Kale Group Hosts "Value to Life" Meeting

Kale Group's 'Meeting That Adds Value to Life' Kale Group held its 'Meeting That Adds Value to Life', which brought together social entrepreneurs and young people interested in the world of social entrepreneurship, at Müze Gazhane. Kale Group Chairman and CEO Zeynep Bodur Okyay said, "Young people's energy, innovative ideas and passionate efforts hold great potential in the field of social entrepreneurship. Today is a day of repair together with young people… We must blend their dreams and experiences in one pot." Kale Group organized the 'Meeting That Adds Value to Life' for the second time this year to commemorate its Founder Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur, a businessman and entrepreneur who dedicated his life to Turkish industry, on the seventh anniversary of his passing, while also passing on his values to future generations. The event was held together with social entrepreneurs and young people. Opening remarks at the event held at Müze Gazhane were delivered by Kale Group Chairman and CEO Zeynep Bodur Okyay, who said, "I consider it very important to go beyond celebrating the success of social entrepreneurs or sharing the stories of bold visionaries, and to provide an ideal ground for collaborations. I believe we should not miss any opportunity to build new bridges between social entrepreneurs, public institutions and the private sector, and between generations. Because I know that these bridges we build will carry all of us to a different future. Converting hope into action, expanding the boundaries of social impact is in our hands…"

Zeynep Bodur Okyay: The bond we will create with young people should not be one-sided, but a structure that learns and develops from one another…"

Emphasizing that young people's energy, innovative ideas and passionate efforts hold great potential in the field of social entrepreneurship, Zeynep Bodur Okyay said, "It is time – and past time – to free ourselves from the cliché of 'entrusting the future to young people'. It is no longer acceptable to say we have invested in young people and then step back! Today is a day of repair together with young people. Blending dreams and experiences in one pot is vital. For the past 7 years, we have worked closely with many social entrepreneurs, many of them still very young. We strive to understand them, to be there for them through the needs they may feel along the way, to run toward the goal together, and of course to learn from them. Today we know how important it is that the bond we create with young people is not one-sided but a structure that learns and develops from one another, in order to add value to life. We open all doors and overcome barriers to create meaningful and effective dialogue with them." Inspiring conversations from social entrepreneurs The Meeting That Adds Value to Life brought together leading stakeholders in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem including İhtiyaç Haritası Co-Founder Ali Ercan Özgür, Nivogo Co-Founder Arnas Akbaş, S360 Sustainability Consultant Aysel Kapsız, Impact Hub Istanbul Co-Founder Ayşe Sabuncu, PlumeMag Founder Bihter Ayyıldız, Alethina Founder Can Atacık, 3dots Co-Founder Çağıl Özdemir, World Economic Forum Global Social Entrepreneurship Alliance Chairman Daniel Nowak, Esmiyor Co-Founder Derin Altan, Artcomun Co-Founder Dora Kezer, Good4Trust Field Builder and Management Circle Coordinator Co-Author Ece Satıcı, Onarım Atölyesi Founder Ekin Al, Culture Manager Emre Erbirer, Katalist Co-Founder Emre Gür, Los Chullos Founder Güven Cem Çullu, Gözlemevi Founder Handan Uslu, Writer-Educator Hülya Mutlu, Civil Society Volunteer İbrahim Betil, Impact Facilitator İlayda Küçükafacan, Dnd Lab Co-Founder Mehmet Can İrhan, İhtiyaç Haritası Co-Founder Mert Fırat, UP School Co-Founder and CEO Mina İlköz Demirtaş, Abdi İbrahim Corporate Relations, Sustainability and Communications Director Oğuzcan Bülbül, United Nations SDG Young Leader and Twin Science Founding Team Member Okan Dursun, Blindlook Co-Founder Sadriye Görece, Impact Hub Istanbul Co-Founder Semih Boyacı, Sustainability Communicator Sertaç Doğanay, Good4Trust Founder Uygar Özesmi, and Biriktir Co-Founder Yağmur Gömürlü. All participants, particularly young people, showed great interest in inspiring and energetic sessions that examined the future of social entrepreneurship, shed light on youth's impact on the private sector, and addressed numerous topics ranging from solidarity to social impact-focused data, from impact investments to next-generation collaboration.

Special workshops for social entrepreneurs and young people

Within the scope of the Meeting That Adds Value to Life, special workshops were organized for young people and social entrepreneurs. Workshops specifically organized for social entrepreneurs, including 'Win-Win Model', 'Is There a Formula for Institutional Collaboration?' and 'Opening the Door to New Resources', drew strong interest, while workshops organized for young people, 'This Is Mana X Upcycling', 'Transcend Your Boundaries!' and 'Where Are You in the Change?', provided a different experience for young people. Additionally, at the Social Entrepreneurship Marketplace, close to 50 social entrepreneurs working on different initiatives set up stalls and had the opportunity to introduce their products and work.

Who is Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur?

Rising from Nevruz village in Çanakkale, contributing to the country's development through industrialization, and devoting his 88-year life to his birthplace while saying "people first," İbrahim Bodur began his working life at just 21 years old. His fundamental desire was to prosper with the people of his birthplace and to lead the way for development to begin in Anatolia. In 1957, when he laid the foundations of a ceramic tile factory in Çan, a town whose population had not yet exceeded 1,000, he also ignited the first sparks of local development. He made the local people partners in his dreams. The foundations of being one and succeeding together were laid there. Not only Çan but all the people of Çanakkale became acquainted with the concept of a "publicly held company". They became partners in the success of Çanakkale Ceramic Factory and grew together. Many young people gained educational opportunities and supported local development with the skills they acquired. The belief, determination and effort of İbrahim Bodur took shape not only in Çanakkale but in every corner of Anatolia. From Mardin to İzmir, from Erzurum to Yozgat, from Isparta to Istanbul, in every city where he brought industry, he continued to work shoulder to shoulder with the local people and contributed to local development with dedication. He not only shaped the future of the ceramics sector. He invested in different sectors so that Turkey would be a pioneer in every field. He started from the earth and reached toward the sky. To make the numerous investments and continuous support for education sustainable, Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur established the Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Assistance Foundation. Thanks to projects developed with the support of the Ministry of National Education, vocational training courses, hundreds of renovated village schools, and scholarships given to university students, many brilliant young people graduated successfully. Throughout his more than half-century industrial journey, İbrahim Bodur valued providing social benefit at every step he took and sharing the value he created with society. The İbrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Award Program, launched after his passing, aims to support social entrepreneurs who take action to solve societal problems in accordance with this belief. İbrahim Bodur's passion for art preceded his industrialist work. In the hours he spent in the Robert College library, he did not only study his lessons but also immersed himself in literature. His admiration for poetry and Turkish classical music led him to write essays at that young age and to establish a Turkish Classical Music Association within Robert College, enabling concerts to be held. From the early years when he embarked on major industrial initiatives, İbrahim Bodur maintained the emotional bond he had formed with art. Kale Group, never straying from his values even for a day, created a new attraction center for the art and design world through the Kale Design and Art Center, which it developed by transforming its first headquarters building at Karaköy Thursday Market.