Leading Through Action, Serving Through Purpose

BiYemek.org
When I founded BiYemek.org, my vision was simple: use technology to transform compassion into measurable daily impact. I designed the platform to connect Istanbul’s municipal kitchens, donors, and beneficiaries through a transparent, auditable system where every donation directly becomes a meal and every data point helps serve the next person more effectively. Launching on October 1, 2025, BiYemek is expected to raise ₺10M in its first year to provide more than 100,000 meals, and it has been officially approved by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Leading this initiative, I managed every layer—platform architecture, database design, partnerships with kitchens, donor dashboards, and outreach campaigns. When I was invited to present BiYemek alongside the Municipality at the Global Marketing Summit, I realized that the bridges I try to build with code can directly feed people, not just metaphorically but literally. For me, BiYemek represents what I believe technology should be: a tool for empathy and empowerment, combining engineering precision with social responsibility. It’s more than a project—it’s a model for how local governments and communities can collaborate at scale, and a personal reminder that code can nourish lives.
BiYemek is supported by sponsors who ensure legal compliance and external auditing, and we plan to transition into a legal trust with fully audited, transparent organizational reporting in 2026H2.
A charity dollar has only one life; a social business dollar can be invested over and over again.”
Hisar Programming Club
When I started the Hisar Programming Club, my goal was to create a community where curiosity could turn into real projects. What began as a small group of friends sharing code quickly became a space for students across different levels to build, mentor, and learn together. I introduced “build weeks” and “demo days” where we challenged ourselves to create small but meaningful projects—ranging from robotics experiments to web apps that improved school life. For me, teaching others has always been the most powerful way to learn, so I paired beginners with more experienced members and encouraged the best coders to become mentors for the next wave. To make sure our projects outlived any one student, I introduced simple practices like code reviews, documentation, and handovers. Beyond the technical side, we also discussed the ethical responsibilities of programmers—issues like privacy, bias, and accessibility—because I believe good code should also be responsible code. Leading this club has shown me that community is not built by instructions, but by listening, sharing, and creating space for others to shine. The club is my way of proving that when we lift each other up, we all rise.
We rise by lifting others.
Dolmabahçe Interact Club
As President of the Dolmabahçe Interact Club, the youth branch of one of Turkey’s oldest Rotary Clubs, I have learned that service is most meaningful when it becomes a shared habit. I built the club around three guiding principles: listen to the needs of the community, create projects with measurable outcomes, and make those projects repeatable by others. We began with surveys and conversations with local NGOs and schools to understand where our time and energy could help the most. From there, we organized donation drives, tutoring sessions, and even robotics workshops for younger students, often collaborating with other Interact Clubs to increase our reach. I tried to lead by empowering others—rotating roles, creating task boards, and running debriefs after each initiative—so every project left behind a “playbook” for the next group. For me, leadership here was not about giving directions but about making sure every member’s voice was heard and valued. Over time, I watched the club grow into a dependable team that delivers meaningful results for the community. Through this journey, I’ve learned that leadership is not about authority; it’s about service, trust, and creating impact together.
Service Above Self.