Greek Village Cohousing
Η πρώτη Συμβιωτική Κοινότητα στην Ελλάδα
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Meet Us
Pare (Evi) Gerou Founder & Project Lead I am a Greek-American attorney specializing in refugee representation and a devoted mother to my son, Atticus. My love for Greece began during childhood summers on Lesvos. After earning my law degree from the University of Virginia Law School, I pursued a career in refugee law, serving in various roles, including Director of a Refugee Resettlement Agency, solo practitioner, Clinical Professor at University of Virginia Law School, and refugee adjudicator for USCIS. I spent five transformative years in Touchstone cohousing community in the U.S. The years at Touchstone deeply impressed upon me the power of intentional community and cohousing design and its effect on one's sense of belonging and fulfillment in everyday life. I witnessed daily the dramatic effects of a community design that choreographs connection, and I saw the power that focus on connection, functionality, and values can bring to a higher quality and lower footprint life. I also simply experienced the joy of a community whose neighbors have commitment to share time in celebration and co-management, and I felt the health benefits of community in greater connection to the land. The fact that Touchstone happened to be situated near two other cohousing villages of different ages taught me about how these villages manage over time. The experience inspired me to dedicate over a decade of my life to better understanding cohousing and intentional community, visiting numerous communities, taking courses, and conducting research. My return to Greece during the 2015-18 refugee crisis rekindled my dream of retiring there. During the pandemic, I decided to merge my love for Greece and cohousing, creating Greek Village Cohousing. Starting with a website and an officially registered organization, I’ve worked to lay the foundation for an ideal location and land, of developers who understand, for membership who share common values, of sociocratic governance, and other foundations that create fertile ground for an intentional community. Now that we've got the land, developers and professionals, and other important foundations in place, in year three, our small seed group has begun to build community, create policies, and mold village culture. As Project Manager, I oversee the entirety of the project. Last year, I organized participatory design workshops and collaborated with our developers to create the opportunity for members to enjoy multiple trips to the land. There they collaborated in the design of our Common House, and on Zoom the group began to realize their vision. I continue promote to utilize and promote a best practices approach to our growth, using data from empirical studies and a researched and thoughtful approach so that we take advantage of all the wisdom that has come before us in this now decades old movement, and I am grateful for our many cohousing mentors who have helped me. We are now focused on sustainable features, climate change planning, and policy making. We enjoy planning our gardens, creating our conflict resolution plan, and beginning our sociocracy and NVC training. However, none of my work would have created the strong foundation for the group had it not been for our wonderful developers and advisor board members. Managing Partner Stavros Tampouglou, Visionary Partner Peter Eliopoulos whose land will become our home, and advisory board member Robert Peck have given us what we’ve needed to overcome many hurdles to make our dreams a reality. I am proud of our group's progress and the strong foundation I was able to lay with the help of our developers. From this foundation, our diverse, multigenerational seed group is crafting something extraordinary. The community is thriving, attracting skilled members who deeply value community, connection, community service and living sustainably. See our visions and values page to get a glimps of what drives this community. Together, we are now nurturing my initial vision and turning it into a flourishing community that embodies our shared values and aspirations.
Miriam, Spiros, Anna, and Yannis, from Amsterdam and Greece We are a family of 4 (plus dog) with mixed roots living in Holland. Miriam is half Dutch, half Danish while Spiros is Greek. Anna our daughter will soon turn 18 and is finnishing high school in a few moths; after which she is ready to spend some time exploring the world before she wants to commit to a study. Our son Yannis will turn 16 this year and is a fanatic basketball player who loves seafishing. Spiros has a background in chemistry and is fortunate enough to be able to work mostly remote. He shares his main hobbies with his son. Miriam has a background in antropology and nursing and has worked mostly in mental health and community health settings. At the moment she is working in projectmanagement for ukrainian refugees. We spend as much time as possible in Greece, with the greek part of a family and friends. We have always had the intention to move to Greece at some point as we love the people, the way of life, nature, food, climate…oh well the whole deal I guess. Although we do not have a background in community living the concept appeals to us a lot and we have been envisioning this way of life for ourselves at some point in the future.
Jenn from Austin, Texas Hi, I'm Jennifer Collman, and I'm excited to join the co-housing village! My husband & I have been interested in co-housing for over ten years, and I believe it's a great way to live more sustainably and connect with others. I'm married to my husband, Tom, and we've been together for 16 wonderful years. We have three adult children and four grandchildren. I'm also a QHHT Practitioner, Past Life Regression Hypnotherapist and a Reiki Master, so I'm a healer by trade. I love gardening and keeping chickens and goats. I also enjoy swimming, biking, hiking, and mountain climbing. I'm also a great cook and love wine. And I LOVE to dance! I'm passionate about being of service to others, and I'm excited to bring my skills and experience to the co-housing village. I believe that by working together, we can create a vibrant and sustainable community where everyone feels supported and connected.
