Michalis Gkontas

Michalis Gkontas has a diverse work experience in various roles and industries. Michalis is currently the Co-Founder & CEO of NXTLVL, a position they have held since April 2023. Prior to that, they co-founded and served as a Co-Founder at NXTLVL from January 2022 to April 2023.

In 2021, they founded Lateralus Ventures and remains in that role. Michalis also became a Founding Investor in Paynest starting in September 2022.

Michalis has significant experience in the startup industry. Michalis was a Co-Founder & Advisor at Manual, a men's health platform based in the UK and Brazil from July 2018 to January 2020. Michalis played a key role in the company's growth, securing funding, leading tech and ops, and scaling the team.

Furthermore, they worked as an Angel Investor in various startups, including Mysten Labs, and served as an Advisor at instacar. Michalis was also an Endeavor Entrepreneur starting in September 2016.

Earlier in their career, Michalis was the Co-Founder & CEO of Forky, a food delivery brand that was acquired by Vivartia in April 2018. Michalis'sachievements at Forky include raising funds, building a strong team, and growing the business significantly.

Michalis also co-founded Cookisto, a peer-to-peer community marketplace for homemade meals. As the CEO, they led the launch in Athens and London, secured seed funding, and built a thriving foodie community.

Michalis started their career as a Project Manager at Savoteur (formerly Daily Secret) in July 2012.

Michalis Gkontas has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Athens University of Economics and Business, which they obtained between 2005 and 2009. In 2008, they participated in an exchange semester at WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business). Subsequently, between 2010 and 2011, Michalis pursued three Master of Science degrees in Management, specialized in Global Entrepreneurship, from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, emlyon business school, and Zhejiang University respectively.