How to Start a Think Tank

Join us for an inspiring discussion hosted by the Greek Caucus, featuring Afroditi Xydi, Executive Director of the Deon Policy Institute.

 This event will explore how to start a think tank — from building a vision and mission to creating meaningful policy impact. Afroditi Xydi will share insights from her experience leading the Deon Policy Institute, a non-partisan organization that actively shapes Greek policy and contributes to public discourse.

Founded by Greek academics, entrepreneurs, and young professionals, Deon was created to harness the expertise of the Hellenic diaspora in supporting Greece’s recovery and modernization. The institute’s mission is to organize and transform the global Greek community into a catalyst for Greece’s progress and prosperity.

Biography

Afroditi Xydi is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Deon Policy Institute – the first and only think tank of the Hellenic Diaspora. The Institute prepares data-driven, evidence-based policy recommendations for Greece, using expertise from abroad. Prior to founding the institute, Afroditi was a management consultant with Strategy& in the Middle East. She worked in Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia primarily advising national governments on setting policies across the sectors of energy, telecom, digitization. Afroditi also has deep experience working in the energy transition. She has worked for a late stage fund investing in green energy technologies, an early stage fund investing in software decarbonization technologies, as well as software and deep-tech climate startups. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins, a Master’s degree from MIT, both in environmental engineering, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School.