The Future Makers Podcast

If Cyprus has the talent, what’s missing: genius or exposure? In this episode, Annetta Benzar sits down with Maria Ioannou, Portfolio and Investor Relations Manager at Kinisis Ventures, to talk about moving from communications into venture capital, what it feels like to walk into rooms where you’re the only woman, and why founders need “flying hours” before they can sell their story with confidence.The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.A production of The Future Media.Links:

The Future Media: https://thefuturemedia.eu/

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/

Maria Ioannou: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-ioannou-ba636216b/

Most “culture problems” can’t be fixed with a fun night out.In this episode of Future Makers: Women Building Cyprus, Annetta Benzar sits down with Christiana Genie, a well-established behaviour specialist, parenting strategist, and founder of Inner Growth Academy, to discuss the culture inside a workplace: everyday behaviour, the way people speak to each other, and whether teams feel real connection in physical rooms.The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.The first season, Women Building Cyprus, follows women whose lives and decisions are changing what this island can be.A production of The Future Media.Links:The Future Media: www.thefuturemedia.eu

Annetta Benzar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/

Christiana Genie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiana-genie/

What happens when a school tells a girl she can’t study computer science because she will “distract the men”?In this episode, Annetta Benzar sits down with Asegul Hulus, an Assistant Professor in Computing and founder of Metatech Feminism, to talk about the gender bias that still follows women into tech and what “online safety” really means in an AI era.The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.The first season, Women Building Cyprus, follows women whose lives and decisions are changing what this island can be.A production of The Future Media.Links:The Future Media: https://thefuturemedia.eu/

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/

Dr. Asegul Hulus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asegulhulus/

In politics, your work won’t speak for you.In this episode of Future Makers: Women Building Cyprus, Annetta Benzar sits down with Anna Koukkides-Procopiou, President of Politeia and former Minister of Justice and Public Order, to talk about what politics actually rewards, how media narratives get built (including the “empty chair” story), and why Cyprus can’t keep treating security and representation as side issues.

Links:The Future Media: https://thefuturemedia.eu/ https://www.instagram.com/thefuturemedia.eu/https://www.linkedin.com/company/forbes-cyprus-the-future-of-fintech-summit/https://www.tiktok.com/@the.future.mediaAnnetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/Anna Koukkides-Procopiou: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-koukkides-procopiou-58570498/

What happens when we build the innovation parks, but forget the innovation culture?In this episode, Annetta Benzar sits down with Artemis Kontou, researcher and entrepreneur, to talk about moving from academia into entrepreneurship, working on AI in healthcare, and what Cyprus needs to fix if it wants serious innovation, from procurement that rewards the lowest price to an ecosystem that still struggles with risk.

Links:The Future Media: https://thefuturemedia.eu/ https://www.instagram.com/thefuturemedia.eu/https://www.linkedin.com/company/forbes-cyprus-the-future-of-fintech-summit/https://www.tiktok.com/@the.future.mediaAnnetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/Artemis Kontou: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artemis-kontou/

This episode is about what builds an athlete: discipline, support, and the moments you almost quit.

In this episode of Future Makers: Women Building Cyprus, Annetta Benzar sits down with Elia Ioannou, a long-distance runner and two-time Limassol Marathon winner (sub-3 hours), to talk about what her training actually looks like week to week, the reality of coming back after injury, and why safety still shapes where and when women can run in Cyprus.

The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.

The first season, Women Building Cyprus, follows women whose lives and decisions are changing what this island can be.

A production of The Future Media.

Links:

The Future Media: https://thefuturemedia.eu/

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/
Elia Ioannou: https://www.instagram.com/elia.ioannou/

What if the biggest thing holding people back isn’t lack of talent, but the habit of waiting to feel “ready”? 

In this episode, Annetta Benzar sits down with Maria Lavithi, founder of Heroes Made, to talk about the curiosity that drives entrepreneurship, why schools resist change even when they want better tools, and what it really takes to build character education into a system.

The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.

The first season, Women Building Cyprus, follows women whose lives and decisions are changing what this island can be.

A production of The Future Media.

Links:

The Future Media: www.thefuturemedia.eu

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/

Maria Lavithi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-lavithi-a616268b/ 

What happens when you leave Big Four advisory, spend five years retraining as a cosmetic chemist and aesthetic doctor, and then help build an AI that is trying to change how the world buys skincare... from Cyprus? 

In this episode of The Future Makers: Women Building Cyprus, host Annetta Benzar speaks with Dr Nadia Kapleva, Medical Director of skincare app Lóvi, about the belief that everything is possible that has driven every decision she has made, why most skincare claims don't hold up to science, and what it takes to build a global product from a small island.

Links:

The Future Media: www.thefuturemedia.eu

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/

Nadia Kapleva: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiakapleva/ 

What makes someone leave a secure corporate path and build something risky from scratch?

In this episode of Future Makers: Women Building Cyprus, Annetta Benzar speaks with Greta Skemaite, co-founder and CEO of V.G. Freyia Labs, about going off-script, building a deep tech company around fermentation, and why community, motherhood, and loyalty to your own values engineer the kind of leader you become.

The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.

The first season, Women Building Cyprus, follows women whose lives and decisions are changing what this island can be. A production of The Future Media.

Links:

The Future Media: https://thefuturemedia.eu/

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/
Greta Skemaite: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greta-skemaite/

What happens when you stop waiting for permission, and start building your own table?

In this episode, Annetta Benzar sits down with Raluca-Ioana Man, strategic business advisor and board consultant, to talk about reverse-engineering your life, setting non-negotiable values, and why “power” often comes down to boundaries and the ability to say no. 

The Future Makers Podcast is a series of in-depth conversations about how future-makers are made, in Cyprus and beyond. Host Annetta Benzar sits down with people who are a leading force in our shared future and looks past the titles. Together, they travel back to the people and moments that shaped them, walk through the choices and challenges they are living through now, and look ahead to the futures they are trying to build.

The first season, Women Building Cyprus, follows women whose lives and decisions are changing what this island can be. A production of The Future Media.

Links:

The Future Media: www.thefuturemedia.eu

Annetta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annetta-benzar-13645710a/

Raluca-Ioana Man: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralucaioanaman/