Mahi Solomou

Athlete, Blogger, Connector, Consultant, Marketer, Writer/Editor

Mahi was born in Cyprus and for years, she lived the life of a nomad: she grew up in the Arab Gulf, finished high school in Cyprus, then went to the U.S. for what she describes as five remarkable, life-changing years of study and work in public relations. With every change of home, Mahi was confronted with the challenge of separation and the issue of identity, but ultimately the rewarding experience of interacting with people of different cultures has informed her life ever since. It inspired her to create an ideal setting wherever she found herself, to live meaningfully and use passion as the main ingredient in her life. Mahi has over 20 years experience in the field of PR and Communications with the bulk of her career at Aphrodite Hills. In 2009, she set up PRessence, a PR Consulting firm, and has since worked on a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from hotels to energy, and schools to personalities. Today, Mahi works at the British High Commission in Nicosia. Mahi runs to keep herself motivated and to fire the kind of creative thinking that keeps her on her toes. But it's also an ongoing challenge: since 1999, Mahi has completed 17 half-marathons, which she tries to run in a different city every time. In fact, running and travel are the two pillars of Mahi's life philosophy: 'Travel is fascinating, whether it is about a series of mesmerizing destinations or a journey within myself,' she notes. "Running keeps me sane, motivated and focused! Mahi is the author of 'A squirrel in your kitchen', an e-cookbook with quick, easy and delicious recipes (and anecdotes) from her dearest friends around the world. Mahi is honored to be in the core team of TEDxNicosia. She's is fascinated by the TED concept and intrigued by what she considers three of its main ingredients of creativity, innovation and passion.

...creating experiences worth smiling about... I do this through my cooking, my running, my travels and so much more.

What do you get when you ask your dearest friends from around the world to contribute their favorite, easy to make, quick yet delicious, fail-proof recipes that are dear to their hearts? You end up with an invaluable collection of recipes, and personal anecdotes from each friend, that can be used to feed ourselves and our families, even on those hectic days when time is short. This idea was captured in an e-book 'A Squirrel in your Kitchen.'

Communications, Copywriting & Editing, Public Relations

I was thrilled when I first heard that TEDxNicosia made a landing on the island of Cyprus in 2011. Having lived in the US, I have always been an avid fan of TED! I met Marina Theodotou, TEDxNicosia Founder and Curator at the launch event on November 30, 2011 and, following a truly inspirational day, I asked if they needed someone on their team. The answer was yes (!) and I am extremely honored to be part of such an incredible team which uses passion as a main ingredient in all that they do! It has been an incredible three years so far and creativity keeps flowing, enthusiasm is in the air, adrenaline is sky high, teamwork keeps thriving. It's also a continuous learning experience with so many zealous individuals around me, each of which excel in their fields.

... taking life decisions based on intuition.