Tom From Austin, Texas Like many people, I first experienced social living in college. First in a dorm, then in a room rented in a house that I chose, and then in a house I rented and filled with housemates. I observed and learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, and fully expected this way of life to continue and expand. Then came a serious job and moving for work, relationships, marriage, kids… Family and work took over as primary and I didn’t think much about also exploring alternatives. I did put community at the top of the priorities for where to live and often chose a community first and then found a place to live. I think of these as augmented communities - great places and great people that bond together and support each-other, yet living in something designed by developers and city planners. When I reached the mutually-agreeable end to my tech career at the end of 2022 I set my priorities: Spend meaningful time in parts of the world that I love or have always wanted to visit, primarily the Mediterranean and SE Asia. Not just to have fun, but to observe how people live and spend lots of time reflecting on what I want. The Foundation for Intentional Community (IC.org) was an inspiration and we visited and learned from many amazing and welcoming communities. I did start with a month of snowboarding from Utah to Canada with my kids and friends. Explore ways to help in a very non-prescriptive way. I was fortunate to connect with Swiss Contact (www.swisscontact.org) and did two tours in the Balkans and one in Vietnam working with local companies and tech communities to promote growth and happiness through entrepreneurship. Figure out where we are going to make our “forever home”. Upon returning home from Asia in April of ‘24 I felt I had learned a lot and moved #3 to the top of the list. I knew that I wanted to join a great team with a compelling plan and not start from scratch. I found GVC and read everything I could find, talked a lot with Jen and signed up for our first orientation. I was immediately very impressed and excited by all the work that Evi (Pare) Gerou, the developers Stravos and Peter had done. It is an audacious vision, not just for our community, but as an inspiration to all for ways to live and find connection and meaning in this world. Both Jen and I are so excited to join this inspiring and exciting project and help make it a reality!
Karl from San Diego Karl Gerth grew up in Chicago, went to college in Iowa, and has lived in China, Japan, Spain, and England. Currently, he is a Professor of Modern Chinese History at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He writes, teaches, and speaks on the history and contemporary implications of consumerism and capitalism, particularly the case of China. His books include Unending Capitalism: How Consumerism Negated China’s Communist Revolution and As China Goes, So Goes the World, which explores whether Chinese consumers can rescue the economy without creating even deeper global problems. After receiving his PhD from Harvard University in 2000, he taught at Oxford University until his move to UCSD in 2013. For fun, he likes to row, hike in the Colorado Rockies, cycle, and read non-fiction.
Dennis from Cyprus Denise Demetriou grew up in Cyprus, and has lived in the US, UK, and Greece. She is currently Professor of Ancient Greek History at the University of California, San Diego. She teaches, writes, and speaks about the history of the Mediterranean region from a wide perspective that integrates the interconnected histories of Greeks, Phoenicians, Persians, and others who lived in the region. She is author of Phoenicians among Others: Why Migrants Mattered in the Ancient Mediterranean and Negotiating Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean: The Archaic and Classical Greek Multiethnic Emporia. She received her Ph.D. in Classics from Johns Hopkins University in 2005 and taught for nine years at Michigan State University before joining the History Faculty at UC San Diego. Together with Amalia Avramidou she co-led one of the summer seminars of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens in July 2022. She is currently working on another book on the anxiety ancient Greek authors express about relentless technological development and the necessity of humanistic values in achieving happiness and living a good life.
