Barış, who first introduced me to YGA, sent me a message last December asking, “Could you attend our annual YGA summit?” I told him I’d be happy to come if I had time and was in Istanbul. We agreed to reconfirm in January. Later, Sezin from YGA emailed me, adding Barış, and basically asked me to mentor six potential YGA members. They also referred Sami Alhelali, a Syrian native, to be involved with me.
In their informational materials about the YGA Summit, they called me “Our Dream Partner,” like the other mentors. They stated that they would meet with 2,000 high school and university students, selected from 30,000 applicants, at the YGA Summit on 18 January. They shared https://vimeo.com/383041330/781f17c89e for me to hear from YGA President Melike Aydın and explained that I could access the schedule of the YGA Summit program at https://www.yga.org.tr/zirve2020akis.jpg.
They also requested that I be at the YGA Summit on time (the first session was starting at 9:00 a.m.), wear the red scarf they would provide at the entrance, chat with the participants during breaks, and meet with the six high school students I would be mentoring for lunch. So, I said, “Hey, let’s go,” and made an appointment for the morning of 18 January. They shared the interview notes of the YGA candidates with me. Even though I arrived in Istanbul from Ankara late the day before, exhausted, I woke up early the next morning, reviewed these notes, and took my own notes.
Sami Alhelali, my companion, met me at the door. Sami, a friendly guy who spoke Turkish like a native speaker, and I went straight to the hall. I sat in the seat reserved for me.
Young people who didn’t say, “It’s not my business”
The summit opened with a magnificent musical performance. U1Min’s style, blending technology and music, perfectly reflected YGA and hinted at how the summit would unfold. Afterward, our young friends, Mina and Yiğit, took the stage to present the summit and explained their work in a beautifully sincere manner. Of course, they made the most important point about YGA at the end of their introductory speech: “As you can see on the YGA Summit posters, young people who don’t say, ‘It’s not my business and who believe they can change the world together are meeting at this summit.”
After the official thanks, they explained that they weren’t just a group of 2,500 high school and university students from 99 universities in 57 different cities; they were followed by tens of thousands of people on YouTube. They then explained the procedures and YGA and held a fun YGA quiz. After the quiz, they explained that the summit’s concept wasn’t ‘or,’ but ‘and.’ They showed an episode from the TV series Hakan Muhafız (The Guard Hakan), which explains that we don’t have to make choices; if we’re faced with an ‘or,’ we have to make it an ‘and.’ This ‘or’ concept is very familiar to me. In fact, my life has always revolved around ‘or.’ This is how I can explain why I’m both an entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur.
They explained that a conversation between National Education Minister Ziya Selçuk and YGA President Melike was scheduled, but due to a sudden change in her schedule, she couldn’t attend the summit. They then read the minister’s message.
Frankly, I found it odd that the Minister of National Education passed up the opportunity to address the gathering of Turkey’s brightest young people, but it wasn’t a surprise to me. It would have been wonderful if he had discussed the Science Mobilization project in front of those bright young people.
YGA founder Sinan Yaman was the first speaker. Mina moderated. This first panel discussion essentially set the tone for the summit. Sinan Yaman delivered another very important message.
Yaman’s Difference-Making Messages
For example, he recalled the saying he made in the early-2000s, “Your life doesn’t change with a seminar or a book; if the right person enters your life, your life changes.” He stated that some people make a difference and that the human factor is crucial in choosing both a life partner and a partner in a venture. I agree with this statement 100%. May God always bring good people who will elevate and bring joy to good-hearted and well-intentioned people.
Sinan Yaman also explained that when people from 40 countries were asked in a survey, “Which traits stand out in a leader?”, the most important of these were “Trust, Vision, and Courage,” and that trust was the most important. He then offered the following definition: “Who is the right person? A person who gives us trust. Who gives us trust? A person who is truly a person.”
He then shared an observation about young people. He stated that in today’s world, young people fail to see their future and the value they contribute. He added that those who say, “I can’t see my way forward,” don’t feel safe, and those who say they can’t see themselves adding value perceive themselves as worthless and inadequate.
He explained that Yunus Emre was the most self-confident and loving person we should all look up to as a role model. He described himself through the words, “I didn’t come to fight, my job is to love. The home of a friend is hearts, I came to build hearts.” At the summit, YGA 3.0 was described as “Yunus’s soulmates.”
Atatürk’s enlightenment
He also reminded him that Atatürk said, “I have never known pessimism in my life,” during the most difficult times during the occupation of Istanbul.
He then explained that YGA had changed its definition of a leader and cited YGA Vice President Gökhan as an example. He described the new leaders as having “small egos and big hearts.”
He noted that he had previously predicted that Aziz Sancar would receive the Nobel Prize, and this prediction came true, and made some new predictions. “A Nobel laureate will emerge from this hall, but more importantly, in 2020, the double-winged startups founded by YGA graduates will expand from Istanbul to the world. WeWALK has already expanded internationally.
