Founder & CEO of A2SV, a Google-backed nonprofit transforming Africa's tech ecosystem. 8+ years at Google · Palantir · Liftoff. On a mission to bridge talent and opportunity.
I grew up in Ankara, Turkey, earned a B.S. & M.S. in Computer Engineering from Bilkent University, and competed at the International Olympiad in Informatics before spending 8+ years building production systems at Palantir, Google, and Liftoff.
But a promise I made to myself in my master's thesis, dedicating it to the children of Africa, never faded. In 2019, I flew to Addis Ababa with one idea: Africa's engineers can compete with anyone in the world. They just needed the right structure.
That idea became A2SV. Today, 1,200+ engineers from 22 African countries have gone through our program. Students who had never heard of Google are now at Google. That never gets old.
From academic research to Silicon Valley to building Africa's tech future.
A2SV is a Google-backed nonprofit I founded in 2019. I started with 22 students in Addis Ababa. I watched them earn Google interviews. I watched them pass. The talent was always there.
We run a rigorous 1,000+ hour annual curriculum: data structures, algorithms, system design, soft skills, completely free for every student. Then we connect them to the world's top companies.
Our program now spans 22 African countries. Our incubator launched 20+ digital products tackling healthcare, education, and financial inclusion. Our hackathon is the largest student tech competition in Africa.
Featured in: Financial Times · Yahoo Finance · Business Insider Africa
Digital solutions built by A2SV engineers, tackling Africa's most pressing challenges in healthcare, education, finance, and AI access.
Born in Ankara, heart red and yellow. Football and code have been with me equally long.
You'll find me with a guitar in hand, on a hiking trail, watching Galatasaray dominate, or deep in a book on psychology, leadership, or strategy. I believe the best engineers are also curious humans, and I try to embody that.
Interested in partnering with A2SV, hiring African talent through Eskalate, or just want to say hello? I'd love to hear from you.
