HAKAN ÇEVİKOĞLU

Graduated from Bilkent and Gazi University and completed executive education in leadership and technology in the United States. He served as General Manager at ÜLKEM A.Ş., his family’s enterprise, where he led a strategic transformation. In 2012, he founded PttAVM, now one of Türkiye’s leading digital commerce platforms. Under his leadership, PttAVM offers end-to-end solutions from e-commerce and e-export to fulfillment, logistics, CCaaS, and IOSS-compliant infrastructure. He also launched ready2sale.com and turkishsouq.com, and established the “Türkiye National Pavilion” on leading Chinese platforms. As President of ETİD and a member of TOBB Türkiye E-Commerce Assembly, he drives the growth of Türkiye’s digital economy.

EVREN TAN

Evren Tan received his B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2005, and completed his M.Sc. in Engineering Management at İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE) in 2007. He currently works as a Senior Software Development Manager at sahibinden.com, where he leads teams focused on building scalable, reliable, and maintainable software architectures. Evren is also the co-founder and community lead of the Türkiye Java Community, actively contributing to the growth and collaboration within the national Java ecosystem. With a strong passion for Java, DevOps, software architecture, and software crafting, Evren is committed to fostering engineering excellence and mentoring the next generation of developers.

ÇAĞLA ÇIĞ KARAMAN

Çağla Çığ Karaman received her B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University in 2008 and her M.Sc. degree in Computer Science from Utrecht University's Game and Media Technology Master's programme in 2010. She conducted her master's thesis studies on realistic emotional gaze and head behavior generation for robots at MIRALab, Geneva. After returning back to Turkey, she joined Koç University's Intelligent User Interfaces Lab where she acquired her Ph.D. degree on gaze-based activity prediction and gaze-based behavioral biometrics. Currently, she is the AI Research Manager at sahibinden.com where she applies her expertise on machine learning, predictive analytics, and human-computer interaction to industry challenges related to e-commerce.

MEHMET YİĞİT

B.Sc. degree Computer Engineering in ODTU/METU . Worked in Telecommunication sector most . Spent 16 years in Turkcell starting from it’s first subscriber registration . Took various roles in Network planning & operation, Value Added Services , Strategy and Business development, M&A and International expansion and C-suite roles in Turkcell’s domestic/international subsidiaries . After Turkcell, established Hong Kong based startup in Telco business, lead its Turkey liaison Office . Worked in Public sector as an advisor to the Mayor in Antalya Metropolitan Municipality for Smart City, Smart Transportation projects

EDA YÜKSEL

Eda graduated from METU with BS (2006) and MS (2010) Degrees in Computer Engineer Department. She has been working in the tech industry for 15 years. After her career in Siemens and TUBITAK, she held the Chief Operating Officer position in VLMedia A.Ş for 5 years and she is now the Chief Research Officer in VLMedia from 2020. She is involved in several research projects on Machine Learning, Image Processing, Mobile UI/UX areas. Her research fields and expertise are Mobile Application Development and Product Design. She is a Tech & Trends follower, official Zumba instructor and mom of two.

TARIK ÖZGÜR USANMAZ

Tarık Özgür Usanmaz was born on December 3, 1972, in Ardahan, Turkey. He completed his primary, middle, and high school education in Kocaeli and graduated from the Computer Engineering Department of Middle East Technical University (METU) in 1995. After completing his university education, he began his professional career at a company that imported products from abroad and sold them within Turkey. In line with the experience he gained and his entrepreneurial vision, he founded UTEST Testing Equipment Inc. in 2004, which is now Turkey’s leading manufacturer and supplier of material testing equipment. UTEST produces testing equipment in a variety of fields such as soil, concrete, asphalt, aggregates, and steel, and exports its products to over 100 countries worldwide. The company holds a pioneering position in the industry thanks to its high-quality standards and innovative engineering solutions. Tarık Özgür Usanmaz currently continues to serve as the General Manager of the same company.

FATİH ACUN

Fatih Acun received his B.S. degree in 2019, and his M.S. degree in 2022 in computer engineering, from Middle East Technical University, Turkey. During his master’s degree, he worked on traffic prediction with deep learning methods. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in computer engineering at Boston University. His current research interests include sustainable and energy-efficient power management for data centers.

