Born in Istanbul in 1968. He began his education at Greenwich College in London and continued at Istanbul University, Department of Economics (English), from which he graduated.

He started his professional career at Ram Foreign Trade within the Koç Group. He later continued at Benetton Group, working in production processes and distribution coordination. Subsequently, he co-founded Ecopack Limited in London, gaining experience in eco-friendly packaging marketing and e-commerce. In 2015, he founded London-based Demco Solutions Ltd, providing international business development consultancy, individual coaching, and niche catering services.

He comes from a family devoted to sports. He is the son of Tuğrul Demir, one of the legendary basketball players of the Turkish National Team and Galatasaray. His uncles, Yavuz and Muzaffer Demir, were both national team players and members of Galatasaray’s “Invincible Armada” basketball team, while his cousin Selim Demir is also a former Galatasaray basketball player. As a Galatasaray Divan Assembly Member, he maintains strong ties with the club. He is an avid World Cup follower and an admirer of Argentina and Maradona.

Born in Manisa in December 1972. After graduating from the Faculty of Business Administration at Bilkent University, he earned a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the San Diego campus of Alliant University. For over 20 years, he served as a senior executive in marketing at leading companies in the food industry, including Ülker, Bahçıvan Gıda, and Dardanel.

Since childhood, he has sought to channel his passion for sports—and soccer in particular—through broadcasting and soccer management. He completed training in Soccer Management and Sports Media at the Johan Cruyff Institute.

He has written numerous articles on football management, the football world, and women’s football for ABC Spor. He served as a board member responsible for marketing at Barnes Football Club. He coached the U14 team for one season. He currently serves as the Director of Business Development. Member of the Beşiktaş General Assembly and the Beşiktaş Development Group.

He founded the QPR Eagles fan group. Under an agreement with Queens Park Rangers, Beşiktaş and Turkish fans can watch all of QPR’s home matches with discounted season tickets or free/discounted match tickets.

His hobbies include gastronomy, philosophy, and of course, sports!

Dietitian Nilüfer Bayram was born in Ankara in 1979. She completed her university education at Erciyes University, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, graduating as second in her class (2003).

Between 2004 and 2025, she worked as a managing dietitian at Yaşasın Hayat Clinic, owned by Prof. Dr. Osman Müftüoğlu. During this period, she provided healthy nutrition and weight management services for years to owners of Turkey’s leading companies, senior executives, and high-level public sector officials.

She specialized particularly in nutrition planning and monitoring aimed at resolving insulin resistance and health issues related to insulin resistance (obesity, fatty liver, elevated uric acid, gallbladder problems, etc.). She also worked on monitoring and informing patients about IV therapies applied in clinical settings.

During these years, her articles were published in various newspapers and magazines, and she contributed as a guest writer to the books Yaşasın Yemek and Kolay Diyet. She also participated as a dietitian in prominent health programs on leading channels, including the Yaşasın Hayat health program.

As of November 2025, she will begin patient follow-up on a part-time working program at Medicana Zincirlikuyu Hospital.

Over a global career spanning more than 30 years, Burçin Ressamoğlu has led markets across Turkey, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom at multinational companies such as Siemens, Philips, and Sodexo. At Philips, she established strategic partnerships with global retail giants including IKEA, Walmart, and Carrefour, managing complex supply chains and multicultural teams, and strengthening the brand’s presence in competitive markets.

In her role at Sodexo Turkey, she tripled business volume, delivering major commercial success. While building a strong national ecosystem with technology partners and distributors, she also worked closely with government bodies in shaping sector regulations and meal card systems.

Most recently, as CEO of Pluxee UK, she transformed the company from a traditional structure into a digital B2B2C model, putting it on a profitable and high-growth trajectory. This transformation reached 1.5 million consumers and 10,000 corporate customers, and played a key role in Pluxee’s successful listing on Euronext Paris in 2024, following its separation from Sodexo.

A graduate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and a UN Global Compact member, Ressamoğlu combines her expertise in digital innovation and commercial growth with ESG and DEI principles. By placing sustainability at the center of her strategic decisions, she leads companies toward long-term value creation and transformation.

Born in Erzincan in 1977, he completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at Kırıkkale University, graduating in 2000, and also completed his master’s program at the same university. He later earned his PhD in 2015 at Maltepe University with his dissertation titled “The Effects of the Asymmetric Interest Rate Corridor Implementation in Turkey on Alternative Series in the Stock Market.”

