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A curated session with GenWise founders Zeynep Kurmuş and Tuğrul Ağırbaş, sharing their corporate and individual entrepreneurial journeys.
Tuğrul Ağırbaş, who has led in the FMCG sector in Turkey, Russia, and neighboring geographies for over 30 years, stands out as one of the key figures guiding acquisition, merger, and new market entry projects, especially during Efes's journey to become a global brand. With a vision to transform organizations with an 'entrepreneurial company' mindset, Ağırbaş has made significant contributions to the ecosystem in innovation, intrapreneurship, and startup collaborations. Today, he provides consultancy and mentorship to corporate companies and startups, and actively participates as an angel investor in social impact-focused projects. His approach of owning every task in his corporate career as if it were his own business is one of the most critical driving forces behind Genwise.
Gökçe Zeynep Kurmuş began her career in market research, bringing her experience from Piar Gallup and SİAR to the world of corporate training and facilitation as a partner at Şensezgin Kurmuş consulting firm. Over the past 25 years, she has designed and implemented thousands of projects, programs, and ideas. Active in both the business world and civil society (PWN Istanbul, KODA, Üsküdar American Alumni Association, etc.), Kurmuş is a creator who believes in the potential of individuals and organizations to 'generate value' and enjoys bringing together the right methods and the right people. Today, as a co-founder of Genwise, she plays a pioneering role in designing programs that re-imagine learning experiences and, in particular, create space for new beginnings.
A different guest at each meeting to draw inspiration and courage from others' experiences.
How to draw strength from your surroundings, how to move forward together?
New acquaintances over delicious snacks, on-the-spot explorations perhaps wondering if your future lies in the culinary world, and new ideas and projects swirling in your head on the way home...
Gamze Cizreli is an entrepreneur and the founder of the BigChefs brand, a graduate of METU Faculty of Business Administration. After a brief experience in corporate life, Cizreli turned to entrepreneurship, pioneering the development of the gastronomy sector by establishing various brands in Ankara between 1993 and 2005. In 2007, she launched the BigChefs Cafe-Brasserie brand entirely with bank loans. Today, BigChefs operates with 140 branches and over 2500 employees in 29 cities across 11 countries, and was listed on Borsa Istanbul in 2023. Known for her success in the business world as well as her social impact projects, Cizreli delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly with her initiative 'From the Women of the Soil to the Tables,' and has conducted studies in sustainability, women's entrepreneurship, and responsible production. She has taught entrepreneurship courses at METU, authored articles in various publications, and received numerous awards. Cizreli, who was featured in Forbes' '50 Over 50 EMEA 2023' list, also plays an active role in civil society work and is the author of the book 'Ateşle Oynayanlar' (Playing with Fire), published in 2023.
