Aliki, founder of Onassis Cigar Club Egypt
Dear Aliki! What a pleasure to welcome you to our team as an ambassador! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into cigars?
My story with cigars began, when a great person and role model of mine introduced me to cigars at an early stage of my career. It was a Cohiba and I got to say, I liked it immediately!
The more I got involved, the more I liked to explore, and it became my favorite hobby and a part of my life.
I initiated Onassis Cigar Club in Egypt (OCCEgypt) less than a year ago to gather aficionados and share the experience together.
I’m a third generation Greek in Egypt since 1904 and my grandfather was working in the tobacco industry when he first arrived. An old man from my Greek island Chios told me once that he remembers when he visited him in Cairo, and he was rolling cigarillos all the time for his small production that he had at home back then. So, it seems it’s in the blood!
On a professional level, I am a Greek-Egyptian businesswoman, Founder/CEO of Gamma Invest Company based in Cairo and I speak English, Arabic and Greek. My company facilitates and represents. We are an agency of foreign investments mainly made by Greeks, Cypriots, and Egyptians in those three countries and other nations too. We make monthly business awareness gatherings to discuss potentialities in new Markets.
What defines great cigar experience for you?
It’s best when I share the experience with aficionados in a nice atmosphere and a nice pairing accompanied by wine too. I also smoke cigars with my morning coffee or after lunch. Sometimes, I even do when I am concentrating on a complex subject, brainstorming a project and it’s full of details, or a serious conflict that has to be solved and needs concentration.
All those situations are great cigar experience to me!
Do you have any unusual habits when it comes to enjoying cigars?
Yes! Aristoteles Onasis lifestyle and that is of course my clubs name. Unique successful personalities smoking cigars and my club members are the best example! Cigar is class!
Why is Light ‘em Up GO something you want to be part of?
Light ‘em up GO is a brilliant needed idea. It’s what I’ve been looking. A platform that will be useful to me and my Aficionados to find places to smoke and purchase cigars with good quality and prices
Do people often ask you “Where can I smoke”, or “Where can I buy”?
“All the time!”
If you take into your consideration that I live in a country with population of 100+ million so you imagine how many times I have been asked same questions again and again. Besides that, we all travel abroad and are always looking for places to share the experience or where to purchase Cigars..
Who do you think should know this?
Aficionados, but I believe there are many potential aficionados interested in an informative platform like Light ‘em Up GO.
You already had a look behind the scenes, what are you hyped about?
A super professional family that shares the same passion and knowledge with me. I can’t wait to launch this app and see people’s reactions. I am a firm believer of passion leading to success!
Aliki, we are super excited to bring Light ‘em Up GO with you to Egypt and many aficionados in your international network!
Interested in becoming an ambassador yourself? We’d love to get to know you!