He began his professional career at İşbank in 2003. Between 2003 and 2017, he worked in various positions at İşbank and Odeabank. Since 2017, he has been continuing his career as Sales and Marketing Manager at Azimut Portfolio Management Company.

Since 2017, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on economics and financial markets at Istanbul Technical University, Bahçeşehir University, Okan University, and Istanbul Aydın University.

With more than ten academic articles published in national peer-reviewed journals, B. Tamer Gökalp also writes current economic articles in his column “Parametre” in Dünya Gazetesi.

I was born on July 31, 1974, in Izmir. At a time when I thought I had lost my way in life, I needed the guidance of the stars, and I realized that I was lost because I insisted on not understanding life’s messages.

I am a mother of two, and I decided to learn astrology so that my children would not feel as helpless as I did in their lives. With this knowledge, I realized I could make them stronger against life’s challenges. We all come into this life to learn something. There is no escaping tests. But if we can correctly interpret the dynamics of our birth chart, we can develop and polish our strengths, and perhaps recognize more quickly what we need to learn about our weaker sides. In this way, when we face difficulties, we can become more resilient and perhaps recognize the true reason behind what we experience—that is, what life is trying to tell us.

I completed the Classical Basic and Advanced Level trainings at AstroArt Astrology School and received an ASA (AstroArt School of Astrology) diploma. At the same school, I received specialization trainings and certificates in Horary Astrology, Electional Astrology, Mundane Astrology, Astropsychology, and Astrocartography. I completed Hermetic Astrology training with Aleksandar Imsiragic.

I hold an OPA certification from the Organization for Professional Astrology. I am a member of APAI (The Association of Professional Astrologers International). In 2016, I completed the exam of the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and received the ISAR CAP title. I was certified by passing the counseling skills training and the ethics principles exams. I completed Evolutionary Astrology training with Maurice Fernandez and received the title of Evolutionary Astrologer.

Born in 1972 in Caddebostan, Istanbul, Reyhan Bull has been interested in art and creativity since childhood. Inspired by her older brother, whom she saw as a role model, she started painting and enrolled at Mimar Sinan University, but completed her academic journey at Uludağ University, Faculty of Business Administration.

After graduating from university, she began her professional life in the finance and insurance sectors, which allowed her to discover a different side of life in a short time. She received training as a primary school English teacher at Marmara University and gained experience across different cultures and educational environments in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom throughout her teaching career.

During this period, her life was enriched by her marriage, two children, a dog, two cats, her published book Derki, and the articles she wrote on her blog; her writing and teaching careers nourished one another. Bull’s work offers deep insight into human relationships, parenting, personal development, and the subtleties of life.

Today, Reyhan Bull continues to share her life experiences by focusing on herself and her writing, while living a calmer and more introspective life in the English countryside with her beloved husband and two daughters.

After graduating with a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Koç University on a 50% scholarship, I moved to London in September 2023 to pursue my master’s degree.

Upon completing my Management degree at Queen Mary and following a 4-5 month job search, I began my career as an Associate in Corporate & Investment Banking at a top-tier financial institution.

During my transition to London, inspired by the "sense of neighborhood" I sought to find here, the idea for Biz Bize was born. Contributing to this platform, which aims to bring the Turkish diaspora together, is a deeply personal and meaningful motivation for me. I am truly happy to support the growth of this community.

Born in 1991 in Istanbul, Seda Gazioğlu is an artist who seamlessly intertwines tradition and contemporary practice. She began her education at Parsons School of Design in New York, later continuing at Central Saint Martins in England. Since 2014, Gazioğlu has actively contributed to the art scene through a diverse range of mediums, including oil painting, metal sculpture, video, and digital art, often utilizing found and antique objects, notably vintage Turkish carpets.

Her artistic approach is shaped by her experience with a learning difference, leading her to create a unique mapping method that simplifies complex subjects into accessible visuals. This minimalist, subject-driven aesthetic emphasizes the essence of each piece, presenting her work in an “audition tape” format that invites viewers to engage deeply with the subject matter.

Gazioğlu's exploration of human cognition, particularly its interpretation of rituals and superstitions, reveals the intricate relationship between the supernatural and the everyday. Growing up in Turkey, she examines the pervasive magic within her culture, often masked as superstition. Through her work, Gazioğlu uncovers the hidden magic of daily life, mapping these elements to ordinary forms and encouraging a re-examination of the familiar as a landscape rich with mystical dimensions.