However, those of you in this hall will witness hundreds of technology-based double-winged startups in the future, rather than the ten we have today,” he said, adding, “So, in 2023, there will be double-winged entrepreneurs from all over the world. Wouldn’t it be fitting if Istanbul were a place where double-winged entrepreneurs could meet? Istanbul will become the hub of double-winged startups.” After this remark, the hall erupted in applause.
We raise our hands to our hearts and say a resounding “God Willing!” for this prediction.
Examples of double-winged startups
Incidentally, I’d like to touch on the already established double-winged startups mentioned by Sinan Abi, as YGA members call them. I’ve also been told that, according to the core YGA philosophy, all startups are founded in an atmosphere of “success together.” Therefore, when asked “who founded them?”, no one volunteers their names. However, I’d like to share the names of the current co-founders and CEOs below so you can visualize them. Of course, I’d also like to point out that behind them is a big-hearted team working tirelessly with the utmost goodwill:
WeWALK (Sadık Ünlü): https://wewalk.io/en/
Twin (Asude Güray): https://www.twinscience.com/tr/
TYT (Barış Arıcı): https://www.tyt.com.tr/
PoiLabs (Ersin Güray): https://www.poilabs.com/
Piri (Tülin Yücel): https://www.piriguide.com/
First, let’s talk about WeWALK, which is on its way to becoming international.
WeWALK
WeWALK is the world’s most advanced smart cane. Its main features include obstacle detection, pairing with your mobile phone, and integration with navigation and voice assistant software such as Google Maps, Amazon, and Alexa.
Its technical specifications are as follows:
1) It connects to smartphones via Bluetooth 4.2 (Android 4.4, iOS 10, and above).
2) It is voice-activated, meaning it has voice control.
3) It is very lightweight at 252 grams (excluding the white cane).
4) It detects obstacles up to 160 cm away.
5) It has a battery life of up to 20 hours (varies depending on usage).
6) It supports English, Turkish, Portuguese, and Arabic.
7) It is controlled by a touch-sensitive tablet.
8) The handle is 30 cm long.
You can watch the video below to see what’s inside the WeWALK box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_kjVNp6hCk&feature=emb_logolinki .
In short, WeWALK detects obstacles at chest and head level for visually impaired users and warns them. It connects to the WeWALK mobile app via Bluetooth. It allows visually impaired users to navigate using their cane without ever touching their phone. It integrates with public transportation to learn about nearby stops and bus schedules, and to issue commands to the Alexa voice assistant. The WeWALK Smart Cane has reached visually impaired users in over 25 countries to date.
You can find details about WeWALK at https://wewalk.io/en/.
WeWALK demonstrates the success story of a smart cane that has achieved international recognition through significant effort. It also received the ‘Gold Award’ in the Health & Wellness category of the Edison Awards, dedicated to Thomas Edison. WeWALK was recently named one of the best inventions of 2019 by TIME, the world’s most widely read magazine. I wholeheartedly congratulate you.
Here is the WeWALK team photo.
Twin
Twin is a fun and educational robotics and coding set that fosters a love of science and fosters imagination. According to their website, their features are as follows:
It consists of electronic modules that connect with magnets. This allows children to easily create cutting-edge technologies like robots and autonomous cars with Twin modules. These modules connect to each other with magnets, helping them create different projects.
These are multi-purpose STEM educational sets that provide children with all the features they need to understand the fundamentals of computer programming and develop coding skills, as well as the fundamentals of technologies used in everyday life. These educational sets are designed to develop children’s imagination and artistic abilities, and to connect art with the fundamentals of science. With STEM, children can begin designing their own artwork and building robotic projects with craft materials and robotics modules.
Twin is a free mobile app designed to help children explore scientific content through games and experiments. Children learn the steps involved in building fun and educational games, designing their own projects, and then sharing them. You can find all the essential features you need to grasp the fundamentals of computer programming and develop your coding skills in the Twin Robotics Coding Kit.
When I asked Asude, one of the founders, about the origin of the name Twin, which describes itself as “the most fun form of science,” she explained that they chose it because they promote it as “buy one, get one free.” I replied, “I have a twin myself, so I personally like this name.”
Twin’s Contributions to Children
1) It helps with robotic coding and STEM education, which are essential for the 21st century.
2) It prepares children for future careers at an early age. It helps them realize their own dreams.
3) It develops creative thinking skills and manual dexterity.
For more information about Twin, you can visit their website at https://www.twinscience.com/tr/
They have launched Twing, a free mobile app designed for children to explore scientific content through games and experiments. The Twing app provides a digital classroom and community where children can share their scientific experiments and learn together. Children learn the steps involved in creating projects and can share their own inventions, drawing inspiration from their friends’ projects and experiments.
Twin, which attracted significant attention at the Bett Show in London, one of the world’s most important educational technology fairs, also won first place in the “Special Solutions for Education” category at the Bett Awards, known as the Oscars of Education, for their robotic sets designed for visually impaired children.
