Exclusive Interview: Konstantinos Maragkos – Co-Founder & CEO Youthmakers Hub

Although the global social enterprise ecosystem has grown tremendously in the last decade, it still has to face a challenge, which is sustainability, shares with CEOWORLD magazine, Konstantinos Maragkos, Co-Founder & CEO of Youthmakers Hub.

The CEO of Youthmakers Hub is working on social projects between Greece and Africa, building structured bridges, so both sides can benefit enormously.

The Youthmakers Hub’s new project is the upcoming Africa-Greece Entrepreneurship (AGE) Summit. «Its theme, “Future-Proofing Entrepreneurship through Digitalization,” speaks to a reality we cannot ignore: the future of business is digital, and entrepreneurs who adapt will thrive», said Konstantinos Maragkos to CEOWORLD magazine.

Q: How did you decide to found Youthmakers Hub? 

Konstantinos Maragkos: The story of Youthmakers Hub really began with WE AfriHug, a project my sister Marilena and I co-created in 2018. At the time, we were both very young and motivated by the idea that education and mobility could transform lives.

Through WE AfriHug, we traveled to nine African countries, from Tanzania and Kenya to Ghana and Nigeria, where we trained university students, academic staff, and youth workers on Erasmus+ opportunities and capacity building.

What struck me most was the passion for knowledge and the willingness of young people to take ownership of their future if only they had access to the right tools. We saw more than 4,000 direct beneficiaries in just two years, facilitated more than 50 mobilities between Africa and Europe through EU programmes, and perhaps even more importantly, we witnessed how European and African institutions could form strong partnerships when youth were in the lead.

The success and recognition of WE AfriHug—it even won the Golden Laissez Passer Award from the garagErasmus Foundation—made it clear that this could not remain a one-off initiative. We needed an organization with a long-term vision to sustain this kind of work.

That’s how Youthmakers Hub was born in 2019. From the start, our mission was clear: to cultivate empowered youth and to serve as a bridge between Europe and Africa. What motivated me personally was the belief that youth engagement should not be a side activity in policy or development—it should be at the center. Founding Youthmakers Hub was our way of making sure that the seeds we planted through WE AfriHug could grow into a lasting ecosystem that connects, empowers, and inspires young changemakers.

Q: What does your data tell us about the potential for growing entrepreneurship between Greece and Africa? 

Konstantinos Maragkos: Over the last six years, Youthmakers Hub has implemented more than 30 projects in 27 countries, reaching over 12,000 direct beneficiaries. When you operate at that scale, patterns become very clear.

In Africa, there is a tremendous entrepreneurial drive—young people are building start-ups in agriculture, digital innovation, health, and creative industries. Yet, many of them face barriers in scaling up: limited access to finance, weak infrastructure, and insufficient international exposure. On the other side, in Greece and Southern Europe, young entrepreneurs often have strong academic and technical skills, but they are constrained by a relatively small domestic market and challenges in entering global value chains.

Our data, especially from projects like AfriConEU, which connected digital innovation hubs across Africa with European counterparts, shows that when structured bridges are built, both sides benefit enormously. Entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria were eager to connect with EU partners for mentorship and funding, while Greek start-ups were actively seeking access to Africa’s fast-growing markets. The complementarities are striking: Africa has the world’s fastest-growing youth population, while Greece is strategically positioned as a gateway to the European Union.

What we observed in our network is that partnerships emerge naturally when people have the opportunity to meet and exchange knowledge. This proves the potential is not just theoretical—it is already happening, and with the right support, it can grow exponentially.

A tangible example of this entrepreneurial bridge is the work of John Kourkoutas, Founder & CEO of MrExportToAfrica and Director of Operations at Amplify Sales. For more than 15 years, he has been helping Greek companies successfully enter African markets by providing market entry strategies, distributor partnerships, regulatory setup, and trade support. His work demonstrates how Greece–Africa entrepreneurship is not just possible but thriving—creating pathways for companies to grow across continents.

Q: Can Greece and Africa drive innovation together?  

Konstantinos Maragkos: I have no doubt about it. Innovation is not the monopoly of any one region—it flourishes when diverse ideas meet. Greece has a long tradition of education, research, and a vibrant start-up scene that is emerging with strong EU backing. Africa brings creativity, resilience, and a culture of problem-solving born from necessity. When these come together, the results can be remarkable.

