business is testament to his resilience and determination, not only to overcome the difficulties he has personally experienced, but also to furnish others with the insight and support they need to shine.