Improvisation? You mean, like getting on stage in front of people and acting? Are you serious? Ideoli’s team gathered in New York City for some powerful team building. Part of this included an evening at an improv studio in Manhattan – which of course was surprisingly fun, spontaneous and a great team-building experience. When you step outside of your comfort zone, great things happen. Being pushed to think on the spot, interact with your peers in a new setting and laughing along the way does wonders for a team… and the individuals. At ideoli, we are always looking for new ways to have fun, be creative and bond with our global team.
Starting the year off right, we are working on a new “Invigorate Your Community” initiative. The Ideoli team has been volunteering at “God’s Love We Deliver”, a charitable organization based in Manhattan, New York. This charity serves the local Burroughs by raising money, preparing meals and making home-delivers of nutritious, medically-tailored meals for people too sick to shop or cook for themselves. Today we are here with the entire Ideoli team, every one flew in from around the world and we’re here down in Soho at God’s Love We Deliver. Today the Ideoli team is packing over 1,000 meals for dinner and doing it as a team together. When we come together to do good, we become better as a team. Every time we get together we take on this initiative, so we are really excited to get our hands involved and help where we can. Invigorate your Community is a growing charitable initiative we take pride in.
Ideoli is the recipient of another award for our LED Diamond Chandelier. We won the 2019 GOOD DESIGN Award by the esteemed Chicago Athenaeum – which is a Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. It’s exciting to be acknowledged in such a talented group of innovative lighting product designers. The LED Diamond Chandelier measures almost six feet in diameter, and it represents the exact cuts of a GIA diamond. Ideoli created this effect through a unique construction process using high quality materials from around the world, including an advanced, color-changing LED lighting system. The Chicago Athenaeum creates awareness for amazing designs and honors both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing for innovative, modern products and designs. “We’re thrilled and honored to win this prestigious award,” says George Stroumboulis, CEO and Co-Founder of Ideoli. We appreciate the recognition and look forward to creating new innovative designs in 2020!
We love creating new products for special places. And today we visited a very special place in Athens, Greece. “We are on top of the Acropolis right now, Chris’ first time. How are you feeling?” asks George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. “We’re standing in front of the Parthenon. Unbelievable. It’s inspiring. I think back 13 years ago in school, sitting in a dreary lecture hall. Learning about this stuff and wondering what the point is. But now standing up here, the perspective you get going on site and seeing these things,” says Chris Hartswick, Ideoli CPO and Co-Founder. Appreciating history and its accomplishments… one ancient site at a time.
The design award goes to…IDEOLI! Ideoli’s LED Ring Chandelier was selected from an international group of incredible lighting design products. We won the 2019 GOOD DESIGN Award by the esteemed Chicago Athenaeum – which is a Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. We are honored to be recognized in such a talented group of innovative lighting product designers. The Chicago Athenaeum creates awareness for amazing designs and honors both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing for innovative, modern products and designs. We couldn’t agree more! We are thankful to our partners for giving us the opportunity to design and manufacture for them. Let’s celebrate Innovation, imagination and inspiration!
We love sharing the good and we love sharing the not so good. We are not perfect and sometimes meetings do not go as planned. The boys do a brief recap here… ”Today we had a big meeting in London. And sometimes things don’t go as perfectly as you want during a meeting. Sometimes they go great. Today was one of those, you know, our first meeting. Describe how it went, Chris.,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. “So, we were there with the client, we were there with the installers, we were there with the inspectors. You know, we were working with everyone together. The information was good and the information was there. The downside of that is having too many people in the room, nobody wants to make a decision. Kind of gets a little heated at times, people start pointing fingers a little bit. Overall I think it was good,” says Chris Hartswick, Ideoli CPO and Co-Founder. Learning from every interaction is key.