ŞEYMA ALAN

Şeyma Alan received her B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from METU in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she co-founded ConFarm, a smart agriculture startup, where she led cross-functional teams. Her innovative work at ConFarm earned her the “Women Leaders of Technology” award in 2022 from Microsoft. She has since worked on large language models (LLM), real-time data systems, and cloud solutions. Şeyma is currently an AI Engineer at Recruspace. In addition to her technical pursuits, she is an active member of the METU Book Club and a passionate reader.

İBRAHİM ARDIÇ

İbrahim Ardıç completed his BS in both Computer, Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Eskişehir Osmangazi University. He completed his M.Sc. in Electrical-Electronics Engineering in 2015 at Hacettepe University with thesis about designing and development of model based software design and development environment. He started working in Turkish Aerospace in 2007. He is now Software Engineering Manager of Turkish Aerospace Industries.

ONUR YİĞİT ARPALI

Onur Yiğit Arpalı received his B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from METU, 2018. He worked as a graduate research and teaching assistant at METU, focusing on cyber-physical systems and reinforcement learning. He previously worked at the Central Bank of Turkey, developing end-to-end near real-time data warehouse solutions and machine learning pipelines. Currently, he is at Picus Security, specializing in cybersecurity validation platforms and continuous threat exposure management.

ALİ SAMET AYIK

Ali Samet Ayık received his B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from Gazi University. He began his professional career in Ankara, contributing to software and system development projects across various industries. After gaining early experience at companies such as Polar Mühendislik and Garantili Arabam, he joined Accelerate.A in 2022, where he currently works as a Full Stack Developer and System Administrator. His work focuses on GUI development, parallel computing, and high-performance software solutions, particularly in scientific and engineering domains. With a strong foundation in technologies like React, .NET Core, Python, and MPI, Ali Samet’s recent interests include combining scientific computing with modern full-stack development to build efficient, scalable systems.

GÜNEŞ ÇEPİÇ

Güneş Çepiç received her B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey, in February 2021. She is currently pursuing her M.Sc. in the same department, focusing on machine learning and applied data science. From 2021 to 2024, she worked as a Machine Learning Engineer at TOGG (Turkey’s Automobile Joint Venture Group), where she developed AI-powered solutions for intelligent mobility and automotive systems. In 2024, she joined EPAM Systems as a Senior Data Scientist. EPAM is a global leader in digital engineering and consulting, delivering AI-driven platforms and enterprise solutions to clients worldwide. At EPAM, Güneş works on designing robust data pipelines and deploying machine learning models that support large-scale, real-world applications.

BERKAN DEMİREL

Berkan Demirel is a researcher in artificial intelligence with a background in computer engineering from METU (PhD) and Hacettepe University (MSc, BSc). His work focuses on data-efficient deep learning, vision-language integration, and large language models. He has contributed to various AI-driven systems in defense and telecommunications, and currently works as an AI Architect at TURKSAT. Previously, he held engineering and leadership roles at HAVELSAN, working on projects involving object detection, image retrieval, hyperspectral analysis, and fingerprint recognition. His research has been published in top-tier venues such as CVPR, ICCV, BMVC, ICIP, and COLING, with selected works receiving spotlight and oral presentations. He is also a co-translator of the Turkish edition of Deep Learning by Goodfellow et al., and holds several AI-related patent applications. He regularly serves as a reviewer for major conferences including CVPR, ECCV, and ICPR.

FATİH DEMİRTAŞ

I am the founder and general manager of Raventech and a Senior Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence Engineer. I have extensive experience in developing CV and AI algorithms, particularly for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). My main areas of interest include Motion Detection, Photogrammetry, GPS-Independent Visual Navigation, Deepfake Algorithms, and Image Steganography & Cryptography. My academic research is primarily focused on GPS-independent visual navigation for UAVs.

