SISTER ACT 

It was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that Liakopulos and her sister began their business journey “when our time and creativeness were endless.”   

“We were always creative and innovative, and we wanted to share our art with others,” Liakopulos says of early entrepreneurial brainstorm sessions. Designing jewelry made sense. “One thing in common with Greek and Latin cultures is the goldsmith trade. You cannot go to either Panama or Greece without buying a piece of jewelry.” 

Once the sisters decided on a vision for what they’d manufacture, Liakopulos says the process of setting up a business moved fast as they developed a business plan that included the company vision, mission, call to action and pieces of inspiration — including renderings of their ideas. Next was outreach to goldsmiths followed by the first prototypes that informed their launch collection, Near The Sun, based on the myth of Icarus and his wings made of wax.  

“It seems like a lot, and it was at the moment, but it is never over,” Liakopulos says. “There is always something to change, to erase, to modify, to create. The process takes creativity, an eye for detail and patience.” 

It also takes people skills, particularly “active listening, negotiation, influencing, positivity, communication, problem solving and adaptability that make the business appealing to customers,” Liakopulos says. 

It brings her back to a skills assessment she took in the Bentley course Interpersonal Relations in Management (MG240). “I had never stopped to focus on my strengths and how I could make them work in my business. I know now that I am great at active listening; I use it every time I am talking with a person inside my target market.” 

It ties directly into her Professional Sales major. “I am very interactive with people; I don’t usually go for the behind-the-scenes work. I like engaging with customers, guiding people, and sharing experiences, opinions and beliefs.” 

Since its launch, House of Clío has reached some impressive milestones, including coverage in magazines such as Vogue Mexico. In 2023, Liakopulos and her sister attended Panama Fashion Week and the Latin American Fashion Summit in the Dominican Republic. 

“My grandmothers’ perseverance and successes taught me to push my boundaries so I can become the inspiration of many other women in my surroundings,” Liakopulos says. “My sister and I have always been accompanied by supportive family and strong women who do everything and anything for their work, their children and their dreams. Now we have worked hard to make our dream of the brand come true, and we want each woman wearing their designs to feel empowered and fearless.”