Athanasios Vasileiadis is a mechanical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur committed to environmental restoration and climate advocacy. Since 1980 he has led long-term scientific research into planting trees in arid and desert regions. That work produced the SAFE TREE + Mycorrhizae system — a decades-tested planting method designed to restore ecosystems, halt desertification and enable large-scale afforestation without ongoing irrigation. Vasileiadis is the founder and general manager of AZA (Arid Zone Afforestation), a nonprofit that develops and applies these solutions to combat climate change and enhance biodiversity.