Turkish Women's Initiative

Turkish Women's Initiative The Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI) provides innovative, practical and sustainable leadership programs for young women.

At TWI, we believe the world is better when women lead! The percentage of Turkish women who work outside their homes is one of the lowest in the world. Cultural norms often discourage girls and young women from pursuing education and employment. TWI’s unique “Sparks” programs support young women who have overcome significant challenges to attend public universities – typically the first in their f

amilies to enroll in higher education. Acclaimed TWI Sparks programs go beyond academics to engage participants in solving local, tangible social change projects. The women thereby “learn by doing” and go on to change their own lives and the lives others as they advance in career and leadership positions in their work, community, and country.

✨ Türkiye’deki kardeş derneğimiz Değişim Liderleri Derneği’nin (DLD) 17. Değişim Liderleri Zirvesi’nde buluşuyoruz!Bir y...
06/04/2026

✨ Türkiye’deki kardeş derneğimiz Değişim Liderleri Derneği’nin (DLD) 17. Değişim Liderleri Zirvesi’nde buluşuyoruz!

Bir yıl boyunca öğrenen, üreten, dayanışan ve değişim yaratan Kıvılcımların yolculuğunu kutlamak için bir araya geliyoruz.

Bu yıl zirvenin teması: Emek.

Çünkü değişim; görünmeyen çabaların, birlikte üretmenin, dayanışmanın ve vazgeçmemenin emeğiyle mümkün oluyor.

Kıvılcımlar, mezunlar, kolaylaştırıcılar, destekçiler ve uzman konukların katılımıyla gerçekleşecek bu özel buluşmada; liderlik, sosyal değişim ve emeğin dönüştürücü gücü üzerine birlikte düşünecek, paylaşacak ve ilham alacağız.

📅 7 Haziran Pazar
🕖 19:00
📺 YouTube Canlı Yayın Linki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svkl6Sad5QE

Türkiye’deki DLD topluluğuna harika bir zirve diliyoruz! 💛

Gazeteci Elif Zorlu Tapan’ın TWI kurucu ortaklarından Sema Basol ile gerçekleştirdiği röportaj MAG Dergisi’nde yayımland...
05/07/2026

Gazeteci Elif Zorlu Tapan’ın TWI kurucu ortaklarından Sema Basol ile gerçekleştirdiği röportaj MAG Dergisi’nde yayımlandı. Röportaj; yalnızca bir liderlik hikayesini değil, Türkiye’den Amerika’ya uzanan, kadınların birbirini güçlendirdiği kolektif bir yolculuğu anlatıyor.

2009 yılında başlayan Sparks yolculuğu bugün; genç kadınların kendi seslerini keşfetmelerine, liderlik becerileri geliştirmelerine, sosyal etki projeleri üretmelerine ve birbirlerine ilham veren güçlü bir topluluk oluşturmalarına alan açmaya devam ediyor.

TWI ve DLD olarak, bu yolculuğun bireysel başarıdan çok birlikte büyüyen bir etki olduğuna inanıyoruz. Gönüllülerimizin, mezunlarımızın, destekçilerimizin ve yıllardır bu misyona emek veren herkesin katkısı bu hikâyenin ayrılmaz bir parçası. 🧡

Sema Başol’un röportajda da paylaştığı gibi, bu yolculuk boyunca pek çok değerli insanın desteği ve inancı bize güç verdi. Kuruluş dönemimizden bu yana yanımızda olan Jale Ergelen ve Prof. Dr. Nakiye Boyacıgiller’e; bugün ise TWI ve DLD yönetim kurulu üyelerimiz Nalan Yalçın, Ayça Altıntığ ve Nurcan Ensari’ye bu ortak vizyonu birlikte büyüttükleri için teşekkür ederiz.

Röportajın tamamını linkte bulabilirsiniz.

https://magdergi.com/yazarlar/elif-zorlu-tapan-genc-kadinlarin-icindeki-liderlik-kivilcimini-atesleyen-isim-sema-basol/

ve Nurcan Karamolla Ensari

AI is being built. The real question is: who is shaping it?👉 Join us for a live conversation with Ece Kamar, CVP at Micr...
04/04/2026

AI is being built. The real question is: who is shaping it?

👉 Join us for a live conversation with Ece Kamar, CVP at Microsoft on human-centered AI and women-centered leadership.

This is not just another webinar.
It’s a perspective shift you don’t want to miss.

🎤 Hosted by TWI & TALL
📆 April 19, 9 AM PST

🎟 Register via QR code
🔗 Link in bio

On March 22nd TWI hosted a jazz dinner at Meyhouse, a premier restaurant and jazz club in Palo Alto, northern California...
03/25/2026

On March 22nd TWI hosted a jazz dinner at Meyhouse, a premier restaurant and jazz club in Palo Alto, northern California. Thanks to the generosity of our guests, 8 gastronomy students will have the opportunity to participate in TWI’s leadership program in Türkiye, the Sparks Program, during the 2026–27 academic year. This initiative will be the first of its kind in the country, helping these talented young women gain the skills and confidence to pursue the leadership roles they aspire to.

This was our first collaboration with Meyhouse , and we sincerely hope it marks the beginning of many more shared experiences. We are especially grateful to Omer Artun for his dedication and effort in making the evening such a success. From the exceptional cuisine to the beautiful music and warm hospitality, every detail came together to create a memorable night.

