The Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) officially launched its 2025 HACCI Young Professionals Network (HYPN) Mentoring Program on Wednesday, May 7, at Vanilla Lounge in Oakleigh, drawing a full house of young professionals, experienced businesspeople, and community leaders.
Titled ‘Packing for Success’, the event featured a compelling fireside chat and entrepreneurship masterclass with Athan Didaskalou, co-founder of luggage and lifestyle brand JULY, in conversation with HACCI Board Member Vicky Alexiou.
Known for his unorthodox professional path and his deep business insight, Athan shared his journey from suburban Melbourne chicken shop owner to co-founder of a brand that now boasts 27 retail stores across six countries, and a partnership with the Australian Olympic Team.
“I haven’t known what I wanted to do for a long time – I probably still don’t,” Athan quipped, musing about his journey in business, bringing mirth to the audience.
Speaking of JULY’s success, he attributed it to the company’s relationship to its customer base.
“We’re customer obsessed,” he said. “We love the customers, because they are the revenue. We’re checking our emails every five minutes.”
Having said that, he stressed the importance of maintaining a personal life outside of work, describing his work-life balance approach as “giving 80% of yourself to work and 110% at home.”
This deeply resonated with the audience, as did Athan’s insights on every aspect of a career in product development and retail, from desing and manufacturing tips, to productivity hacks, to exploring new markets, hiring, and knowing who to turn to for advice.
A warm and compelling speaker who doesn’t mince his words, Athan charmed the audience with his honest and open discussion with Vicky, but also to the audience questions that went deep into issues of manufacturing, customer service, and international trade.
The event also shone a spotlight on HACCI’s flagship HYPN Mentoring Program, which has helped more than 500 young professionals navigate their career, in over a decade. Far from applying a traditional model, the program is designed to foster transformational, tailor-made mentorship experience that benefit both mentees and mentors.
At the heart of the program is an inversion of the usual dynamic: mentees take the lead by submitting their personal wish list of industries – and even specific mentors – they’d like to connect with. From there HACCI draws from its extensive national and international network to find the best match, creating a six-month-long journey of mutual growth.
To date, the HYPN mentoring program has paired hundreds of mentors and mentees, drawing participants from fields as varied as law, medicine, finance, science and technology, education, charities and not-for-profits, the creative industries, and beyond. Many mentees choose to connect with professionals outside their own field, seekine fresh perspectives and broader inspiration.
“We are incredibly proud of this work here at HACCI,” Vicky said, “fostering the new generation of Hellenic Australian business and professional leaders, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who’s been part of this journey – mentors, mentees, and supporters.”
The evening closed with a warm vote of thanks, and a raffle that saw one lucky audience member win a JULY carry-on suitcase (the original design); HACCI presented Athan with a spectacular floral gift, courtesy of Mr Roses, winner of the Bank of Sydney Business Excellence Award at last year’s HACCI Excellence Awards.
The HACCI Young Professionals Network Mentoring Program is open to all HACCI Professional Members. Anyone interested is welcome to contact HACCI via email (info@hacci.com.au).
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