The famous Greek philosopher Socrates once said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” Born in the same land as the philosopher himself, George Chalkiadakis truly embodies these words. His passion and curiosity for learning have driven him to earn 27 certificates, publish 12 papers, and launch 2 tech companies. At 48, George remains as eager as ever to learn.
Going Back to Learning
George completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Science at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He was selected for a PhD program at MIT, but life had other plans for him. Just before he was about to join MIT, he received a call from an old friend about founding a tech company that changed his path entirely. Little did he know that 25 years later, when he decided to return to learning, he would once again cross paths with MIT through MIT Professional Education’s No Code AI and Machine Learning: Building Data Science Solutions program.
“In 1998, I was selected as a PhD student at MIT. Some friends of mine called me for three months to create a company and just play with it, and I was there as a CTO and co-founder for 25 years”.
The company he co-founded went on to become a leader in the EDI (Electronic Document Exchange) sector. “We became experts in EDI, which stands for Electronic Document Exchange, and managed to become leaders in that field in the EMEA region, exchanging more than 74 million documents per year across 112 countries”.
After 25 years of success and selling his first company at a high valuation, George decided it was time to step away, return to learning, and rekindle his excitement for what he loves most, AI. After exiting his company, he finally had the time to start studying again. “I had enough time to start studying again, so that’s why I selected this specific program, which I really loved”.
The Learning Path
After the exit, George began looking for a program that could provide a comprehensive overview of AI.
“I wanted to see everything fast,” George explains. “When you do a PhD, it takes too much time to dive deep. So I chose the MIT Professional Education’s No Code AI and Machine Learning: Building Data Science Solutions program because it allows you to get an overview of the entire sector in less than half a year, which was exactly what I needed. After that, you can focus on the areas that interest you the most.”
Even though George already earned many certificates in AI, he wanted to broaden his understanding of how AI is applied across industries. “Each certificate teaches one specific thing. For example, if you earn a certificate in TensorFlow, you know TensorFlow by heart, but that doesn’t mean you understand machine learning as a whole or other concepts like reinforcement learning. To get a complete overview, this program is an excellent introduction to everything happening in the AI era”.
According to George, the AI landscape is vast and constantly evolving, making it essential to stay updated. “AI is huge and has no barriers. Every day it’s becoming bigger and bigger, so it’s good to learn what’s happening around you,” he says.
He found the program’s hands-on approach especially valuable. “The RapidMiner and DataIQ sessions were fantastic. I already knew how to do similar things in Python, but seeing how easily you can achieve them in DataIQ was fantastic. I really loved it.”
For George, the most rewarding part was the program’s practicality. “It was fascinating because you get an overview of current industry standards and receive real, hands-on feedback, not theoretical, but practical feedback you can apply in your everyday work,” he says. “For me, it was a fantastic professional education program.”
Balancing Work, Family, and Learning
Every success story comes with challenges, and for George, the biggest one was time. “Time is the biggest enemy,” he admits. “Twenty-four hours are not enough to make everything happen, especially when you want to stay current with cutting-edge technology, manage professional responsibilities, and maintain a good family life. It is all about balance.”
That balance came through mutual understanding. “It was a family decision,” he explains. “Some months, weekends are for the family. Other times, everyone agrees it is time to invest in learning. For us, time is the biggest investment, nothing else.”
Alongside his studies, George was also managing his new AI startup, a venture that reflects his deep passion for innovation. “We have created a middleware that allows any website or mobile application to become GenAI-enabled,” he explains. “We’ve incorporated more than 14,000 models, 45 model providers, and over 250 tools. With one license, you can make any application as smart as ChatGPT.”
Juggling work, family, and learning is not easy, especially when days stretch to 14 hours and weekends are filled with study sessions.
“When I started studying, we had sessions every Saturday and Sunday,” George recalls. “I was working almost 14 hours a day, managing a family, and pursuing a demanding program. But the hands-on, practical nature of the course kept me going. If it had been purely theoretical, I probably wouldn’t have finished. It was that engagement that made all the difference.”
At 48, with a wife and an 18-year-old daughter, George knows the meaning of commitment. “My family has always been my biggest supporter,” he says. “Of course, they didn’t love that I spent almost every weekend studying for months, but they were proud when I excelled in every exam. That made the effort worthwhile.”
His dedication also became a source of inspiration at home. “It motivated my daughter to aim higher, to pursue an even stronger educational journey than mine”.
Learning Beyond Boundaries
One of the most rewarding parts of George’s journey has been connecting with peers from across the world. “We had cohort members from India, France, and even Argentina,” he recalls. “Everyone came with the same goal, to learn more and grow. Most of them already had more than one degree and over 15 years of professional experience, so the discussions were always meaningful.”
The collaboration extended beyond class sessions. George often invited his cohort to join him in Kaggle competitions. “When I posted an article asking who would like to participate, I received a lot of responses,” he says. “It was nice to see that shared enthusiasm. Everyone was there to explore, to understand what is happening in the field, and decide how deeply they wanted to invest in it.”
For George, that level of collaboration and challenge is what makes the learning experience truly valuable. He believes education should not only build knowledge but also resilience. “I always tell everyone to go work for Google, Microsoft, or any big company if you can. Learn as much as possible, gain professional education, develop managerial skills, and then start something of your own,” he says. “A company needs only one thing, commitment. If you fail a hundred times, be ready to get up the hundred and first. That is the only way to succeed.”
Through this journey, George has shown that learning is not bound by age, time, or place. It is a continuous pursuit fueled by curiosity, discipline, and an unwavering drive to grow.
