Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with John Koudounis, Alex Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and John Calamos Sr., gleefully strikes the NYSE bell to commemorate a historic cooperation.
By Leslie Krowchenko, Special to Hellenic News of America.

Penn State University fans are known to bleed blue and white for the school and its athletic teams.

The colors signify John Koudounis’ commitment to Greece, its families, and its future.

Koudounis is the CEO of Calamos Investments, a global investment firm that has formed the Calamos Antetokounmpo Global Sustainable Equities Fund in collaboration with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is also a founding board member of The Hellenic Initiative (THI), an international nonprofit organization that brings together Diaspora Greeks and Philhellenes to invest in the country. He will be in Athens on June 5 and 6 for THI’s ATHINA23 Gala and the seventh annual Venture Fair, which is one of the organization’s primary attempts to attract investment to Greece.John Koudounis with the Antetokounmpo brothers outside of the NYSE.  Photo courtesy of John Koudounis

Koudounis graduated from Brown University with degrees in International Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, and Economics, which fueled his career. He has 28 years of Wall Street expertise before joining Calamos in 2016 and has more than doubled the firm’s assets under management (AUM) from approximately $18 billion to more than $36 billion (as of 1/31/23).

The firm and the Milwaukee Bucks’ star have similar goals of economic empowerment, financial education, and giving back, particularly to young people in the community, and Koudounis, Antetokounmpo, and company founder John Calamos, Sr. rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on March 31 to promote the joint fund. The suite of ESG funds (portfolios of shares and bonds from corporations that have considered environmental, social, and governmental considerations in their investment process) is publicly available to investors and adheres to ESG investment principles.

“It was our passion for family, community, and charity, particularly where we can advance important themes like economic empowerment and financial education for the younger generation, that allowed us to concept these sustainable funds that seek to deliver investment and societal return to its investors,” said Koudounis. “Creating a suite of sustainable funds in partnership with a global superstar and philanthropist like Giannis seemed like the next natural step in our continued path towards innovation.”

John Calamos Sr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, and John Koudounis ring the NYSE bell in a moment of celebration and collaboration. Photo courtesy of John Koudounis
The fund’s portfolio management team invests in businesses that they believe have strong growth potential, evaluating firms using both traditional financial analysis and proprietary non-financial criteria. These are indicators indicating the companies being examined for investment have a good societal or environmental impact through their business practices. The team believes that by combining these analyses, it can make better investing decisions and develop more long-term portfolios.John Koudounis at the 6th Annual CSO Summit & Symposium. Photo courtesy of John Koudounis

“This team adopted the concept of ESG before it was a coined term and was one of the first to manage a fossil-free fund in the United States,” said Koudounis. “It’s exciting to offer funds that are managed by one of the first to recognize its potential.”

The funds are available through mutual fund and ETF vehicles, making them accessible to both individual investors and institutions of all sizes. The ETF trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol SROI and is open to anyone with a trading account and as little as $25 per share to invest. For individuals who prefer a more focused approach, the mutual fund provides a US-specific strategy alternative.

Antetokounmpo is a 50 percent co-owner and member of the advisor’s board of directors. He will not make investment choices, but he will help determine the direction of the fund and partnership’s objective, as well as shape the joint venture’s yearly charity contribution target. The collaboration has pledged to donate up to 10% of its yearly income to organizations that promote its shared passion, which includes financial literacy as a primary focus and theme.

John Koudounis (left), Nikos Stathopoulos (middle), THI Board Member and Chairman of Europe at BC Partners, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (right). Photo courtesy of John KoudounisTHI shares a similar commitment. Founded in 2012 by members of the global Greek and Philhellene communities, the initiative seeks to respond to the worsening economic crisis and help shape Greece’s long-term recovery through programs focused on crisis relief, entrepreneurship, and economic development.THI, in collaboration with its humanitarian partners, provides a necessary safety net to the most vulnerable families affected by the disaster. As of fall 2013, one in every five Greek homes, including approximately 600,000 children, lived below the poverty line, and nearly half of all citizens lacked health insurance. The organization has committed or distributed $6.6 million USD for direct crisis aid.Yanni Sianis (left) with Giannis Antetokounmpo (middle) and John Koudounis (right). Photo credit: John Koudounis. Photo courtesy of John Koudounis
THI is also devoted to investing, whether through grants to charitable organizations, mentorship for young entrepreneurs, or investments in small businesses, and has pledged or distributed $11.7 million USD in economic and entrepreneurial development.

Koudounis credits Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who served as Prime Minister from July 2019-May 2023, with helping Greece emerge from its debt crisis. He added that Greece is the most indebted European country and that under his tenure, the PM began repaying creditors ahead of schedule, which should ideally encourage international rating agencies to upgrade Greece’s bonds from bad status. Mitsotakis also lowered taxes and debt while increasing digitization, minimum wages, and pensions. As a result, the government is recruiting global firms, start-ups are investing, and tourism is rapidly increasing.Private meeting during United Nations Week in New York: Alexis Patelis, Chief Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Mitsotakis. Photo courtesy of John Koudounis

“I think Prime Minister Mitsotakis has done a very good job – the people need someone who can lead them and have the support of Europe,” he said. “This is the right path for Greece – it must create a sense of sustainability and accountability for major players to invest in the country to help build for the long term.”

He noted that attracting foreign investment, as well as developing and supporting entrepreneurship in Greece and future generations, are critical to long-term prosperity. THI aims to energize entrepreneurs, whom it deems as crucial to economic recovery and rejuvenation, by assisting them in building better, more sustainable foundations for their businesses and the economy as a whole. The Hellenic Investment Fund provides growth equity to small and medium-sized businesses that are the backbone of the Greek economy and whose performance is vital to its recovery.