Special thanks to Nalan Kumlali Atahan who designed a special one-of-a kind handmade cini plate that was made in Kutahya to be given to Meyhouse as a token of our appreciation.

We look forward to continuing this journey in empowering more young women in the gastronomy field.

On March 22nd TWI hosted a jazz dinner at Meyhouse, a premier restaurant and jazz club in Palo Alto, northern California...
03/25/2026

On March 22nd TWI hosted a jazz dinner at Meyhouse, a premier restaurant and jazz club in Palo Alto, northern California. Thanks to the generosity of our guests, 8 gastronomy students will have the opportunity to participate in TWI’s leadership program in Türkiye, the Sparks Program, during the 2026–27 academic year. This initiative will be the first of its kind in the country, helping these talented young women gain the skills and confidence to pursue the leadership roles they aspire to.

This was our first collaboration with Meyhouse, and we sincerely hope it marks the beginning of many more shared experiences. We are especially grateful to Omer Artun for his dedication and effort in making the evening such a success. From the exceptional cuisine to the beautiful music and warm hospitality, every detail came together to create a memorable night.

Special thanks to Nalan Kumlali Atahan who designed a special one-of-a kind handmade cini plate that was made in Kutahya to be given to Meyhouse as a token of our appreciation.

We look forward to continuing this journey in empowering more young women in the gastronomy field.


What does it really mean to rebuild yourself in a new place?Join renowned psychiatrist and author Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu ...
03/21/2026

What does it really mean to rebuild yourself in a new place?

Join renowned psychiatrist and author Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu for a powerful conversation on identity, resilience, and transformation.

📍 March 29 | Live on Zoom

Don’t miss this one❣️

If you’re in Silicon Valley on March 22, we’d love for you to join us.🫴 Meyhouse Palo Alto is hosting a special evening ...
02/14/2026

If you’re in Silicon Valley on March 22, we’d love for you to join us.
🫴 Meyhouse Palo Alto is hosting a special evening to support university women studying gastronomy in Türkiye and help make their participation in TWI’s Sparks leadership program possible.

It’s going to be one of those beautiful nights — live jazz by Sinem Sen Gültekin, joined by pianist John R. Burr, a 12-course Antakya Sofrası, and a room filled with people who care about creating opportunity for the next generation of women leaders.

This isn’t just dinner.
It’s community. It’s culture. It’s impact.

Come spend the evening with us.

Link for registration and details: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/jazz-dinner-antakya-sofrasi-supporting-turkish-womens-initiative

For years, we’ve believed leadership isn’t taught. It’s practiced, lived, and shared.Over time, our work, our programs, ...
01/29/2026

For years, we’ve believed leadership isn’t taught. It’s practiced, lived, and shared.

Over time, our work, our programs, and our community of young women grew across Türkiye and the U.S.

So we created a new home that brings it all together.

Our new website is a clearer space to explore the young women we support, the programs we run, and the impact created along the way.

This space is for young women who are becoming leaders by doing, and for everyone who believes in walking alongside them.

We’re excited to finally share it with you!! ✨

Designed by Melis Seray Erim.

🔗 Link in bio

For years, we’ve believed leadership isn’t taught.It’s practiced, lived, and shared.Over time, our work, our programs, a...
01/29/2026

For years, we’ve believed leadership isn’t taught.
It’s practiced, lived, and shared.

Over time, our work, our programs, and our community of young women grew across Türkiye and the U.S.

So we created a new home that brings it all together.

Our new website is a clearer space to explore the young women we support, the programs we run, and the impact created along the way.

This space is for young women who are becoming leaders by doing and for everyone who believes in walking alongside them.

We’re excited to finally share it with you. ✨

🔗 Link in bio

We are honored to welcome Ergun Kirlikovali and Nurcan Ensari to the Board of Directors of Turkish Women’s Initiative.Th...
01/25/2026

We are honored to welcome Ergun Kirlikovali and Nurcan Ensari to the Board of Directors of Turkish Women’s Initiative.

Their leadership, experience, and commitment to purpose strengthen our mission and expand the impact we create together.

Welcome to the board. 🎉

Ergun Kirlikovali is the Founder and President of Integrated Polymer Industries, Inc., a materials engineering company specializing in advanced polymers for aerospace. A prominent leader in the Turkish-American community, he has received numerous professional and civic awards and has authored over 5,000 letters advocating for Turkish culture, history, and heritage. He served as President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) from 2011–2013 and, with his wife Juliana, co-founded the annual Kirlikovali Philanthropy and Volunteerism Event, bringing together nonprofit leaders from across the U.S. and Türkiye. Ergun holds an MS in Polymer Science from the University of Manchester and a BS in Chemistry from Boğaziçi University. He lives in Southern California with his wife Juliana.

⸻

Nurcan Ensari, PhD, is a professor, researcher, speaker, and consultant with over 25 years of experience in diversity and inclusion, women’s leadership, and career development. She is the Director of the SPARKS-USA Leadership Development Program for multicultural women and a professor of psychology at Alliant International University, where she has taught and mentored students globally, including in Hong Kong, Turkey, England, Thailand, and South Africa. Dr. Ensari holds an MA and PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Southern California and an MA from Boğaziçi University. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Semsi.

Address

Manhattan Beach, CA

Website

https://givebutter.com/doublethespark

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