SALIENT
Distributed multi-GPU graph neural network acceleration
Nick
Stathas
Stathas
Hello!
You have reached my personal webpage. It was hastily hand-coded in 2017 and further vibe-coded in 2026, though I assure you this prose is all painstakingly handwritten.
My place of employment is OpenAI, where I design LLMs, train them on massive supercomputers, and help get them deployed in case they are useful to you.
I hail from Greece and now live with my partner in the Mission District of San Francisco. In my spare time, I go on long walks with friends, cycle, and lift weights – but all of that is really only cross-training for my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions.
Previously, I worked on high-frequency trading, on high-speed autonomous racecars, and on high-performance machine learning.
Take a looksie and have a nice day!
Portfolio
Selected projects and work. Click any row to expand.
MY18 Electric Race Car
Software lead for MIT’s Formula SAE championship entry
MY19 Battery Management System
High-voltage BMS and data acquisition for an electric racer
MY19 Dashboard & Telemetry
Real-time driver HUD and live pit-side telemetry system
Nick’s Guide to
Athens & Beyond
Getting There & Around
Getting In
Fly into Athens International Airport (ATH). Taxi (~€40 flat rate to the centre, ~40 min, higher at night), metro Line 3 to Syntagma Square (~40 min), or private transfer. If you’re heading straight to an island, many have direct international flights, worth checking before defaulting to ATH.
🚕 Taxi ~€40
🚇 Metro ~40 min
📱 Uber / FreeNow
Getting Around
Athens is very walkable in the center, with the main sights a pedestrian promenade apart. FreeNow has the best local driver availability. The metro is clean, cheap, and efficient. Google Maps works great for transit.
Where to Stay
Stay in Plaka for narrow streets and old-Athens charm, or Thiseio for a quieter neighborhood and Acropolis views from the promenade. Both keep you within walking distance of the center.
Things to Do in Athens
Start with the Acropolis, then leave time to wander.
Acropolis
Parthenon, Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Go at opening or late afternoon. Midday is all crowds and heat, and there is no shade up there.
Acropolis Museum ↗
At the base of the hill. The top-floor gallery offers an unforgettable view, laying out the Parthenon frieze with the actual Parthenon in the background.
National Garden ↗
Dense shade next to Parliament, and the fastest way to cool off in August. Cuts through to Zappeion and Plaka.
Vrachakia ↗
The rocks just below the Acropolis entrance, where Athenians sit out with a beer (pick one up from a kiosk on your way up). Free, no ticket. The marble is polished slippery; take care.
Philopappos Monument ↗
The view of the Acropolis from across the way, with the whole city and the sea behind it. Pine shade on the climb up.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus ↗
Roman theatre built into the Acropolis slope, still hosting the Athens Festival every summer. You can only go inside with a ticket to a performance, so plan accordingly.
Nick’s Restaurants & Bars
Tried and true picks in Athens.
Restaurants
Strofi Athenian Restaurant ↗
Refined traditional Greek with rooftop Acropolis views. Book a terrace table. Great before or after a show at the Herodion.
Basegrill Athens ↗
One of Athens’ best steakhouses. Premium cuts, great wine list.
Barbadimos ↗
Authentic Greek restaurant.
Gyristroula ↗
Solid souvlaki next to Thisio station.
Street Souvlaki ↗
Go-to for fast, excellent souvlaki between Monastiraki and Syntagma.
Lartecono Davinci Gelato ↗
Great waffles, gelato, and chocolate fountain. They really pump out that waffle scent. They have multiple locations but this one is the largest.
Loukoumadaki Athens ↗
Greek donut holes (loukoumades) with family-made honey and cinnamon. Chocolate and other flavors also available.
City ZEN All Day Bar Restaurant ↗
Great spot for evening rooftop drinks with an Acropolis view.
Bars & Nightlife
six d.o.g.s ↗
Ruin bar with a hidden garden and great cocktails. Unfortunately closed and might be replaced by some restaurant.
Bios ↗
Legendary rooftop bar near Psiri. Deck chairs, DJs, incredible Acropolis views. Try the popsicle cocktail.
Drachmi ↗
Lively cocktail bar close to Syntagma. Packed on weekends. Great drinks, people dancing, young crowd.
Πλυντήριο ↗
Laundromat-themed club for the youngins.
Beyond Athens
Island Escapes
Each island has its own vibe.
Mykonos
Come for the party; stay in Chora
Yes, it’s expensive and loud. Old town Chora is still beautiful, and Delos is a short boat ride away.
Beaches
Good but below average by Greek island standards. You’re here to party. Paradise and Super Paradise are fun beaches.
Don’t Miss
Delos
One of Greece’s most important archaeological sites, only a short boat ride away. Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Visit with a guide.
The Windmills ↗
Iconic row on the hill above Chora. Best light at sunset.
Eat & Drink
Santorini
The caldera is the whole point
White villages stacked on the edge of a volcanic caldera.
Where to Stay
Choose Fira for more restaurants and nightlife, or Oia for the famous sunset and higher prices. The caldera coast between them is a good middle ground.
Things to Do
Oia Castle (Agios Nikolaos) ↗
Venetian fortress ruins at the tip of Oia. The sunset spot, so it packs out an hour ahead.
Fira to Oia Hike ↗
~10 km caldera rim trail. Very little shade. Start early, bring water.
Akrotiri
Bronze Age settlement, the “Pompeii of the Aegean.” Over 3,500 years old.
Museums in Fira
Small museums in Fira covering prehistoric and archaeological finds from Santorini.
Ammoudi Bay ↗
Hidden harbor below Oia. Hike or donkey down for swimming and seafood. Ironically not a sand (άμμος) beach.
Eat & Drink
Crete
The largest island. It feels like its own country
Crete offers gorges, beaches, Venetian harbors, ancient palaces, incredible food. Don’t squeeze Crete into two or three days. Give it at least a week.
Getting There
Where to Stay
Chania (west) is a lively Venetian harbor town, the best base for the gorge and beaches. Try Riviera Suites. Elounda (northeast) is quieter and upscale, closer to Knossos and Spinalonga. These are opposite ends of the island, so pick one based on your itinerary.
Things to Do
Samariá Gorge ↗
~16 km downhill, ending at the sea in Agia Roumeli where you can splash in the sea before taking a ferry out. Full day. Book a tour bus from Chania.
Elafonisi Beach ↗
Pink-sand lagoon with water shallow enough to wade across. Far southwest corner, so dedicate a full day.
Palace of Knossos
Center of Minoan civilization, home of the labyrinth. Get a guide.
Fortezza (Rethymno) ↗
Venetian fortress. Stop for a visit and lunch between Heraklion and Chania.
Firka Fortress (Chania) ↗
At Chania’s old harbor entrance. Great views.
Spinalonga ↗
Venetian fortress island off Elounda, a leper colony until 1957. Boats run from Elounda and Plaka.
Eat & Drink
We’ve barely scratched the surface. Do your own research, or better yet, ask a local.
Paros & Naxos
Two islands, 30–45 minutes apart
Easy to combine, but don’t rush them. Either island works on its own.
Naxos
The most well-rounded island, with beaches, history, mountain villages, great food, and youthful energy. Also the greenest of the Cyclades, so the produce and cheese are a step up.
Guided bus tour
The easy way to see the mountain villages and the marble quarries inland without renting a car.
Catamaran cruise
A full day of swimming in secluded coves, with lunch on board.
Portara (Temple of Apollo) ↗
Marble doorway of a temple that was never finished, on the islet by the port. Walk out for sunset.
Paros & Antiparos
Paros has charming Parikia and pretty Naoussa. Antiparos has a great secluded cliff beach hike. Ask around when you arrive.
Other Islands Worth Knowing
Milos
Volcanic coastline, sea caves, colorful beaches. Sarakiniko’s white lunar landscape is iconic. Quieter and rugged, great for couples.
Rhodes
Rhodes has the Medieval Old Town, a walled UNESCO city you can lose hours in, plus beaches, ancient Lindos, and a different vibe from the Cyclades.
Corfu
Northwest and closer to Italy, with Venetian architecture around Corfu Old Town and green hills everywhere. A longer trip from Athens, but a completely different island.
Zakynthos
Also off the west coast. Famous for Navagio Beach with the shipwreck, reachable only by boat, plus sea caves, loud nightlife in Laganas, and loggerhead turtles nesting in the bay.