Ömer Orkun Düztaş

Ranking in the top 100 students in Turkey, I studied Computer Engineering at Middle East Technical University. Founding a company after graduation has always been a strong idea during my education. Computer Vision was my favorite topic in my studies, which I think originated from my interest in photography. My thesis project was also on this topic. I had a pretty early start in entrepreneurship right after graduation. Industry 4.0, which had not even been named yet, was a reality before our eyes, so we decided if we could make cameras that could do inspections, we could have a place in the market. We started with industrial image processing solutions and sold them to other startups, we produced cameras that perform quality control and guide machines and robots. Working in different sectors on camera-based computer vision solutions gave us immense know-how and provided us with a unique perspective we wouldn’t have otherwise. When we pivoted to the automotive sector and autonomous vehicles in 2020, that background proved to be useful. I had been obsessed with the fact that the solutions on vehicle perception were inadequate and simply wrong since 2016, I was basically telling this to everyone who would listen. I believe technology should evolve in line with nature, not just humans but animals as well. Nature has been finding the best solutions for thousands of years, and following it is the ultimate solution. Working in this field for over a decade, I am an expert in image processing and computer vision. I have been the software leader in the company since day one and continue using and developing my technical knowledge every day. Being a technical leader and an executive at the same time was difficult when the team was small but having technological knowledge was definitely an advantage in that it gave me a realistic view of our plans.

MERVE GÖKNUR ERCAN

I’ve graduated from METU in 2019. I have 7 years of industry experience. I have worked at Sahibinden as Software Engineer for 3 years. I’m currently working in Raventech as technical project manager. My areas of expertise includes full stack development, SEO and project management.

HALE GEZGEN

She holds a Master's degree in Control and Computer Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, with nearly three decades of diverse experience in information technologies, R&D projects, and consultancy. Over the course of her career, actively contributed to numerous projects, more over 26 years of hands-on experience in project management. Currently serving as an IT R&D PMO Leader, also played pivotal roles in coordinating and partnering on various EUREKA, Horizon, and TUBITAK research initiatives. Her expertise spans across Database Management, B2C Solutions, Computer Graphics, Analytics, ERP and Integrated Systems, Business Processes, Workflows, IDM, and related middleware technologies. Also bring a wealth of knowledge in software project management, software quality, and methodologies such as PMI, SPICE, and CMMI, ensuring the successful execution of projects and delivery of high-quality solutions.

BURAK GÖYNÜK

Burak Göynük received both his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from METU Computer Engineering. He studied Information Retrieval, and Search Result Diversification in his thesis work. He started his career as a software engineer in Arcelik R&D center and joined Udemy then. During his career there about 7 years, he worked for the payments engineering team in different roles from software engineer, to senior engineering manager. For almost ~3 year, he is working at Toolio, a New York based startup focused on retail merchandise planning solutions. He is working there as engineering manager on platform team.

Yavuz Gürcan

Yavuz is an experienced Identity and Access Management (IAM) professional with a background in Computer Engineering, having graduated with High Honors in 2005 from the Middle East Technical University. He began his career at leading companies like Siemens and Garanti Teknoloji, specializing in Application Security and IAM solutions. In 2017, he transitioned to international consulting with Omada, before co-founding praktiga. As an IAM/IGA Solution Architect, Yavuz works with clients in BeNeLux and Germany, contributing expertise to enhance digital security.

Alpay Karagöz

After graduating from Antalya Anatolian High School in 1995, he got BSc degree from METU Computer Engineering in 1999 and completed his MSc studies at METU Information Systems Department in 2001 and completed his Ph.D. degree in the same department in 2008. Following his position as a Research Assistant in METU for 2 years, he worked as a partner in the Bilgi Grubu for 8 years as a process improvement consultant/trainer/software engineer. Between 2010 and 2014 he served as the manager of R&D, Quality and Test Group at Innova. Alpay Karagöz cofounded Proven Information Technologies in 2014. He has been offering classes at METU SM and CENG graduate programs since 2004. In 2018 he cofounded a payment services company (PayBULL) and exited successfully after 2 years. Currently he is interested in AI and Blockchain technologies.

SALİH KARAGÖZ

Salih Karagoz received his B.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering from Istanbul Technical University(ITU), Istanbul, Turkey in 2016. After graduation, he did academic studies at METU. He worked in the field of computer vision in different companies. He currently provides consultancy in the field of computer vision in his own company.