I congratulate the designers of these sets, which aim to teach science to children, the future of humanity, and have been delivered to 150,000 children to date, those who initiated this initiative, and those who implemented them in schools. I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in serving this noble cause.
Here is Twin’s team photo.
TYT (Temiz Yaratıcı Teknolojiler)
TYT (Clean Creative Technologies)
I know TYT well because it falls within my professional field. They work in solar power plants (SPP), floating SPP, and CSP (Concentrating Solar Power).
Like companies established with the classic “all-in-one” approach, TYT offers project development, EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction), and operation/maintenance services, as well as financial and technical consulting. They can also provide all these services as turnkey solutions.
Of course, TYT has two distinct characteristics. First, it’s innovative and can work in niche areas that aren’t typically considered by others. For example, they installed a hybrid CSP parabolic trough (a type of concentrated solar energy that produces high-temperature, pressurized steam) in a geothermal power plant. Or they discovered a niche in PV (photovoltaic) systems and built Turkey’s first floating power plant on Büyükçekmece Lake for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. They then developed this work significantly and began building their own pontoons and connection systems. They’ve also recently been working on wave energy. They were even selected for the ‘Technology Innovation Pioneers’ award for their newly designed hybrid Floating Solar Power Plant and Wave Energy System and received patent support in the UAE.
I congratulate these young people for all they’ve accomplished and wish them success. I also thank them for their contributions to the renewable energy sector. Good luck!
You can find details about TYT on their website at https://www.tyt.com.tr/
Here’s a TYT team photo.
PoiLabs
PoiLabs
Another YGA startup, PoiLabs, offers iBeacon services. For those unfamiliar with the topic, it extracts data from Bluetooth and provides indoor analysis, proximity marketing, and indoor navigation services. It’s among the top 15 companies worldwide offering this service. Brands like Hopi, Beymen, and Boyner utilize their services. İş Bankası uses this service to improve the customer experience at over 5,000 ATMs.
They also provide indoor navigation services for the visually impaired in approximately 30 shopping malls in Turkey. They operate as a partner of Wayfinder (http://www.wayfindr.net ). They offer four different solutions: shopping malls and retail, museums, industrial, and logistics. You can find details on their website at https://www.poilabs.com
Beyond being a YGA startup in terms of their services, their ability to offer technology that makes life easier for the visually impaired in indoor spaces and public transportation demonstrates their true social enterprise status. I congratulate everyone involved.
Here is the team photo of PoiLabs
Piri
It’s a travel app that lets you explore the world through the voices of the best guides. With Piri’s digital tours, you can experience more than 150 routes in 30 cities across 20 countries.
Piri allows you to discover the city’s unknown stories, anytime, through audio narration and recommendations from top guides.
I congratulate the creators of this fun and useful system. I also want to say that I find their name quite successful. It’s easy to pronounce and pays homage to Piri Reis, one of the most important sailors in our history. It’s quite stylish. As you know, Piri Reis was an Ottoman Turkish sailor and cartographer. He is known for his world maps, which depicted the Americas for the first time in human history, and for his maritime book, Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of the Sea).
May the journey of Piri be blessed. I hope they expand their reach into all cities with tourism potential worldwide.
Here’s Piri’s team photo
Returning to the summit, the rest of the program was packed. I’ll briefly share some of my thoughts; you can watch the entire summit at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CetwoDQ_8k.
Masters and high school students
İmamoğlu motivating himself in the mornings with Barış Manço’s tune Dönence, explaining the importance he places on innovation and young people, Agah Uğur’s sincere words, “No matter what you do, you have to be dedicated,” Ümit Boyner saying, “We see that people who live life to the fullest are the ones who create more social benefits for society.” Murat Özyeğin, who was also a moderator on the same panel, said, “YGA is a place that has touched us for three generations. It has always nurtured me and given me more than it took from me.” The international participants sharing their experiences with the young people, trying to guide them, and the amazing techno music show… It was all wonderful! The most interesting part of the summit for me was meeting with high school students with YGA potential for lunch. I shared my experiences with them, along with the notes I took. I tried to guide them. I hope this was helpful.
Just as I was about to leave, I ran into Zülal, a visually impaired woman whom I’d met at a YGA event last September, who thanked me for encouraging her. Zülal, who is intelligent and has a tremendously positive energy, recognized me immediately from my voice. Best wishes. May she find success, and may she fulfill all her heart’s desires.
Finally, last December, I was invited as the opening speaker at the TTGV (Turkish Technology Development Foundation) annual event, where they presented the “Startups of the Year” awards. I’d like to share my speech with you at this event, where I emphasized the importance of having a well-equipped and conscientious double-winged team to Turkey’s leading entrepreneurs, academics, and executives in the technology field:
For a better world, I will ensure that the number of double-winged young people is increased by supporting them in every way I can. Long live the double-winged people!
