Steve Kontos: Eleftheria Medal Honoree 2026

Steve Kontos’ story begins with family, faith, and the work of building something lasting. The 2026 Eleftheria Medal honoree grew up in the baking trade, shaped by his father’s journey from Cyprus and the family’s role in bringing authentic phyllo dough to America. In 1987, he founded Kontos Foods in Paterson, New Jersey, building the company from a family-rooted bakery into a producer of flatbread, phyllo, and Mediterranean specialties with reach across the United States and abroad. This portrait follows the values behind that journey: hard work, heritage, community, and the responsibility of carrying a family legacy forward. Presented in connection with the 2026 Eleftheria Gala during Philadelphia’s Greek Independence Day weekend.