Dr. Nazlı Kazanoğlu is a researcher and academic specializing in social policies, gender equality, and sustainable development, distinguished by her research-driven approach and international experience. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Middle East Technical University, completed her master’s degree as the top-ranked student in her department at Istanbul Bilgi University, and earned her PhD in Political Science from Ulster University.

Having worked as a researcher at various universities both in Turkey and abroad, Kazanoğlu integrates her academic work with field-based research projects. Her work has involved numerous national and international projects focusing on sustainable development, the strengthening of civil society, and gender equality.

Currently, Dr. Kazanoğlu serves as an academic and Coordinator for Sustainable Society, and Innovation at Istanbul Nişantaşı University. She is also actively involved in ChangeLab, where she contributes to social research, the design and implementation of development-oriented programmes, and impact assessment. Through these roles, she provides guidance to institutions in their efforts toward equitable, inclusive, and data-driven transformation processes.

After graduating from TED Ankara College in 1993, Dr. Elif Keser completed her Dentistry education at Hacettepe University, followed by her Orthodontics specialty training and PhD. For her postdoctoral training and research, she worked at the Orthopedics laboratory of Boston University School of Medicine. During this time, she served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She also assumed the role of Founding Director of the Orthodontics department at the same university’s campus in Dubai, UAE. She later worked as an orthodontist at Dr. Galip Gürel’s clinic in Istanbul while continuing her academic roles in Boston concurrently. After Istanbul, following equivalency exams in London, she founded the clinic Boston Orthodontics. She continues her work as a Visiting Faculty Member at Boston University.

She has numerous publications and book chapters on accelerated orthodontic treatment and adult orthodontics. She delivers courses on orthodontic treatment techniques in many countries.

Dr. Meltem Özkan Girgin graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1994. After completing her specialty training at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, she worked in the private sector for many years from 1999 onwards as an Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialist in Istanbul—where she was born and raised and always missed whenever she was without the sea—most recently at the VKV American Hospital Medical Center.

She is married and the mother of Sinan and Pelin.

In 2020, Dr. Meltem decided to continue her life in the United Kingdom. In 2021, she regained her medical license and began working in London as a General Medical Council (GMC) registered doctor, in private clinics and NHS hospitals.

In 2025, she opened her office in Ataşehir and continues to welcome her patients in Istanbul once again.

With an approach that considers each patient as a whole, prioritizes preventive medicine, and is rooted in warm, sincere communication, Dr. Meltem is delighted to frequently receive feedback from her patients such as “I felt safe” and “I can immediately tell the difference you make.”

Müge Gökdeniz completed her education in Labour Economics and Industrial Relations at Marmara University and earned a master’s degree in Human Resources and Marketing Management at Yeditepe University.

Throughout her career, she wore many hats across different sectors, from IT to maritime. Her longest stop was banking. Saying, “This is not where I belong,” she left her comfort zone behind and turned to management and human resources consultancy. Along the way, she never stopped learning; she further deepened her expertise through studies focused on organizational psychology at Istanbul Bilgi University.

After founding her own consultancy firm, she designed leadership development programs for institutions, served as a trainer, and managed large-scale assessment center projects. During this period, she not only designed but also implemented these programs, transforming her work into results with real impact in the field.

Just before the pandemic, she moved to the United Kingdom with her three-and-a-half-year-old son. As she embraced a new country, a new system, and a new chapter, she founded Wthinku and began working with professionals who wanted to grow their careers in the international market. At the same time, she never stopped being a student; in addition to becoming an ICF-accredited PCC-level coach, she continued to enrich her toolkit through programs such as eCornell Women’s Entrepreneurship and Mental Health First Aider.

Today, she brings this rich experience to both executive-level leaders and professionals aiming to take their careers to an international level, coaching them through her “Career Architecture” approach. She also works with entrepreneurs and founding teams, designing and structuring operational setup processes for entering new markets. She lives in London with her 10-year-old son and continues to work, learn, and open new chapters.

Deniz Özgür is a UK-based IAA-registered Immigration Adviser and the founder of Leading Immigration Ltd.

When she came to the UK for education in 2015, she experienced firsthand that the immigration process is not merely a legal application, but a journey shaped by uncertainty, decision-making, and courage. She had to find her place within a new system, build the right strategy, and plan for a long-term future. This experience forms the foundation of the way she approaches her clients today.

She graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Law in 2013 and has been practising as a lawyer registered with the Istanbul Bar Association since 2014. After completing her master’s degree in International Commercial Law in London in 2019, she founded Leading Immigration Ltd and began to continue her work in UK immigration law within an institutional framework.

