SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE

ABOUT

Hi, I’m Sokratis.

Hi, I’m Sokratis.

Eleven years across UNICEF and UNHCR, in Athens, Geneva, New York and field operations, led to founding Impact Seed in 2026.

Eleven years across UNICEF and UNHCR, in Athens, Geneva, New York and field operations, led to founding Impact Seed in 2026.

THE SHORT VERSION

Eleven years at UNICEF and UNHCR Athens, with assignments in Geneva, New York and field operations across Greece. Heading the Programme Support Unit at UNICEF Greece meant accountability for partnerships, compliance and grant management across the country programme, alongside a portfolio covering climate, sustainability, environmental justice and emergency preparedness.

Eleven years at UNICEF and UNHCR Athens, with assignments in Geneva, New York and field operations across Greece. Heading the Programme Support Unit at UNICEF Greece meant accountability for partnerships, compliance and grant management across the country programme, alongside a portfolio covering climate, sustainability, environmental justice and emergency preparedness.

That portfolio ran WASH and environmental justice programming in Roma settlements after Storm Daniel, piloted child-responsive disaster preparedness across Greek municipalities, and informed Parliament's environmental protection committee. It also reached beyond Greece, coordinating a climate initiative across five Central Asian countries and shaping child-sensitive measures in the European Social Climate Plan.

Greece's national inter-agency working group on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, co-chaired with UNHCR and IOM, brought together more than 40 organisations.

Impact Seed was founded in 2026 to bring that expertise to organisations that need it and do not have it in house.

WHY “IMPACT SEED”

Most sustainability advice is written by people who never had to deliver it. Impact Seed is built on eleven years of accountability for programmes, budgets and results, and brings that same discipline to your work.

Most sustainability advice is written by people who never had to deliver it. Impact Seed is built on eleven years of accountability for programmes, budgets and results, and brings that same discipline to your work.

Portrait of Sokratis Vlachakis

CREDENTIALS

MSc, Disaster & Crisis Management: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

MSc, Disaster & Crisis Management: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

BSc, Political Science & Public Administration: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

BSc, Political Science & Public Administration: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Leading Sustainable Corporations: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Leading Sustainable Corporations: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Languages: Greek, English and Spanish fluently, with knowledge of French, German, Portuguese and Mandarin.

Selected work

A non-exhaustive selection of programmes, assignments and studies contributed to or led, across humanitarian response, climate action, public health and child rights.

A non-exhaustive selection of programmes, assignments and studies contributed to or led, across humanitarian response, climate action, public health and child rights.

Climate, sustainability and disaster risk reduction

Climate, sustainability and disaster risk reduction

Business Model Initiative on Climate for Central Asia, UNICEF, covering Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Global assignment at UNICEF headquarters as Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Specialist, including inter-agency engagement through GADRRRES and CADRI

Climate Landscape Analysis for Children in Greece

The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Greece: Prevention and Response

Climate finance positioning for UNICEF across EU Member States and enlargement countries

Participation in COP29 and contributions to child-sensitive climate commitments

Recommendations to the Greek Government on the European Social Climate Plan and Fund

Humanitarian response and emergency preparedness

Humanitarian response and emergency preparedness

Public and private sector partnerships for the Ukraine refugee response in Greece and neighbouring countries, from 2022

Emergency response in Lesvos following the destruction of the Moria reception centre

Refugee and migrant response in Greece, from the 2015 arrivals through the reception and integration years that followed

DG ECHO funded humanitarian action with UNICEF in Greece, 2026

US Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration funded programming in Greece

Field operations on Samos with UNHCR, covering supply, shelter and non-food items coordination

Child-responsive disaster preparedness piloted across Greek municipalities

Environmental justice and WASH interventions in Roma settlements, including the response following Storm Daniel in Thessaly

Child rights, health and social policy

Child rights, health and social policy

Two Recovery and Resilience Facility programmes with the Greek Ministry of Health, on combatting childhood obesity and on family and child health promotion

All Children in Education, ensuring a pathway to education for refugee and migrant children in Greece

Hellenic Integration Support for Beneficiaries of International Protection, HELIOS

Supporting the Greek Authorities in Managing the National Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Vulnerable Migrants

Safeguarding children at Greek border points, MERIMNA

Providing education and immediate accommodation to migrant children in Greece, PEDIA

Water, sanitation and hygiene services for refugees and migrants at the Lesvos reception centre

Deep Dive on Child Poverty and Social Exclusion under the EU Child Guarantee

Evaluation, evidence and safeguarding

Evaluation, evidence and safeguarding

Evaluation of UNICEF's contribution to the migrant and refugee response in Greece

Impact evaluation of COVID-19 restriction measures on children's rights in Greece

Assessment of the child friendliness of the justice system in Greece

Greek Business and Children's Rights

Inter-agency standard operating procedures on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, developed with a network of more than 40 organisations in Greece

What Do Children and Young People Think About the Climate Crisis

ALSO

Co-founded Synerra Climate Action Organization, connecting citizens, scientists, businesses, and policymakers around climate realities. Its work counts when it reaches the community.

Co-founded Synerra Climate Action Organization, connecting citizens, scientists, businesses, and policymakers around climate realities. Its work counts when it reaches the community.

IMPACT SEED

Impact Seed Single Member Private Company · Tax ID (ΑΦΜ): 803315066 · GEMI Reg. No.: 194415503000 · Athens, Greece · svlachakis@impactseed.eu