“I was recently promoted to sergeant. It’s really exciting because that was a goal of mine when I first enlisted in the Marine Corps,” says Bruno Maldonado, Ideoli Marketing Intern. Meet Bruno, a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corp Reserves and also an intern in our Marketing Department. Let’s learn a little more… “I’m a marketing intern at Ideoli and I’ve been working here for the past six months,” says Bruno Maldonado, Ideoli Marketing Intern. You’ve been busy. “I was recently promoted to sergeant. It’s really exciting because that was a goal of mine when I first enlisted in the Marine Corps,” says Bruno. Very cool. Tell us a little more? “I enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 2013 and it’s something I always want to do to continue on the legacy of my family. Both my grandfather and uncle served in the Peruvian military,” says Bruno. There you have it, not only talented at helping Ideoli builds its brand, but also serving our country. Well done, Bruno.
“What do you estimate the step count to be…. 2,600 there and back?”” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. In between meetings in Athens, Greece the boys took 2 hours out of their schedule to head up the Acropolis to experience the Parthenon. “We are at the base of the Acropolis and we’re doing the challenge,” says George The city looks beautiful but what have these guys gotten themselves into??? “What do you estimate the step count to be from where we started to up here? There and back,” says George. “I’m going to say 2,600,” says Chris Hartswick, Ideoli CPO and Co-Founder. “2,600 there and back? Not even close,” says George. “So, we are on top of the acropolis now. Chris’ first time. Aside from sweating your you know what off, and 3,000 steps later, what are your thoughts?” asks George. “Unbelievable, going through ruins like this. Whether you are here or anywhere else in the world. Trying to think how they accomplished these things,” says Chris. Way to prep, boys!
Armando helps oversee the proper installation of our LED lighting products for our clients across the United States. “We are here onsite at a client location overseeing an installation. Making sure everything goes smooth. Any problems occur, we’re here to help,” says Armando, Ideoli Applications Engineer. From a QC standpoint, we make sure everything is perfect for the client and their locations before they open. “We’re really excited about this project. Everything is looking real good, real nice office space. Coming soon,” says Armando. Keep racking up those air miles, Armando!
Ideoli is global. That’s why Ideoli has key members of our accomplished team based in Athens, Greece. If you’ve seen our videos documenting Ideoli’s travels and work with clients around the world, you’ve seen the work of our all-star video producer, Kostas Varnavopoulos. “Hello, my name is Kostas Varnavopolous and I was born here in Athens, Greece and I currently work and live here,” says Kostas Varnavopoulos, Ideoli’s video content producer. Greece is strategic to Ideoli’s growth that is full of culture and talent. “I have studied film and television directing and have worked in the broadcast television sector for more than 25 years,” says Kostas. How interesting. Tell us a little more? “Currently, I work as a content producer for Ideoli,” says Kostas. Can’t wait to see what video you produce next! Keep following us as we continue to grow here.
Welcome to another installment of Chris’ Tech Corner. Where Chris showcases a new product, feature or technology from the world of Ideoli. Take it away Chris! “Ideoli’s new ring chandelier are a very exciting new product for us. It’s an ultra slim line ring that comes in multiple diameters. We can also offer it in different types of installs,” says Chris Hartswick, Ideoli CPO and Co-Founder. Leading-edge technology with the end user in mind – always. “The flexibility in our ring chandeliers is amazing. We can offer architects, designers, interior designer, lighting designer’s different ways that they can orient these rings. Whether it’s via the rigid stem or the loose cables, they can have it more of a sort of cake type tiered application or they can even angle them and have them sort of interact more like rings,” says Chris. And there you have it – something new about our products. Thanks, Chris!
We have carried around some very precious cargo in a very inexpensive Ideoli-branded tote bag. “This actual tote has been on three different continents and five different countries in the last three weeks. Holding the same product that we have been presenting to certain key clients around the world,” says George Stroumboulis, Ideoli CEO and Co-Founder. From Canada to India, USA to Argentina, China to Mexico, this exact tote bag has seen it all. Racking up its own air miles along the way. “This is the super star traveling sales tote bag,” says George. Catch this tote bag on its next adventure as it opens up new markets.