Advisory Board Member Robert William Peck, Canada Former Ambassador to Greece Recently retired after 35 years with Global Affairs Canada, Robert Peck has held a variety of positions in Canada, Greece, and abroad. At Headquarters, these included Press Secretary and Departmental Spokesperson to two Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Chief of Protocol of Canada. He was Canada’s Ambassador to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria from 2004 to 2007, and Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus from 2011 to 2015. As Canada’s representative to both Algeria and the Hellenic Republic, former Ambassador Peck worked closely with the Canadian oil and gas and mining sectors. This involved advocacy at the ministerial and head of state/head of government levels and providing strategic advice on critical issues and emerging trends. Earlier in his career, he served in various diplomatic roles in Nigeria, Switzerland, and Greece. During a two-year leave of absence from the Government of Canada, Mr. Peck was Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at CAE Inc., the global leader in aerospace simulation technology. Throughout his diplomatic career, Ambassador Peck has been a strong supporter of cultural diplomacy and worked closely with leading Canadian and international artists and organizations. As Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic he played a leading role in supporting the unprecedented and highly successful exhibition at the Canadian Museum of History in 2015: “The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great.” Mr. Peck was named in 2017 as an independent, non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Energean PLC, a leading independent oil and gas company in the Eastern Mediterranean. He is also actively involved in the voluntary sector as President of the Board of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra (OSO), a member of the Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG), and an Honorary Director of The Hellenic Initiative (Canada). He continues to be engaged with several charitable organizations in Greece, including a local non-governmental organization that provides a safe haven for refugee minors on the Greek island of Lesvos.In 2010, he agreed also to dedicate himself voluntarily to the Michaëlle Jean Foundation as Executive Director until 2020. Promise kept. The position will be opened next July. Former Ambassador Peck has received numerous awards including the Canadian Foreign Minister’s Citation for Foreign Policy Excellence, the Minister’s Merit Award, a Citation from the Fondation Club Avenir for his exceptional contribution to Canada-Algeria relations, and the Grand Commander of the Order of the Phoenix conferred by the President of the Hellenic Republic.
Karim and Harper from Toulous & DC Karim Is a musician from Toulouse, France. He has played various instruments and genres of music. With a DIY spirit he is an avid learner who has a love of Feldenkrais, kayaking and good food. He has been living in the United States of America for over 10 years now. Harper has an interest in film and the arts. She started her love of community as a student at a small Quaker farm school in Iowa . She has been a Riot Grrrl, poet, a baker, an artist and had various jobs over the years. She returned to the United States from France to care for her beautiful mother. Her film Angel Food was featured at numerous international festivals including the International San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Her writing was featured in Inga Muscio's award winning book Cunt: A Declaration of Independence. After her own health challenges she became even more interested in health and studied to become a Bioenergetic Health Coach, She continues to work on creative and film projects because she believes that creativity is an ntegral part of wellbeing.
Wei & Daniel from Quanzhou, China & Ann Arbor USA Hi everyone, My name is Wei. I am a Chinese immigrant living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. This is my 8th year living in the US. Daniel and I are living at Touchstone Cohousing where Evi used to live, and this is our fourth year here. ‘It’s not always rainbow and unicorns’ as our neighbor shared with us, but community still has great value on many aspects. We are grateful for knowing Evi’s Greek Village Cohousing project through our marketing neighbor. I am a entrepreneur growing different varieties of micro greens for our 3 Cohousing community neighbors and local farm stop. Currently, I am attending Traditional Tibetan Medicine school for my first year, and my goal is to become a TTM doctor in the near future. In addition to Tibetan medicine, I like meditation, practicing Nejang Yoga, and learning Tibetan astrology. In my spare time, I also love studying about whole-food plant based nutrition, making meals with local and organic ingredients, studying diffident kinds of herbs, making herbal remedies for my family, and gardening. I hope to have a piece of land growing my own organic herbs and preserve them to help patients. Daniel and I both love sustainable organic way of living and traveling around the world, learn about other culture and other people. Greece is definitely our next destination for 2024! Hi everyone, I am Daniel. I currently work in IT, working a remote job at Amazon Web Services (AWS). When I am not working with technology or playing video games, I enjoy reading and learning languages. One of the things that excites me about Greece is the opportunity to grow a bunch of high quality, natural nutritious food.
Vilma, Georgios, Aurora and Gabriel From Finland and Now Greece! The Karhu-Jopasin Family: Vilma, Georgios, Aurora and Gabriel The Karhu-Jopasin's are a family of four from Finland who just recently moved to Athens. Vilma and Georgios have two beautiful children, Aurora and Gabriel. Aurora is an active toddler who loves singing, dancing, climbing and counting in Finnish, English and Greek. Gabriel is a sweet, curious and calm 1-year old who is interested in learning more about the world around him. Vilma has a degree in English linguistics and has previously worked in university administration at Tampere University, focusing on exchange studies and international Master's degree programmes. She has been blessed to have had the opportunity to travel, study and work in different countries. She is now home with the kids and also works as a freelance translator (FI-EN) when she has time. She played volleyball for 16 years and has now taken up kickboxing. She also enjoys spending time in nature either hiking, downhill skiing or surfing (surfing skills are rusty though!). Among other things, Georgios (or Georgi) has a background working at the Finnish national broadcasting company YLE as a media journalist. Georgi is an entrepreneur-minded truth seeker and an observer of people. Due to his past at YLE and his curiosity to explore, he has been exposed to many things and has learned from those experiences a lot. He is now working remotely from home for a Greek company. On his free time he produces music or listens to podcasts. The family values natural approaches to health as well as strengthening a well-communicating and loving family unit. Second hand stores and relaxed jazz music on Saturday mornings are their thing. They also have experience in community building in Finland, where they were part of trying to set up two different types of communities. The first would have been a cohousing community in the Finnish archipelago and the second a commune for families with children located in the countryside. They are grateful for the lessons learned from their previous experiences and want to contribute to creating a safe, thriving and diverse multigenerational community in the Peloponnesos .
