TEDxGaziUniversity

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Begüm KABATAŞ

  Begüm Kabataş is an architect, entrepreneur, and digital content creator who chose to shape her career on her own terms after completing her architecture education at Yıldız Technical University. She is the founder of a multidisciplinary studio that blends architecture with art and experience design. While continuing to grow professionally through graduate studies, she also inspires wide audiences every day through the stories she shares on social media, where she narrates her own life through creative content. Known for her resilience in the face of challenges and her discipline in planning each day with the precision of a design project, Begüm Kabataş believes that to see beyond the horizon, one must first design the present.

• Beren İlkim CEYLAN

  Beren Ceylan is a software engineer and entrepreneur specializing in artificial intelligence, gamification, and innovative technologies. As the Co-Founder of Treonlabs, he leads digital transformation, software development, and product strategy processes, and is responsible for business model development, product management, and operational planning. Previously, he worked as a software engineer at technology companies such as Insider and V-Count, gaining experience in data-driven solutions, API integrations, and IoT system development. A graduate of TOBB University of Economics and Technology with a degree in Computer Engineering, Ceylan is proficient in PHP, JavaScript, Python, Laravel, React, and Node.js, and brings a strong vision for innovative product development and team leadership.

• Burak DURAK

  Born in Istanbul in 1972, he is an Aerospace Engineer. With 30 years of experience in product development, including 25 years in the defense industry, he has served in a wide range of technical leadership roles. He is an expert in missile, bomb, and munitions systems; missile launch systems; air and naval platform weapon systems; and systems integration. He delivers training in Systems Engineering, technical methodology design, fundamentals of product development, and test design in the defense industry. In his spare time, he actively participates in events organized by university student clubs.

• Enes ÖRER

  Enes Örer is the Chief Executive Officer of Oğuz Holding. With his experience in the food and beverage industry, along with his strategic vision and innovative leadership, he has made significant contributions to the company’s growth, export expansion, and branding efforts.

• Gökhan DİNÇ

  He is a Turkish development expert, project manager, and management consultant. He has designed and implemented flagship projects in the fields of social development, refugees, public health, and gender equality. Since June 9, 2017, he has been the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Force & Brothers Consulting Inc.

• Hasan KALCI

  Born in 1965 in Göreme, Nevşehir, Hasan Kalcı is an entrepreneur who pioneered the transformation of Cappadocia through a journey spanning from carpet weaving to tourism. With the vision he gained while living in Switzerland and Italy to learn languages, he founded a shoe factory of a globally renowned brand in 1989. After returning to Türkiye, he continued his work in the tourism sector. Through the associations he founded and the projects he led, he built a story that expanded from the local to the global. Hasan Kalcı is married, a father of five, and currently resides in Göreme.

• İlkim KUTVAL

  Born in İzmir in 1989, İlkim Kutval is a graduate of Industrial Engineering from Anadolu University in Eskişehir. She built her career within Türkiye’s leading companies, including Eti, Eren Holding, Coca-Cola, and Turkcell, gaining first-hand experience in the strategic dynamics of the corporate world. Translating this corporate expertise into the digital space, İlkim Kutval has developed her own community-building model by continuously testing her insights across social media platforms, where she engages with thousands of people daily. Focusing on purchase decision-making, community needs analysis, consumer behavior, and buying reflexes, she embraces an approach that values human behavior as much as data. Her personal motto — “I didn’t turn my diploma into an airplane; I reshaped my career and built my own space in the digital world” — reflects her transformation journey and human-centered perspective.

• Işılay YILMAZ

  Işılay Yılmaz is the founder of YERO Overseas Education, established in 1999, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board. YERO Overseas Education is a market leader in the sector, known for its highest visa success rates and for being among the companies that send the largest number of students abroad. With many years of experience in the overseas education industry, she is recognized for her professional expertise and visionary approach. In addition, she is the founder of Tower Pilates, a Pilates brand with six branches in Ankara, and Dietworks, Türkiye’s largest healthy nutrition consultancy, also operating with six branches nationwide. As a woman entrepreneur, she has created numerous career opportunities, supporting and continuing to support the professional development of many young people.

• Kadir AYDIN

  Born in 1990, Kadir Aydın graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Boğaziçi University in 2015. During his university years, he held various roles — including President — at the Business and Economics Club. He began his sales career as a part-time employee at P&G, continuing in a full-time role for one year after graduation. In 2016, he founded the youth communications agency Anbean and launched Türkiye’s first Virtual Career Fair prior to the pandemic. He later became a co-founder of Coderspace, a technology career platform, in 2020, and of Hirex, an applicant tracking system, in 2024. Serving as Chairman of the Board of 23 Foundation, Kadir Aydın continues to develop projects, ventures, and brands that create meaningful impact for young people.

• Masis Aram Gözbek

  Born in Istanbul in 1987, Gözbek is an award-winning choral conductor and cultural leader. With the Boğaziçi Jazz Choir, he has won numerous international awards, including two World Championship titles, and has performed at many global competitions and festivals. He has collaborated with renowned ensembles such as Dekoor Close Harmony and the Swiss Youth Choir. His honors include Turkey’s Most Successful Young Person, Entrepreneur of the Year at METU, and the Young Conductor Special Prize at the Varna International Choir Competition. He has served as a guest conductor and jury member at prestigious international events and was a finalist in major choral conducting competitions. A former lecturer at Haliç University Conservatory, Gözbek is the founding conductor and artistic director of the MAGMA & Boğaziçi Jazz Choir Family and a board member of the Yücel Cultural Foundation.