Latest news with #StavrosNiarchosFoundation
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Lincoln Center Plans a $335 Million Makeover of Its Western Edge
Lincoln Center in Manhattan detailed plans on Monday for a $335 million makeover of its west edge, a landmark project that it hopes will bring in new audiences and help define the center's modern legacy. The plan includes tearing down a wall that has divided the campus from its neighbors along Amsterdam Avenue; building a 2,000-seat outdoor stage that faces its neighbors; and adding more greenery, gardens and an interactive fountain to Damrosch Park. Mariko Silver, Lincoln Center's president and chief executive, said the aim of the renovation, which has been in the works since 2023, was to 'extend the glorious sense of wonder that inhabits all of Lincoln Center to the west face.' She said the area had 'never lived up to its promise,' noting its imposing exterior; its outdated band shell; and its anemic public spaces. 'It doesn't welcome the neighborhood,' she said. 'The spirit of the new park is to be welcoming, green and open — really a gift for New York City and for art lovers everywhere.' Lincoln Center said construction would begin next spring and finish by spring 2028. The center said it had already raised about $218 million for the project, including a $75 million gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, a charity known for its work in arts, education and public health. The design team includes the firms Hood Design Studio, Weiss/Manfredi and Moody Nolan. Steven R. Swartz, the president and chief executive of Hearst, who serves as chair of Lincoln Center's board, said he was hopeful the center could get the financial commitments needed for the project by the end of the year, despite recent economic uncertainty. 'The whole notion of putting some additional energy into New York City has gone over great,' he said. 'People get it when they see all that we've done at Lincoln Center to take the campus to another level.' On its west side, Lincoln Center is surrounded by the Amsterdam Houses, a public housing complex that first opened in 1947 for World War II veterans. Across the street is LaGuardia High School, known for its music and performing arts programs, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex, which houses five high schools. Under the plan, the center will demolish its current band shell, which sits with its back toward Amsterdam Avenue, and build an amphitheater adjacent to the David H. Koch Theater that looks out over its neighbors to the west. The wall along Amsterdam Avenue will be torn down to make way for trees and a more welcoming entrance to Damrosch Park. The park will get an expansive new lawn and a small, informal performance and rehearsal area. A couple of blocks to the north, near the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the surrounding schools, the center will build a seating area. The renovation is the latest effort by the center to shed its elitist image and to attract more diverse audiences, especially Black and Latino residents across the city. The center has in recent years worked to diversify its programming and expand access to its campus, including by experimenting with a choose-what-you-pay model for some events. In 2022, the center, working with the New York Philharmonic, completed a $550 million renovation of David Geffen Hall, the Philharmonic's home, which was also aimed, in part, at deepening community ties and attracting new audiences. The effort to remake the center's west edge is partly a response to its complicated history on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A vibrant neighborhood known as San Juan Hill, which was home to many low-income Black and Latino residents, was razed to make way for the center's construction, which began in 1959. Lincoln Center's leaders, invoking that history, have made public input a priority as they plan the renovation. The center has received more than 3,500 survey responses and held more than 30 events, workshops and focus groups seeking input on the project.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TechCrunch StrictlyVC in Athens in May will feature a special guest: the Greece Prime Minister
We're thrilled to announce that Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be joining us at our upcoming StrictlyVC event in Athens, co-hosted with Endeavor, on Thursday night, May 8, at the stunning Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. For those who might not be familiar with his background, Mitsotakis brings a fascinating blend of experiences to the table. Before entering politics, he worked at both McKinsey and Chase Investment Bank, giving him firsthand experience in the business world that many operators throughout the startup ecosystem can appreciate. The youngest of four children, he also has some Silicon Valley-esque academic credentials – he headed to Harvard, then to Stanford for a master's degree in international relations, and finally nabbed an MBA at Harvard Business School – and says his education has long shaped his vision for Greece's future. Mitsotakis has also been championing Greece's tech transformation for many years. In fact, after navigating the country through the pandemic, he has doubled down on positioning Athens as an emerging tech hub, recently introducing initiatives to attract international talent, including tax incentives and reforms aimed at cutting bureaucratic red tape for new businesses. The Prime Minister comes from a political family -- his father was prime minister and his sister was mayor of Athens -- but he has carved out his own reputation as a reformer focused on modernizing the Greek economy. His administration has been particularly interested in how tech can help diversify renowned traditional Greek strengths like shipping and tourism. StrictlyVC events are constrained by design to give attendees a unique opportunity for investors, founders, and ecosystem builders to engage directly with power players like the Prime Minister, so if you want to ask about his government's vision for Greece's tech future, and how the country fits into the broader European innovation landscape, this could be your chance. You can here to learn more about the agenda and other speakers (you can also buy tickets while they are still available). Registration is now open for what promises to be a fun evening, filled with illuminating discussions, but this chat -- with one of Europe's most interesting political leaders about Greece's emerging technology narrative -- is definitely one you won't want to miss. Register for your StrictlyVC Greece ticket here. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
StrictlyVC heads to Athens for in-depth conversations on European innovation and investment
StrictlyVC is turning up the heat in 2025 — and we're going international! First stop: Athens, May 8. Get ready for sharp, unfiltered conversations onstage — and your chance to jump into the dialogue. This isn't just an event; it's a forum where every attendee has a voice with some of Europe's most influential tech and VC leaders at the helm. Join the conversation — register now to be part of this can't-miss event. We're excited to kick off this year's global edition of the boutique VC event series with a deep dive into Europe's hottest tech topics — featuring startup and venture leaders like the following: With Europe's startup ecosystem evolving fast, where's it headed? This session pairs founder insight from John Tsioris with investor perspective from Panos Papadopoulos to explore both opportunity and friction — especially in emerging hubs like Greece. Europe's rewriting the startup playbook. From AI to data privacy, policies are shifting fast. Factory founder Simon Schaefer breaks down what founders need to know — and how they can shape, not just follow, the future of EU regulation. Founder / Co-InitiatorFactory / The EU-Inc Petition They didn't just launch — they broke through. Haris Pylarinos and Dimitrios Kottas reveal what it takes to scale globally from Europe, from hiring and funding to mindset and market fit. The first international stop kicks off in Greece at the stunning Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center — and you won't want to miss it. Gain sharp insights from Europe's tech leaders and connect with the movers and shakers driving the industry forward. Book your seat now. Can't make it to Greece? We'll be in London on May 13. Join us for deeper tech and VC discussions and networking with more of Europe's top VC leaders. See the VC giants leading the conversations and book your ticket here.
New York Times
23-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What Project Is Changing Your Community?
The Headway initiative is funded through grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors serving as a fiscal sponsor. The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway's public square. Funders have no control over the selection, focus of stories or the editing process and do not review stories before publication. The Times retains full editorial control of the Headway initiative.