Richard Tony Simba, wife Wisdom Proper, and children
from Nairobi, Kenya
I'm Richard Tony Simba, a Kenyan citizen with an age of 40years old. I'm married to Sarah K. Simba. We are blessed with three children, namely Precious of 13years, Blessings of 9 years and Emmanuel of 7years.
I'm A chef by profession, having worked in various 5 star hotel for more than 10 years now both in Kenya and outside the country, including a United Nations Organization.
My wife is a data analyst, and my children' academic studies is grade one, grade three and the first born is in form one. Since I found this the Greek Village Cohousing community project, we decided to become members. We are looking forward to relocating to Greece through this wonderful project. Thank you and God bless everyone of us.
Opiyo and Sharon, from Kenya I am born and raised in Kenya. I married my best friend Sharon, and we have a young family of five. First born daughter Maya 9yrs, Joan 8yrs ,and last born Dellan 3yrs. I am a pastry chef, and I have worked in Kenya and outside Kenya for more 7 years as a head of kitchen operations at a 5 star hotel. I have experience with dessert plata. I've also worked in fashion and interior design. for 7yrs. My best friend Sharon is also a chef, business lady, and gospel artist, she's currently working in Nairobi mostly doing outside catering. We are looking for a home in Greece, because of the beautiful mountains and the islands. After research, I landed on the Greek co house project which I believed is lined up with what we were looking for. We have a strong hope that the Greek community housing will make our dream come true. Thank you.
David, from California Basics: I just turned 60 and am currently in Ojai, California where I run a small environmental consulting business. I’m not married, and don’t have kids or pets. I enjoy a quiet lifestyle surrounded by nature, and love to hike, bird watch, play guitar and travel the world. Background and Career: The overall theme of my career has been helping people understand their connection with and dependance upon the natural world. I grew up in Santa Barbara, and spent lots of my early childhood on our family ranch (www.RanchoLaVina.com). In the family since the 1860s, the land is several hundred acres of walnut orchards, vineyards, cattle grazing lands and wild country. I have served on the family corporation board of directors for 20 years, helping manage the various business units and guiding the corporation as we adapt to the changing times. Starting age 10, I accompanied my father, a naturalist and outdoor photographer in the field, learning to identify the native plants, mammals, reptiles and amphibians of Southern and Central California. These skills have directly translated into my career as a consulting biologist and wildlife photographer. I went to junior high and high school in Juneau, Alaska, then onto UC Santa Cruz for a BA in Biology in 1988. I moved from California to Montana for grad school in 1989, and graduated from Montana State University with a Masters in Biology in 1991. My graduate research included an ecotourism study in Costa Rica. During grad school, I also reported and wrote articles for college newspaper, which landed me a job as editor of a weekly newspaper on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation on the border of Glacier National Park. From there I worked for myself as a freelance writer specializing in the environment and wildlife, then as a guidebook editor for an outdoor publisher in Helena, MT. I moved back to California in 2000, when I worked as a nature guide (Certified California Naturalist) and outdoor educator until 2004. Since then I have been doing biological consulting – field studies, technical reports and project management. As a consulting biologist (www.DavidNLeeConsulting.com), I conduct field studies for endangered plants and wildlife and write technical reports that help my clients obtain land use permits and comply with other environmental laws and regulations. I also help my clients restore their land to natural conditions using native plants, holistic grazing and installing water sources. I am very excited to be in the process of starting to offer sustainable and ecotourism consulting services to ecolodges and tour companies worldwide. Interest in Living in Greece I have traveled throughout the world, including Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico and Spain. In 2019, I attended a yoga retreat on Lesvos. In all the places I had been, I had never felt such a deep connection to the land, culture and people. I felt my soul was finally home, and shed tears of regret that I couldn’t stay longer (something that had never happened). I returned to Tinos in 2022 for another yoga retreat, then explored Egypt. I strongly resonate with GVC’s values and have a strong desire to live in community. My plan over the next year to two is to join a community in Greece, work as a part-time international consultant and travel the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa.