A new generation of the Kalogeropoulos family is entering the Lehigh Valley business scene. Alex Kalogeropoulos will be launching a social media business, The Social Station, at the end of June.

Alex, currently a senior at Bloomsburg University, is the son of Kostas Kalogeropoulos, who is the senior executive vice president of Meyer Jabra Hotels, which runs the Holiday Inn Fogelsville and 34 other hotels. The elder Kalogeropoulos is also owner of the Center Valley Shula's Steak House.

Last year Alex asked his father if he could help out with social media for the steak house. Kostas, who admitted he knew nothing about the concept, let the son take the reins.

Kalogeropoulos said he was impressed by what social media could do – including encouraging six Philadelphia Eagles professional football players and seven coaches to try out the restaurant after his son intercepted a tweet from a player who was telling a friend how hungry he was for steak.

“They could have gone anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. Those are customers I wouldn't have had otherwise,” said the elder Kalogeropoulos.

The Social Station, which Alex will run with business partners and friends, will provide social media management and web video production geared towards small businesses.

He said there are already social media firms that help large corporations manage their social media presence and respond if positive or negative comments are made by people on the Internet. He said his service will target mom-and-pop businesses that don't have the staff or experience to handle such situations.

Alex hasn't only taken a cue from his father's work experience in developing his own business plan; he's also taking a cue from Dad's philanthropic work.

Kostas, who is perhaps better known as the founder of Dream Come True and Camelot for Children than he is for his business pursuits, reminded his son that it was important to give back to the community.