TeknoDeha, an AI-powered educational technology startup, won first prize at the Greater Good Challenge İzmir, organized in cooperation with Yaşar University, the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board, coordinated by İzmir Commodity Exchange, and the BEBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation. Egebostan Cooperative placed second and Nexo third, while social impact-focused projects competed for a total prize pool of TRY 200,000.

The grand final of Greater Good Challenge İzmir, organized in cooperation with Yaşar University, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board, coordinated by İzmir Commodity Exchange, and the BEBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation, brought together young entrepreneurs, the business community, academia, and stakeholders from the social impact ecosystem at Yaşar University.

As part of the program, which aims to support young people developing innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges, finalist teams had the opportunity to present their projects to the jury following training and mentoring processes.

WINNERS RECEIVE THEIR AWARDS

Following the final presentations, the winning projects were selected based on the jury's evaluation.

First prize went to TeknoDeha, which developed an AI-powered educational technology solution that analyzes students' learning profiles to provide personalized learning experiences. The project, which aims to promote equal opportunities in education and individualized learning, received the grand prize of TRY 100,000.

Second prize was awarded to Egebostan Cooperative, which aims to empower şevketi bostan producers in Torbalı Çaybaşı through a cooperative model and connect local production with digital marketplaces and supermarket chains. The project, which stood out for its focus on local development and sustainable production, received a prize of TRY 60,000.

Third prize went to Nexo, an internal social life platform that aims to increase social interaction among employees by bringing together events, ride-sharing, a points system, and venue discovery. The project, designed to strengthen social connections in the workplace, received a prize of TRY 40,000.

In the competition, where a total prize pool of TRY 200,000 was distributed, the winning teams gained the opportunity to further develop their projects and take their ventures to the next stage.

A MAJOR GATHERING FOR SOCIAL IMPACT-DRIVEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN İZMİR

Held in İzmir for the first time, the Greater Good Challenge stood out as more than just an entrepreneurship competition. It served as a platform that strengthens young people's capacity to create social impact, brings participants from different disciplines together around a common purpose, and encourages the development of sustainable solutions.

Throughout the competition, participants received support in entrepreneurship, business model development, impact-driven thinking, and project presentation, while also having the opportunity to work with expert mentors. At the end of the program, finalist teams presented their projects to jury members, competing both for awards and for new opportunities to further develop their ventures.

FINALIST PROJECTS OFFERED INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SOCIAL CHALLENGES

The finalist projects were evaluated by a jury consisting of Deniz Celep, Chairperson of the Executive Board of the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board; Selin Yiğitbaşı Ducker, Founder and CEO of the GOODSTED Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration Platform; and Korhan Beba, General Manager of the BEBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation.

Representing the business, social impact, and entrepreneurship ecosystems, the jury members evaluated the projects in terms of social benefit, innovation, feasibility, sustainability, and growth potential. They also emphasized the importance of young entrepreneurs' solution-oriented approaches and the creative ideas they developed to address social challenges.

The seven finalist projects stood out with solutions developed across diverse fields, ranging from health technologies and education to artificial intelligence applications and sustainable agriculture.

EcoTech Women developed a smart waste management system that uses AI-powered Edge AI technology to sort waste at its source and analyze sustainability data.

Egebostan Cooperative presented a social enterprise model that aims to empower şevketi bostan producers in Torbalı Çaybaşı through a cooperative structure and connect local production with digital marketplaces and supermarket chains.

Haklarım Neler? stood out as an AI-powered digital legal platform operating with a verified database, designed to provide individuals with easy access to up-to-date information about their legal rights.

İzmir Halk Akademisi presented a social enterprise model that aims to make access to knowledge more inclusive through a volunteer-based structure that brings free education and learning opportunities together under one platform.

Nexo introduced an internal social life platform designed to increase social interaction among employees by combining events, ride-sharing, a points system, and venue discovery.

TeknoDeha stood out with its AI-powered educational technology solution that analyzes students' learning profiles and provides personalized learning experiences.

VibraGuard CareBridge developed a data-driven health and social resilience solution for elderly people, people with disabilities, and individuals living alone, detecting falls, inactivity, and emergencies and sending notifications to relatives and support networks.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DISCUSSED

The final program opened with speeches by Lecturer Kevser Çimenli, Manager of the Yaşar University Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Office; Prof. Dr. Yiğit Kazançoğlu, Vice Rector of Yaşar University; Korhan Beba, General Manager of the BEBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation; and Deniz Celep, Chairperson of the Executive Board of the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board.

One of the inspiring highlights of the event was an entrepreneurship talk featuring Prof. Dr. Ali Beba, Founder of the BEBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation. Moderated by Deniz Celep, Chairperson of the Executive Board of the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board, the discussion addressed the role of entrepreneurship in social transformation, the importance of supporting young people's innovative ideas, and the future of the impact-driven entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Following the discussion, Prof. Dr. Ali Beba signed copies of his book Sustuğun Yerden Başlamak, in which he explains his philosophy of “Learn, Earn, Give Back,” for participants.

MENTORS GUIDED YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

Mentors who contributed to the development of the finalist teams throughout the program were also honored with certificates of appreciation at the final event.

Barış Kaşka, Founding Attorney at Lexius Legal; Pırıl Akcan, Managing Attorney at Lexius Legal; Burcu Başaran, Sustainability Specialist and Communications Strategist at MBC Sustainability Consulting Services Ltd.; Füsun Demolder, Director at Arkas Holland BV; Meltem Kolday, Lecturer at Dokuz Eylül University; Pınar Rua Aksu, Vice President at Oracle; Prof. Dr. Seda Genç, Director of the School of Applied Management Sciences and Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at İzmir University of Economics and Co-Founder of Genç ve Naturel Gıda; and Yasemin Erkut, General Manager of LokumOps, participated in the program as mentors.

Sharing their knowledge and experience with young entrepreneurs, the mentors provided guidance on business model development, sustainability, law, technology, entrepreneurship, and impact management, making significant contributions to the development and maturation of the projects.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S IDEAS ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE

Greater Good Challenge İzmir demonstrated that young people can develop ventures that not only create economic value but also provide solutions to social and environmental challenges.

The program organizers emphasized that supporting young people in social impact-driven entrepreneurship is critically important for achieving sustainable development goals and stated that Greater Good Challenge İzmir will continue to grow and reach more young people in the coming years.

By giving visibility to ideas developed for a better society and planet, Greater Good Challenge İzmir once again demonstrated that young people can become active agents of social transformation through innovative solutions.