May 28, 2008, Santa Monica, Calif. – The X PRIZE Foundation, an educational nonprofit prize institute created to foster radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity, announced today that Gregory Pappas, publisher of Greek America Magazine, has been invited to join the Foundation’s Advisory Council. As an advisor, Pappas will consult with X PRIZE Foundation Chairman and CEO Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, a fellow Greek American, about the Foundation’s focus areas: education, energy and environment, exploration, global entrepreneurship and life sciences. The Foundation has a goal of releasing ten new prizes over the next five years, with a combined prize purse amount of $300 million.
“It’s an honor to have such a leader in the Greek American community serving on our Advisory Council,” said Diamandis. “With his varied experiences in publishing and knowledge of the community, Greg will be able to provide valuable insight across the Foundation. As a Greek American myself, I have the utmost respect for everything Greg has done, and I look forward to working with him to increase the visibility of the Foundation.”
Pappas is the founder of Cosmos Communications Group Inc., the company that publishes Greek America Magazine and handles a number of public affairs advisory-related services for clients in Greece and the United States as well as strategic corporate planning, media relations and event planning throughout the world.
In addition, Pappas serves as a Public Affairs Advisor to John P. Calamos Sr., Chairman and CEO of Calamos Investments, a money management firm with over $45 billion in assets under management, and on the executive board of directors of the PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation, which awards $250,000 annually to Greek American university students. He also serves on the Board of Chicago’s Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center. Pappas supports a host of church and community organizations in his native Pittsburgh, as well as his adopted city of Chicago, and is a member of the Leadership 100 Endowment Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
“The X PRIZE Foundation is a global trendsetter in innovation,” said Pappas. “The opportunity to ‘create breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity’ is a profound one, and I look forward to helping the Foundation identify and solve the grand challenges facing our world.”
ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION
The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. In 2004, the Foundation captured world headlines when Burt Rutan, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world's first private vehicle to space to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since launched the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, and the $10 million Progressive Automotive X PRIZE. The Foundation is creating prizes in five areas: Exploration (Space and Underwater), Life Sciences, Energy & Environment, Education and Global Development. The Foundation is widely recognized as the leading model for fostering innovation through competition.
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