However, her approach is not based solely on knowledge of legislation. She understands that behind every application there is a career goal, a family plan, a risk, and a hope. For this reason, especially in Global Talent, Skilled Worker, and sponsor licence applications, she does not only handle the forms; she builds the architecture of the case, shapes the career narrative, particularly with trusted partners, and designs its long-term strategy.

For her clients, the process is not simply about “getting a visa.” The aim is to build a solid, sustainable, and well-planned future in the United Kingdom.

Esin Cansu Yılmaz, born in Istanbul in 1998, completed her undergraduate studies in Economics and Sociology at Istanbul Bilgi University. She further advanced her academic journey with a Master’s degree in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics, specializing in human behaviour, decision-making processes, and social dynamics.

Throughout her academic and professional career, she has taken active roles in startups across media, software, and consumer-focused industries in both Istanbul and London. These experiences have enabled her to develop strong expertise in product development, user experience, and growth strategies.

She continues to develop PanPals, a social cooking application that also formed the basis of her master’s thesis, together with her two co-founders. PanPals is an innovative platform that aims to transform cooking from a daily necessity into a social and motivating experience.

The platform’s core vision is to position itself as the “Strava for people who cook,” creating an ecosystem where users can share their cooking journeys, enjoy the process, and celebrate their achievements. By doing so, it makes everyday routines more engaging, sustainable, and rewarding, ultimately increasing user motivation.

Ali Karabacak, born in Istanbul in 2010, started his basketball career at the age of 7 in Turkey. He demonstrated his talent early on by winning three-point shooting championships in youth leagues within his age group. In 2023, he moved to London with his family, continuing both his academic and athletic journey in the United Kingdom.

Thanks to his strong interest in the technical management of the game and its rules, he quickly achieved a remarkable milestone. Despite the standard minimum age of 16 for Level 2 Basketball Refereeing in the UK, he earned his license at the age of 14 through his exceptional performance and technical maturity.

In addition to refereeing, he holds Level 2 certifications in Table Officiating and Statistics, gaining expertise not only on the court but also in the technical and analytical aspects of the game. This multidimensional approach has helped him develop a broader vision in basketball.

Aiming to expand his development beyond the court, Ali has been selected for prestigious coaching programs organized in collaboration with London Coaches, the NBA, and the Mayor of London. He continues to pursue training in this field. Having also gained experience in volleyball, tennis, and handball from an early age, Ali Karabacak is a versatile athlete who aims to build his career both on the court and within technical and coaching roles, driven by his discipline and game vision.

Eda Yıldırımkaya, born in 2002, completed her primary and secondary education in Antalya before attending İzmir American Collegiate Institute as a boarding student, graduating with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Her interest in social sciences, arts, and communication began to take shape during these years.

In 2021, she started her undergraduate studies at University College London (UCL) in Media (Immersive Media and Game Design). She graduated in 2024 with First-Class Honours, with a dissertation focusing on the Turkish diaspora in London. During her time at university, she served as President of the UCL Turkish Society and organized the largest student-led aid campaign in London following the 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquake. The project was awarded the Students’ Union Social Impact Project of the Year and gained wide recognition with the support of then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Following her graduation, she was elected as one of six sabbatical officers leading Students’ Union UCL, serving as Equity and Inclusion Officer. Re-elected in March 2025, she continues to represent over 50,000 students until July 2026. As Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees, she plays an active role in governing a social institution with an annual budget of approximately £18 million, while also advocating for international and minority students in the UK Parliament and the Greater London Authority.

Combining her passion for art, design, and communication with a strong commitment to community building, Eda aims to create environments and opportunities where every student feels represented and a true sense of belonging.

Born in Diyarbakır in 1991, Berk Çetin graduated from Kadıköy Anadolu High School in 2010 and from the Department of Political Science at Galatasaray University in 2017. Throughout his education, he was involved in amateur theatre.

After internships and experience in the media, food & beverage, and retail sectors, he joined Jaguar Kitap in 2019 as an editor and took on the translation editing of more than 50 books.

In 2025, he became the co-founding partner of Thousand Horsemen Press. He lives in London.

Just like many recent graduates, I was constantly worried about finding a job. I started applying in the final year of my undergraduate degree and continued the search for over a year to land the role I truly wanted.

Throughout this journey, I never said no to internship opportunities and actively leaned on my network and connections to open doors and gain experience.

Step by step, those efforts paid off. Today, I’m based in London and share my experience to support others navigating the UK job market as part of the Turkish diaspora.