ALPER KARAMANLIOĞLU

Alper Karamanlıoğlu is an AI architect at TÜRKSAT, where he leads initiatives involving Large Language Models, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, and privacy-aware decision support systems. He holds MSc and PhD degrees (ongoing) in Computer Engineering from METU, with research focused on data-efficient NLP, ontology-based reasoning, and federated learning. He previously served as the AI Applications Team Lead at HAVELSAN, contributing to the development of MAIN project and deploying multilingual open source intelligence systems for defense and public sector applications. His background also includes designing scalable big data pipelines and implementing NLP solutions in both Turkish and English. Alper has authored over 15 academic publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers. His work combines symbolic AI, deep learning, and real-time data integration to address complex problems in defense, healthcare, and public services.

BARAN BARIŞ KIVILCIM

Baran Barış Kivilcim is a computer engineer and tech entrepreneur with extensive experience in AI-based application development. As the co-founder of Vision Labs, he led the development of popular mobile apps such as FaceToon, FaceCast, Shutter AI, and Rizz AI, focusing on computer vision and automation technologies. He received both his B.Sc. (2016) and M.Sc. (2019) degrees from the Department of Computer Engineering at METU. His work spans deep learning, image processing, and brain-computer interfaces, and he has several academic publications in these areas.

ŞEVKİ KOCADAĞ

Şevki Kocadağ is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vignetim, a mobility technology startup providing digital vignette, toll, eSIM, and insurance services across Europe. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU). Since 2011, he has gained multidisciplinary experience as a software engineer at leading organizations including Juniper Networks, Ulak Haberlesme, Havelsan, and Turkish Aerospace. With a strong focus on entrepreneurship and product development, he specializes in designing and scaling digital mobility platforms that enhance travel efficiency and convenience.

GÜVEN KÖSE

Born in Artvin in 1975, Köse received his Bachelor's degree from the Department of Computer Systems at Gazi University in 1996. He subsequently completed his Master's degree in Computer Engineering at Başkent University and earned his Ph.D. in Information Management from Hacettepe University. Köse served as an academic at Başkent and Hacettepe Universities for approximately 13 years. Since 2013, he has been serving as the General Manager of Mantis Software, a company he founded. He has published works in the fields of Computer Engineering and Information Management, and he continues to conduct active research in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, Natural Language Processing, and Information Retrieval.

NUR ÖZTİN KURAK

Nur Öztin Kurak is a highly accomplished executive in the international payments systems with over two decades of experience. She’s passionate about enabling technology to innovate products and services for consumers and businesses. Transitioning into academia in Wilfrid Laurier University, Nur now shares her knowledge on IT and entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the intersection of innovation and technology to the next generation of leaders. As a consultant, Nur served as a trusted subject matter expert in payments, innovation, and strategic planning. Currently, Nur is actively involved with the Open Finance Network of Canada (OFNC), where she contributes her expertise to shape the future of financial services in Canada.

ÜLKÜ METERİZ YILDIRAN

Ülkü Meteriz Yıldıran received her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida and her B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University. Her research interests include applied machine learning on security and privacy of wearable devices and virtual/augmented environments. She is currently a Senior Research Scientist at Meta, where she drives performance improvements for the ad ranking system using feature engineering and state-of-the-art techniques.

Oral Okan

Oral Okan received his B.Eng. degree from Bilkent University Industrial Engineering Department in 2012. He worked at Airbus Group prior to entering METU Informatics Institute's Cybersecurity Department, where he was awarded his M.S. degree (2018) and worked as a Research Assistant. He became the co-founder (2019) and CEO (2022) of a data analytics startup where he led the development of a B2G data analytics solution that is currently in use in several countries. He currently provides consultancy services to numerous companies, including software development, AI and data-analytics topics; in addition to continue his work as a hands-on developer on various projects.

MUSTAFA RAŞİT ÖZDEMİR

Mustafa Raşit Özdemir graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2018, followed by a Master’s degree in 2021. Since 2018, he has been working at Turkish Aerospace, where he has served as a Chief Engineer for the past three years. In this role, he has conducted software development efforts for engine startup and first flight operations of the KAAN fighter jet. Currently, he is leading the software development of critical systems that are among the key features enabling KAAN to achieve fifth-generation fighter capabilities, including data fusion, pilot decision support, and rapid weapon integration, in preparation for the aircraft’s initial deliveries. He is also a PhD candidate under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Şeyda Ertekin, focusing on classical AI applications in aviation.