A concrete example is AfriConEU, which we were proud to lead on communication and dissemination. This project established the first Transcontinental Networking Academy for Digital Innovation Hubs. What we saw was that African hubs were not just adopting European practices but also teaching European partners new ways of innovating with limited resources. It was a two-way exchange. The project’s impact was recognized internationally—it won the 2023 .eu Web Award, the 2024 SEADE Award for being one of the top five EU–AU research and innovation cooperation success stories, and was recognized as a case study on the EU Knowledge Valorisation Platform for its impactful Networking Academy & Toolkit. This recognition confirmed that Greece and Africa can co-create innovation that is impactful on a global scale.

So yes, Greece and Africa can drive innovation together. But I would add: they must. The challenges we face—climate change, digital transformation, migration, inequality—do not respect borders. We need collaborative innovation that crosses continents, and Greece and Africa are perfectly positioned to demonstrate how this can be done.

Q: What are Youthmakers Hub’s milestone projects or achievements?  

Konstantinos Maragkos: Looking back, there are several projects that stand out as milestones for us. WE AfriHug will always hold a special place, as it laid the foundation for everything that followed. It trained thousands of students and youth workers, built over 100 partnerships between African and European institutions, facilitated more than 150 mobilities up to date, and inspired us to establish Youthmakers Hub.

Another milestone was AfriConEU. Beyond the awards it won, it showed us how a transcontinental project could actually transform ecosystems, not just individuals. More than 2,200 entrepreneurs, SMEs, and start-ups were engaged, and the project created a self-sustaining networking academy.

At the European level, our project nEU Citizenship activated Greek youth to become civically engaged. It won the SALTO Award in 2023 for Participation in Democratic Life, proving that local projects can have continental recognition. Similarly, EUth Voices for Social Change empowered marginalized youth through podcasting and digital storytelling and was recognized as the national winner for Greece in the 2024 Charlemagne Youth Prize.

Today, we are part of one of the largest Europe–Africa youth initiatives ever launched: the AU–EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective. This €7.3M, four-year project aims to empower youth and decision-makers across 14 African countries and Europe. For us, being responsible for the communication, visibility, and the development of the YVL Mobile App is a huge responsibility, but also a privilege. We are already seeing how this project is opening up new spaces for young people to influence policies at the highest levels.

Q: What’s your opinion about the social enterprise ecosystem globally at this point?  

Konstantinos Maragkos: I think the global social enterprise ecosystem is at a crossroads. On one hand, it has grown tremendously in the last decade. We see more young entrepreneurs around the world starting ventures that aim not only to generate profit but also to address issues like climate change, education, or inequality. Investors, too, are paying more attention, with impact investment becoming a more recognized field. On the other hand, sustainability remains a challenge. Too many social enterprises still depend heavily on grants or short-term funding.

What gives me hope is the creativity and resilience of young social entrepreneurs. From our work in both Europe and Africa, I’ve seen young people create solutions that are deeply rooted in their communities, whether it’s a start-up in Kenya using mobile money as a daily transaction system, or a Greek social enterprise promoting green digital practices.

The key now is to build ecosystems that provide them not only with initial funding but also with mentorship, access to markets, and long-term growth opportunities. Social enterprise globally is not just a niche anymore—it is becoming an integral part of how we imagine the economy of the future. But we need to ensure that this shift is backed by structural support, not just enthusiasm.

Q: Can you tell us about the upcoming AGE Summit?   

Konstantinos Maragkos: The Africa–Greece Entrepreneurship (AGE) Summit, which we are hosting on 17–18 October 2025 in Athens, is something we are very excited about. Its theme, “Future-Proofing Entrepreneurship through Digitalization,” speaks to a reality we cannot ignore: the future of business is digital, and entrepreneurs who adapt will thrive.

What makes AGE different from other conferences is its design. We don’t want a typical event where people just sit and listen to speeches. Instead, we’re creating interactive spaces: Panel discussions with distinguished guests from Africa and Greece, Power Talks from Experts, and hands-on workshops. The Summit will bring together entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, and ecosystem enablers from both Greece and Africa.

Our goal is to make AGE a gateway: Greece as an entry point for African entrepreneurs into the EU market, and Africa as a partner for Greek and European entrepreneurs seeking new horizons. We already have confirmed participation from universities, chambers, and innovation hubs, and we expect vibrant exchanges that will continue long after the Summit ends. Ultimately, the AGE Summit is not just about conversations—it’s about creating opportunities. If even a handful of participants leave Athens with new collaborations, investments, or projects, we will consider it a success.