FIR Interview: Grantoo co-founder and CEO Dimitri Sillam

Student loan debt in the US has reached $1 trillion. Charitable organizations are suffering, but young cash-strapped students haven’t developed a giving habit. Organizations invest considerable sums in corporate social responsibility initiatives for which they get little recognition. Companies want to grow their levels of engagement with important young-adult audiences but struggle for relevance.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if all of these issues could be addressed with a casual social game? In fact, they have.

In this FIR Interview, FIR co-hosts Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz speak with Dimitri Sillam, co-founder and CEO of Grantoo, which blends all of the issues listed above in a single game-playing environment. Playing in tournaments, students can win money for tuition while getting into the habit of donating to charities that hold meaning for them. Meanwhile, organizations can channel their philanthropic dollars into a cause that engages the organization with an important demographic while raising their CSR profile.

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About our Conversation Partner

Dimitri Sillam is a seasoned and successful entrepreneur. He founded OrientalPeople.com, the first dating site focused on the Middle East/North Africa region (MENA). After selling the site to Maroc Telecom (Morocco), he founded LAZEO, a French beauty/health care franchise. Now, Dimitri is co-founder and CEO of Grantoo, where his experience in social media and consumer marketing will help students play their tuition bills.

Dimitri is 26, French with Tunisian and Russian roots. He holds a BA in Economics from America’s Brandeis University and completed a program on Negotiation and Strategy from Harvard Law School.

Connect with Dimitri via LinkedIn.

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This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Podsafe music – On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.

(Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel’s and my podcast blog.)