Leadership, Empathy & Evolving Forward — with Iro Tsakiri

Welcome to the first episode of the new year and the opening of Season Two of the EMBR.ACE Education Podcast a space where leadership, wellbeing, and the human side of education and work come together.

We begin this new cycle with a powerful conversation on leadership not as a title, but as a lived, evolving practice.

In this episode, Effie Kyrikakis sits down with Iro Tsakiri, a leader in the innovation and startup ecosystem and a key figure at Starttech Adventures, to explore what it truly means to grow as a leader in today’s complex world.

Together, they reflect on questions that go beyond strategy and success:

• What does it really mean to evolve as a leader?

• How do mentors shape or challenge our path?

• How do we define success beyond numbers and outcomes?

• What criteria guide meaningful initiatives and team decisions?

• Why is empathy not a “soft skill” but a core leadership strength?

• How does formal education compare to the reality of leadership today?

• And how can education better support young people in the future?

This episode bridges business, education, leadership, and humanity, offering thoughtful insights for educators, leaders, founders, and anyone shaping people and systems.

It’s an invitation to rethink leadership as presence, responsibility, and conscious growth, especially at a time when empathy and clarity matter more than ever.

🎧 Listen on Spotify or watch on YouTube and step into the new season of EMBR.ACE Education.