Winning projects of the TSKB Technology and Entrepreneurship Platform Announced
The TSKB Technology and Entrepreneurship Platform, established by TSKB’s cooperation with Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation (GİRVAK) with the aim of developing entrepreneurial activity, performed its final presentations on 16th May. The Technology and Entrepreneurship Platform, which brings together the expertise and experience of TSKB’s employees with the entrepreneurship spirit of GİRVAK’s representatives, announced its winning projects.
In a bid to move the “Geleceğe Bakış (Look to the Future)” program, initiated by TSKB in 2016, one step forward, the TSKB Technology and Entrepreneurship Platform was established in cooperation with the Turkey Entrepreneurship Foundation (GİRVAK), which carried out its final presentations on 16th May, with Suat İnce, the general manager of TSKB, Hasan Hepkaya, the assistant general manager of TSKB, the Consultancy Director of TSKB, Melih Yalçın, the Chairman of the Board of GİRVAK, Sina Afra, and Şebnem Ünlü, a member of the board of trustees and of the board of directors, serving as the jurors.
“Combining experience and innovation in a shared wisdom is an area we attach importance to”
TSKB’s General Manager, Suat İnce, stated that entrepreneurialism is an important component of creating development and business models which are appropriate to the needs both today and in the future. He said “Turkey offers tremendous potential in the field of entrepreneurialism. In this day and age when technology and innovation are shaping all sectors, bringing experience and innovation together in a shared wisdom is one of the areas we attach importance to. TSKB’s employees on the TSKB Technology and Entrepreneurship Platform and GİRVAK’s fellows and experienced mentors have come together to create new entrepreneurial projects. We offer our congratulations to all of the participants who have brought fresh ideas to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”.
“Some excellent ideas in different themes”
Sina Afra, the head of Turkish Entrepreneurship Foundation, reiterated that TSKB was placing great importance on entrepreneurialism, innovation and young people and with priority given to their Management Trainee programs, adding “in the TSKB Technology and Entrepreneurship Platform which we designed with TSKB, GIRVAK’s fellows and TSKB employees participated in workshops, were supported by mentors and created new ideas together. As a result of this work, some excellent ideas emerged in different themes. We will continue to come together with young people in the coming period to inspire them in the field of entrepreneurialism and innovation.”.
11 teams work for six months
After the Inspiration Day carried out in Kolektif House Maslak in November 2018, open to Girvak fellows and TSKB employees, applications were collected from the volunteers and teams were set up. The teams formed with external mentors experienced in the entrepreneurial field, the internal mentors of TSKB, TSKB employees and GIRVAK fellows held their first meeting within the Idea Developing Workshop on December 14th , 2018. Concurrently, volunteer mentors from TSKB also participated in the “Thinking Like An Investor” Workshop. Organized teams had the opportunity to gain presentation training and come together with the entrepreneurs of the day such as Alemşah Öztürk and Reyhan Çepik.
The eleven different project groups that were set up worked for six months to design innovative ideas. Project teams participated in training on different consideration techniques and working models throughout the exercise. After the preselection on May 15th , eight teams made it to the finals.
Presentations on the various themes such as infrastructure, transportation, education, innovative retail solution, waste management, the sustainable rating platform and the platform of bringing entrepreneurs and investors together were carried out by eight separate teams. After the presentations, awards were given to two projects.
GIRVAK’s fellows, Kadir Can Kırkoyun and Elif Aleyna Duman, along with Fulya Güray and Nur Püsküllü from TSKB were granted the award for the idea ranked 1st on the platform, “Inovasyonix”. Sevilay Kıran and Öznur Gökhan from TSKB and entrepreneur Bülent Ekuklu served as the mentors for Inovasyonix, which is designed to provide intra-organizational entrepreneurship as an online and offline 15 week long training and startup development program. The top-ranking project team had the opportunity to participate in a start-up tour and join the Noah Conference which will be conducted in Berlin on June 13-14th.
The “Symbiot” project, which was ranked 2nd, relating physical and digital data and presenting personalized analyses specific to clients with the purpose of producing innovative retail solutions. Tuna Sarp and Atakan Ülgen, two of GIRVAK’s fellows, and Esra Akıllı from TSKB were in the project team. The mentors for “Symbiot” are Çağlar Gök from TSKB and entrepreneur Sinan Zabunoğlu. The 2nd ranking project team will participate in the start-up tour in Germany.
