On 5 June 2026, CARF – Center for Applied Research in Finance hosted RIPPLE Meetup Türkiye at Boğaziçi University, bringing together Entrepreneurship Support Organizations, incubators, accelerators, university entrepreneurship centers, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders from Türkiye, the MENA region, and beyond.
The RIPPLE platform was initiated by the AAST Entrepreneurship Center, affiliated with the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport (AASTMT), and is scaling globally through its strategic partner Saleh Kamel Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development Organization (SKSEED).
The meetup focused on practical learning, ecosystem dialogue, and future collaboration, exploring key themes such as founder-centered program design, university entrepreneurship, innovation commercialization, ecosystem sustainability, investor and mentor engagement, AI & digital transformation, and cross-border collaboration.
The meetup featured opening remarks by Prof. Dr. A. Vedat Akgiray, Chairman of the Board of CARF and Professor of Finance at Boğaziçi University, Murat Onuk, Board Member of CARF and CEO of Arz Portföy, Dr. Wael Eldesouki Bedda, Secretary General, SKSEED, Dr. Heba Alashry, the Director of the AAST Entrepreneurship Center and a keynote speech by Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy, Deputy Chair and Teaching Professor of Management, George Washington University School of Business, USA, President & CEO of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB). The event also brought together distinguished speakers and contributors from partner institutions and the wider entrepreneurship ecosystem for roundtable discussions and thematic working sessions.
We extend our sincere thanks to all speakers, contributors, partners, and participants who enriched the discussions throughout the day.
RIPPLE Meetup Türkiye was powered by the AAST Entrepreneurship Center in strategic partnership with SKSEED, hosted by CARF at Boğaziçi University, with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) as national partner and AGz Dev as ecosystem partner.
📰 RIPPLE Meetup Türkiye was featured in the following media outlets:
We look forward to building on the insights and connections formed during RIPPLE Meetup Türkiye and to supporting future collaborations that strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems in Türkiye and beyond.
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