Best friends since childhood, Iva and Doris started Zagy Shoe Shop (Zagy being derived from the name of Zagreb) with the mission of offering Canadian toddlers and preschoolers the highest quality shoe for the development of healthy and happy feet. The two got together with the manufacturer in Croatia who has been producing quality kids shoes for the last 70 years. The first order arrived to Canada in March 2015. The related Ivaneica company was established as a small business made up of a group of shoemakers. Through mutual assistance, updating our knowledge and hard work, they have become a company with over one thousand employees – today a leading footwear manufacturer in Croatia. On the photo Nada Zver, director of Ivaneica, which produces 5000 pairs of shoes for children daily, or more than a million pairs of shoes per year.
Filip Cvitic and his Fabula Croatica offer nice looking, edible and tasteful products
Filip Cvitić has created a series of chocolates, which promote Croatian cultural heritage in a way consumers find attractive, with which they could connect with their everyday lives and through which they will see their own culture. Chocolates DOBRO describe the stories about music, art, science, economy, customs and daily life of people who make a particular Craotian city. These chocolates are supplied from Croatian chocolate factories. In the packaging, these stories are written in four languages: Croatian, English, German and Italian. Through these written stories it is possible to get acquainted with the cultural values of the city.
17th Dance & Non-Verbal Theatre Festival in Svetvineenat July 22-25 2016
Save the date! The 17th Dance & Non-verbal Theatre Festival Svetvineenat (San Vincenti) will take place from July 22th to July 25th. 2016. We are preparing the program with a lot of dance treats from around Europe and Croatia!
2CELLOS Classical Crossover for the Win, analysis by the New York Times on 24 May 2016
In Budapest, Hungary, on 24 May 2016, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser made the crowd roar and scream by playing instrumental covers of songs by U2, Michael Jackson and Nirvana. “We want to show the possibilities of cello playing,” Mr. Sulic said before the show. “To break the boundaries between different genres of music.” Mr. Hauser laughed and put it more bluntly: “I wanted to have screaming girls in the audience, which we get now for sure.” Katja Kinnunen, who came from Finland: “If you play with passion, that’s my thing,” she said. “They blew my mind.”
Stipe Miocic became the UFC World Heavyweight Champion in 2016
Stipe Miočić, USA, born in 1982 to Croatian immigrants, is an American mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he is the current UFC World Heavyweight Champion. He defeated Brazilian champion Fabricio Werdum in front of 45000 fans in Curitiba, Brazil.. His height is 6 ft 4 in (193 cm). In a few occasions he visited Croatia, the land of his parents, where he also met with Mirko CroCop (Mirko Filipović), who is one of his idols. After winning his title, Stipe Mioč will rest in Croatia from May to August 2016. Croatian fans describe him as a perfectly normal and pleasant person.
We learn from others – edible six pack rings
Most of these plastic six-pack rings end up in our oceans and pose a serious threat to wildlife. Together with Saltwater Brewery, a small craft beer brand in Florida whose primary target are surfers fishermen and people who love the sea, decided to tackle the issue head on and make a statement for the whole beer industry to follow. This is a solution that could be implemented to keep harmful pollutants out of the Adriatic Sea and Croatia.
MEETING G2.2 10-12 October 2016 in Zagreb offering new business opportunities for Croatia and its diaspora
We are happy to see that the connection between Croatians of the diaspora has become a world-wide trend and that there are many „sibling“ Meeting G2 conferences around the world. This year two successful conferences took place in North America (Washington, USA) and in South America (Santa Cruz, Bolivia), while future conferences have already been announced: Chile and Chicago in 2017, Paraguay in 2018 and Australia soon to be announced! On the photo Mara Vitols Hrgetić and Josip Hrgetić, successful entrepreneurs in Croatia, owners of the FORUM Centre in Zagreb..
Interview with Giovanna Drpic
Bolivian born Giovanna Drpic is a journalist and the host/producer of the Emmy-nominated business show, Money & Main$treet on Verizon FiOS1. CROWN recently sat down with her and asked her about her life and career and how she came to the U.S. from Bolivia as well as her origins from the island of Brac.
Andrija Colak & Denis Polic founded Surf'n'Fries franchise in Rijeka Croatia awarded in Las Vegas
Andrija Čolak and Denis Polić, two young Croatians from the city of Rijeka, founded Surfnfries franchise company in their native city in 2010. Since then, in only six years, their franchise network has grown to 40 franchise companies. Their attached companies are blossoming not only in Croatia, but also in Germany, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Turkey, Iran, Vietnam, Thailand, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc. On February 15th 2015 in Las Vegas Andrija Čolak received an award given out by the International Franchise Association for Next Generation Franchising.
Beautiful Croatia founded and directed by Amanda Grbavac organized an event in New York on 26 April 2016
Beautiful Croatia will be hosting stylish and unique events throughout the year. With over 15 years of experience in events, Beutiful Croatia also offers an event management service, to help make your destination dream event a reality. Beautiful Croatia presents all this to you with style, lots of love and happy spirit. On travels around the world, there was always one country that stood out for me like the brightest gem, it stole my heart and never let me go. That country was Beautiful Croatia. On the photo Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic, haute couture fashion designer, Amanda Grbavac founding director of Beautiful Croatia and Robert Grgurev, President of Startas USA.
Croatian Vocal Group Roots / Vokalna skupina Korijeni from Chicago, USA
Croatian Vocal Group Korijeni (i.e., Roots) is a non-profit traditional Croatian folk singing group. The group focuses on singing traditional a capella songs in 3 to 4 part harmony. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized several forms of Croatian singing: Klapa, Beearac, Ojkanje, Istrian 2-part singing. Vokalna Skupina Korijeni intends to perpetuate traditional forms of Croatian singing. we are extremely honored to have the Zagrebaeki Folklorni Ansambl (ZFA) coming to Milwaukee to perform a concert. The ensemble will present a concert in Milwaukee on Tuesday, November 15th 2016 at the Alverno Colllege Pitman Theatre.
