EİB Export-Up Mentorship Program Completed

Aegean Exporters Associations's EİB Export-Up Mentoring Program, conducted in cooperation with EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council) and Turkishwin, has been completed for women and young entrepreneurs starting or planning to start export activities. Mentors and beneficiaries who successfully completed the 6-month mentoring program received their certificates from Burak Sertbaş, Chairman of the Aegean Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association, Halil Gündoğdu, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Aegean Leather and Leather Products Exporters Association, and Çiğdem Önsal, Assistant Secretary General of the Aegean Exporters Associations. Toygar Narbay, Vice Chairman of the Aegean Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association, was also among those who attended the certificate ceremony.

Became a model for Turkey

Burak Sertbaş, Chairman of the Aegean Ready-Made Clothing and Apparel Exporters Association, emphasized that they have worked intensively on sustainability since taking office, noting that in 2019 they became the first among Turkey's Exporters Associations to sign the UN Global Compact, the world's largest sustainability initiative. "As the first exporters association member of Global Compact, we announced on 8 March that we are signatories of the Women's Empowerment Principles WEPs, a joint initiative of Global Compact and UN Women. And from that day until now, we have managed many processes related to gender equality and women's workforce empowerment, which is one of Global Compact's priority principles. One of the most important of these processes was successfully completing our 6-month Export-Up Mentoring Program in cooperation with EMCC and Turkishwin, targeting women and young entrepreneurs starting or planning to start export activities. I want to emphasize that Export-Up is Turkey's first export-focused mentoring program for young people and women. For this reason, I believe it has become a role model in our country."

Second phase of EİB Export-Up Mentoring Program will span 9 months

Çiğdem Önsal, Assistant Secretary General of the Aegean Exporters Associations, said that EİB structures its activities to develop sustainable exports, stating: "Our main mission is to support our companies in developing their export and marketing strategies along with sustainable export growth. We believe we can only achieve this goal by increasing the number of women and young entrepreneurs among us and ensuring gender equality. Based on feedback from mentors and beneficiaries, The second phase of our EİB Export-Up Mentoring Program, which we launched with the slogan "Future exporters believe in the power of experience....", will begin in May with improved content, spanning a 9-month period. The first program resulted in 18 matches. Our Coordinator Chairman Jak Eskinazi, along with the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of our Associations and Board members, provided guidance with their experience to women and young entrepreneurs who want to start exporting in textiles, ready-made clothing, food, natural stone, industrial design and technology sectors." she said.

Export-Up will grow our country

Melek Pulatkonak, Founder of Turkishwin, said: "The first graduates of this program will be among us as mentors in a few years. It is an honor that EİB is organizing this for the first time among Turkey's Exporters Associations. This was also achieved through excellent teamwork. This network will, in the years to come, pass through hundreds of people, bringing in new entrepreneurs, contributing to the economy and employment, and growing both Izmir and our country."

Women's entrepreneurship rate in Turkey is much higher than in many countries

Evrim Yerli, EMCC TR 2018-2021 Term Chairman and Founder of Evolve Leadership and Coaching, said: "The contribution of women and young people to the economy and production is very important. When we look at the data, women's employment is declining. However, the entrepreneurship rate among women in Turkey is much higher than in many countries. The most important door that will open for women is the entrepreneurship door. Women's entrepreneurship should be further encouraged. I commend EİB for their professional approach, addressing this issue by international standards, and for carefully matching mentors and beneficiaries." she said.

Our mentors provided feedback down to the finest detail

Ece Er Aydın, one of the beneficiaries, said: "Meetings should continue at all times. We are very fortunate for the knowledge and experience our mentors shared with us. Our mentors provided feedback down to the finest detail and we could seek advice on every matter. It was a very beneficial platform and all our mentors were very encouraging. It should have lasted longer than 6 months."

First export news

Fırat Koloğlu, one of the beneficiaries, said that the follow-up by the EİB project team was really very successful and they regularly tracked the feedback. "They identified the aspects that needed development for the second phase of the program. EİB really worked very meticulously. In fact, I would like to announce today that I have completed my agreements for my first export.

"With my mentor's advice and correct guidance, we reached an agreement with a company in France"

Betül Buzludağ Aydemir, one of the beneficiaries, said: "The matches turned out to be so good. We achieved a very good fit with our mentor. I thank EİB for these carefully made matches. With my mentor's advice and correct guidance, we reached an agreement with a company in France. We will carry out their production. Although the program has ended, our mentoring relationship continues."

Thanks to my mentor, we avoided a major mistake at the last moment

Yasemin Akar, one of the beneficiaries, said: "Exporting is a very difficult process, and I thank them very much for structuring such a program. Thanks to my mentor, we avoided a major mistake at the last moment. I hope for the continuation of export-focused mentoring programs." In addition to eco-friendly certificates prepared for all mentors, beneficiaries, stakeholders and project team members in the EİB Export-Up Mentoring Program, 500 saplings were donated to the EİB Memorial Forest.