EMRAH ŞAMDAN

Emrah Samdan is a seasoned product leader with a strong background in observability, cloud infrastructure, and developer tools. He currently serves as a Senior Product Manager at Edge Delta, where he drives innovation in telemetry pipelines and monitoring systems. Emrah is recognized as an AWS Serverless Hero for his contributions to the cloud-native community and frequently speaks at international conferences such as AWS re:Invent, DevOpsDays, and ServerlessDays. Prior to Edge Delta, he co-founded Ampt, a serverless platform aimed at simplifying cloud development for JavaScript developers. Emrah holds both an MSc in Computer Engineering and an MBA, combining deep technical expertise with strategic product vision.

HÜSEYİN SAYIN

32 years of professional experience, of which about 18 years as an entrepreneur of digital transformation and information systems, procurement, logistics, project management and information system activities. 10 years spent as R&D projects and Serious Games Simulation Modeling and Scientific Decision Support in military, 7 Years spent as technology expert where took place at value assessment, value engagement, implementation, business development, growth and success of CBT (Computer Based Training Systems), VMT (Virtual Maintenance Training Systems), PLM (Product Lifecycle management which consists of Process Management, Project Management, Program Management, Change Management, Data Management, Requirements Management), Additive Manufacturing, AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), and Modelling and Simulation at enterprises and SMEs, CBT (Computer Based Training Systems), VMT (Virtual Maintenance Training Systems), Last 4 years spent as a Senior Product Manager and Marine Platforms Product Leader. 16 years of part time instructor of which about computer programing languages and training with serious games simulation.

SERTUNÇ SELEN

Senior Software Infrastructure Development Specialist with over a decade of experience in designing and building secure, scalable web and mobile applications. Currently leading the development of national identity authentication and e-signature systems at the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, including EKDS and Population Kiosks. Skilled in C#, .NET Core, React.js, PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, Docker, and microservices architecture. Passionate about delivering innovative digital identity solutions that enhance security, efficiency, and user experience.

GÜVEN ORKUN TANIK

Güven Orkun Tanık graduated from METU Computer Engineering in 2006, Electrics and Electronics Engineering in 2007. He completed his M.Sc. in computer engineering in 2010, and left his Ph.D. in METU in 2023. He started working in Havelsan in 2007. He transferred to Arçelik in 2012 and led Machine Learning and Data Analytics efforts until 2019. He founded Artificial Intelligence and Big Data department of TAI. He worked as AI and Avonics Software Director at Simsoft. He is currently the Head of Digital Transformation at Güriş Holding.

CAN ÜNALDI

I am a backend engineer at Udemy, where I specialize in backend systems, microservices, and LLMOps. I hold a BS (2019) and an MS (2022) in Computer Engineering, and spent four years as a research assistant. Currently, I am also pursuing my PhD in Computer Engineering. At Udemy, I’ve further deepened my expertise in building scalable backend architectures and working with advanced MLOps and LLMOps technologies.

GÖKÇE YILDIRIM KALKAN

Dr. Gökçe YILDIRIM KALKAN earned her B.S. from the Department of Computer Engineering at Middle East Technical University in 2002, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. As Simsoft’s co-founder and CEO, she led the company to excel in simulators, games, and visual technologies. Winner of the “Fastest Export Increasing Woman Entrepreneur Company” award, she also contributes to companies such as Bilten, SmartICT, Limatek Sistem, Medygon, Simovate, and Simofun, driving R&D-based innovation. Selected for EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women 2021 and the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) 2023, she is a proud advocate in the global network of women entrepreneurs. Her impact extends through non-profits and chambers, where she addresses sector challenges.

HALDUN YILDIZ

Haldun Yıldız received his BSc in Computer Engineering from METU. He worked at Accenture on multiple international projects before joining Parabol Yazılım in 2017. He is currently a Partner and Director of Engineering at Parabol, where he leads the development of intelligent transportation systems, traffic safety analytics, and GIS-based mobility platforms. His expertise includes full-stack development, big data processing, and AI-powered decision support systems used by cities and public agencies.

NECİP FAZIL YILDIRAN

Necip Fazıl Yıldıran received his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida, and his B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Middle East Technical University. His research interests include static analysis of highly-configurable software and applied machine learning on security of wearable devices. He is currently a Software Engineer at Google, working on wearable device security, and previously worked on dynamic analysis tools.