Ivana Marija Vidovic and Diana Hilje celebrating Rugjer Boskovic in Brera in Milano, Italy, 17 May 2016
Under the name of VOX RAGUSEI, two distinguished Croatian artists, mezzosoprano Diana Hilje and Ivana Marija Vidović, pianist, both from the city of Dubrovnik, will be hosted by the University Library of Brera in Milano, Italy. They will have an exceptional honor to perfom music pieces by Jelena Pucić Sorkočević (1786-1865), the first Croatian woman composer, and Luka Sorkočević (1734-1789), known for his beautiful simphonies. Brera is famous for its astronomical observatory, founded by Ruđer Bošković, SJ (1711-1787), one of the greatest Croatian scientists in history, and the music event will be dedicated to his memory.
KISHA, the first Croatian smart umbrella that you'll never lose created by Andrija Colak
KISHA is the world’s first smart umbrella. Never lose it, always take it with you when it rains. With KISHA, you’ll never ever worry about getting soaking wet. It’s connected with a mobile app on your iPhone or Android and tells you each morning (or any other time of the day) if it’s going to rain. It also reminds you when you leave it in a pub, bar, restaurant or any other public place. Smart? We’d rather say intelligent! The meaning of KISHA in Croatian is RAIN. Of course, you will get umbrella, not rain 🙂 On the photo Andrija Eolak, getkisha.com
Nikola Tesla Croatian citizen advised the City Hall of Croatia's capital Zagreb in 1892 about electrification
In 1892, Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) has been invited by Milan Amruš, Mayor of the city of Zagreb, to visit the City Hall in order to give advice about future electrification. An interesting article from 1892 has been published in the Zagreb newspapers, which we provide for the first in English translation from Croatian original. We cite the following significant sentence from this 1892 article: Mr. Tesla considers it his duty, as a native son of this country [Croatia] , to assist the Zagreb City Council in this matter offering his advice and helping in every way he can . The country he meant here is without any doubt Croatia. As a Croatian citizen, Nikola Tesla possessed the passport issued in the city of Zagreb in 1883. On the photo Nikola Tesla in 1941 with Fritzie Zivich, known as the Croat Comet, the then welter-weight boxing world champion.
Association of Croatian American Professionals First In-Person Conference Held in Washington, DC
The First In-Person Conference of the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP) held in Washington, DC on April 21st and 22nd was a resounding success. The conference highlighted seven different panels to showcase Croatian Americans’ talent, success and commitment within the fields: National Diaspora Organizations; Future of the U.S. Croatia Relations; Entrepreneurship and BioTechnology; Medicine – Focus on Cancer and Health Tourism; Croatian Space Program; Croatian Arts and Entertainment in the USA; Legal Topics-Immigration and Real Estate.
MEETING G2.2 Conference in Zagreb 10-12 October 2016 aiming at revitalisation of Croatian economy
It is very important that Croats living outside the Republic of Croatia be connected with each other, not only with the Croats in the homeland. We wish to strenghten our impact on the Office for Croats outside Republic of Croatia and on Matica Iseljenika around the world, and to connect more strongly with the emmigration Congress and Croatian World Congress, in order to achieve synergy through the cultural, ethnological and business cooperation. On the photo Mara Vitols Hrgetić, Program Director of the meeting. MEETING G2.2 Conference is organized at the Forum Center in Zagreb 10-12 October 2016
St Leopold Bogdan Mandic Croatian saint visited Croatia in April 2016
St Leopold Bogdan Mandic (1866-1942, memorial day 30th July) was born in Herceg Novi in Boka kotorska, and died in Padova, Italy. Physically malformed and delicate, having height only 1m 35cm, with clumsy walk and stuttering, he developed tremendous spiritual strength. Although he wanted to be missionary in Eastern Europe, he spent almost all of his adult life in Italy, and lived in Padova from 1906 until the end of his life. He spent also one year in Italian prison during the WWI, since he did not want to renounce his Croatian nationality.
Branko Leskovar 1930-2016 distinguished Croatian-American expert in Electrical Engineering & Electronics
Dr Branko Leskovar, born in Croatia’s capital Zagreb, earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Zagreb. Since 1965 he worked atthe Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. His work in resolution studies of electro-optical devices has had profound benefits on development and manufacturing of new devices with significantly improved characteristics. These methods have been accepted world-wide by government and industrial laboratories. Upon retirement, he served as Scientific Advisor to numerous universities and US government agencies. He was a fellow of IEEE and Sigma Xi societies.
Yoko Nishii's humanitarian concert in Zagreb during the Japanese Culture Week in March 2016
This humanitarian concert of Yoko Nishii, Japan, has been organized by the Embassy of Japan in Zagreb in cooperation with Croatian Society for Training Guide Dogs and for Mobility. She played the works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt i Ferrucci Busonij, Frédéric Chopin, Eric Satie, Dora Pejačević, Kozaburo Hirai, Kosaku Yamada i Tooru Takemitsu. In Tokyo in 2015, she published the first CD in the world, which includes all pianistic compostions of distinguished Croatian female composer Dora Pejačević.
The 3rd International Flute Summer Academy in Karlovac, Croatia July 3-10th 2016
The Croatia Flute Academy is an international flute summer course, which presents a week full of intensive workshops, flute-clinics, seminars, shows, masterclasses, concerts, 1-1 Lessons, round-tables & ensemble-rehearsals. Flutists of all ages and levels are welcome to apply for a place. It will also feature guest professors from all over the world including Pierre-Yves Artaud (left) of France.