Pelin Sürmeli

I chose to study social entrepreneurship because I’m driven by the question of how it can create systemic, large-scale change, especially beyond the usual narratives in the field. Coming from Turkey, the topic of FemTech is deeply personal to me. I hope my research can help identify the key conditions needed for real-world impact, and contribute to breaking stigmas while expanding the benefits of innovation for women.  

I completed my undergraduate study at Koç University (KU) in İstanbul, Turkey, in the Archaeology and History of Art Department. I completed her track program under the Social Impact Forum on social impact management and analysis. After graduation, I worked in an award-winning social enterprise, Ustamdan, and had to change to expand my network in the newly emerged Turkish social entrepreneurship ecosystem. I completed my master's at Bogazici University in İstanbul, in the Sustainable Tourism Management department. My master thesis focuses on the social impact assessment of a local development project by defining the sustainability indicators. I worked at the KU Office of International Programs, where I coordinated various sustainability-related fellowship programs, such as the Global Learning and Leadership for Sustainability Fellowship, KU Global Aid and Entrepreneurs without Borders at KU. I organized the SDG Action & Awareness Week at KU in 2022 and 2023. I was a member of the KU Sustainability Committee. Before joining the CBS, I was a researcher at Prof. Zeynep Aycan's Leadership Lab.