Entrepreneurship

​​As well as financial cooperation exclusive to entrepreneurs, we hold meetings together with Endeavor to offer support to entrepreneurs. The “Good Enterprise summit”, the first of which was held in 2011, brings together representatives from the private sector, risk capital and investment companies, prestigious speakers comprising business leaders and academicians, and entrepreneurs with high growth potential. Conferences, talks or workshops are held on topics like leadership, management and entrepreneur finance. At the “Good Investment Summit,” the “Angel Investment” model is explained, whereby entrepreneurs are given not only capital support but know-how and experience, mentoring and networking support.​

Good Enterprise Cities

We initiated the Good Enterprise Cities project in 2016 in Ankara and Izmir with the aim of increasing the scope of our Istanbul-based entrepreneurship initiatives that we carry out in collaboration with Endeavor, to cities beyond Istanbul. Our goal is to reach high-impact entrepreneurs in these cities as well, to support them and to create role models, and to contribute to the development of city and region-based entrepreneurial ecosystems. Within the scope of these initiatives we get together with our entrepreneurship partners in Ankara and Izmir at round table meetings at certain intervals throughout the year, and with our mentor panels we bring local high-impact entrepreneurs together with Endeavor mentors. Our long term goal is to bring together entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem members through inspiring events and meetings, and to carry out joint projects between organizations.​​

In the CaseCampus Case Studies Program, the stories of Turkish entrepreneurs who have achieved significant success in the Entrepreneurial ecosystem are shared with the young candidates, including the processes, difficulties, achievements and struggles they have experienced to date. Using a method that encourages experiential learning, all the stories of entrepreneurs are presented with written and video case studies, live forum debates on an online platform and conferences hosted in Istanbul. Pragram content is managed by leading entrepreneurship instructors from Atilim, Bahçesehir, Bilkent, Bogaziçi, Dokuz Eylül, ITÜ, Izmir Economy, Koç, METU and Özyegin universities. At the end of the program, a select number of graduates who want to bring their business ideas to life are given the chance to acquire support from MentorCampus and Endeavor Turkey Mentor, and to submit a prioritized internship application to VC and angel investment networks, start-ups and incubation centres within TalentCampus and Endeavor Turkey networks, as well as Akbank.​​​

​​The Akbank Entrepreneur Development program – or, as we like to call it, “a 5-day mini MBA program for SME” – takes entrepreneurs through a comprehensive 5-day training program. Participants receive training across a broad spectrum of subjects, from financial calculations during a company’s growth period to formulating marketing and operational plans for different business models, and also get the opportunity at seminars to learn about topics like meeting financing requirements, and growth within domestic and foreign markets. Within the scope of this Program, leading academicians and experts provide training on marketing, innovation, finance, law, operations, leadership, human resources and public support, while participants also get the opportunity to listen to and meet successful entrepreneurs who join the program as guest speakers.​