The ELIZA Family

The well-known painter, sculptor and stage designer, Marina Karella is the Founder and President of the ELIZA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Born in Athens, she studied art and stage design with Yannis Tsarouchis and completed her studies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.

With her husband Michael, with whom she has two daughters, Alexandra and Olga, she has lived and worked as an artist, in New York, Paris and Athens.

Throughout her highly successful artistic career she has exhibited in cities around the world, such as New York, Paris, Athens, Los Angeles, Madrid, Brussels, Rome and London, while her works are displayed in leading museums and foundations.Her deep concern for children who have suffered abuse and neglect and her determination to create an institution for their protection in Greece led to the founding of the ELIZA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children by Marina Karella and her husband, in 2008.

Historian, traveler and author Prince Michael of Greece, son of Prince Christopher of Greece and Princess Francoise d’France, was born in Rome and spent his childhood in Morocco, Spain and France. After the death of his mother in 1953 he lived with the family of his uncle the Comte de Paris and received his degree in Political Science from the University of Paris.

Returning to Greece, he served in the Greek army for four years and in 1965 he married painter/sculptor Marina Karella. They have two daughters, Alexandra and Olga.

In 1970, Prince Michael of Greece published his first book, Ma soeur l’histoire, ne vois- tu rien venir?  and received the Priz Cazes.
This was followed by over 20 publications, among which:

• biographies (Louis XIV: l’envers du soleil) 
• historical novels (L’imperatrice des adieux, La Bouboulina, La nuit blanche de Saint-Petersbourg, La Conjuration de Jeanne, Le vol du Regent,)
• autobiographies (Memoires insolites)

Prince Michel has received many literary awards and his books have all been translated into many languages.

With his latest, Une promenade singulaire a travers l’Histoire, he stands among the outstanding contemporary writers of history.

Prince Michael’s deep concern for abused and neglected children led to the founding in Greece of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ELIZA, together with his wife Marina Karalla, in 2008.

Daphne Economou was born and grew up in India. She continued her education in England and holds a degree in English Literature.

On her return to Greece, she worked as a volunteer on a long overdue national project for the rehabilitation of elderly refugees from Asia Minor, whilst simultaneously running a children’s theatre group.

She married Constantine Economou and they had three children, George, Marianna and Themos.

In 1972, she and her husband, together with a group of outstanding members of Athenian society founded Cerebral Palsy Greece. Since then, Daphne has served Cerebral Palsy Greece in many capacities, including as Chairman of the Board, always retaining her particular interest in cultural and artistic activities for people with and without disabilities.

She was elected Chairman of the International Cerebral Palsy Society in 1996 and has published articles and spoken at many international meetings largely on the subject of ‘Learning from the child with disability’.

She was happy to join Marina Karella and Prince Michael and to share their great expectations, when they founded the ELIZA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, in 2008.

Daphne has been writing off and on throughout her life. Saturday’s Child – A journey through an Indian childhood was published in 2007, Poems in 2013 and 81 Cadogan Square  in 2016.

Eleni Athanasiadi graduated from the School of Physical Education and Sports Science of Athens. After graduating as swimming champion, she worked for twelve years as a swimming instructor for young children at major sports clubs. She then worked for fifteen years in administrative support at various multinational companies. In her capacity as

Head of Secretariat and secretary of the Board of Directors since ELIZA’s foundation, Eleni carries out a broad range of duties.

“Having shared the vision of ELIZA’s founders since the very beginning, I continue, after all these years, to believe in the great work carried out by our Society. As a professional, but also as a mother, and with a real understanding of how important it is for all children to have the love and support they so need, I hope that through my work I can continue to contribute in my own way to creating a better and safer future for all children.”

Angeliki Vergitsi is a graduate of the School of Political Science of the Panteion University of Athens and holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Media from the University of Paris II, Sorbonne. She has been working since 1987 in Greek and multinational companies in the Media, Advertising and Marketing sectors. She held managerial positions and successfully developed complex communication and marketing programs for Greek and international
brands. She was the Development Director (Fundraising Officer) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Greece from 2000 to 2005. She founded MOVE MOUNTAINS, a strategic communications company. In 2021 she received the Gold Award of the Hellenic Responsible Business Awards in the Sustainable Development category, for the educational programme “Glasses do better than plastic”

Elina Koutromanou is a Postgraduate Student in Digital Communication Media and Interaction Environments. She graduated from the Communication and Social Media Department of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, while as a student she attended seminars on Digital Marketing, Communication, Project Management and Sales.

Following an internship at the Press and Communication Department of the Bank of Greece, she joined ELIZA in 2018. Initially her duties involved taking on a large part of the administrative support of the Society’s programs for the Management of Child Abuse Cases, and then gained an active role in ELIZA’s Social Media environment. She also writes for the ELIZA website and coordinates specialist article content.

“Through my work I hope to make a small contribution to ELIZA’s efforts to protect children at risk, so that in future all children can live free from any form of abuse and neglect.”

Vanna Marketaki studied drama and pedagogy. This combination of subjects led her to journalism, with a focus on medical and social interest issues and she worked for several magazines and newspapers at positions of responsibility. From 2011 to March 2020 she worked as content administrator, writer and communications consultant for private individuals and companies, covering a wide range of professional services. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown brought her to ELIZA. She got to know the people, the programs, the vision and the motivating force of the only Non-Profit Society dedicated to child abuse exclusively. Inspired by the passion and love of its members, she joined the common effort of the ELIZA community for a future without traumatized children.

“I often think about how a tiny girl, 6-year old Elisa Izquierdo, died in the cruellest way imaginable before the entire hard-core legal and judicial mechanism of New York could mobilize so as to prevent a repetition of such an unprecedented case of child abuse. ELIZA must turn this unthinkable ‘sacrifice’ into actions that will prevent the abuse of thousands of other children. I hope we succeed, for Elisa and for the millions of other Elisas out there.”