BBVA Momentum 2019: three Turkish companies changing the future for humanity

The three companies joining the international event from The Turkish BBVA Momentum 2019 program were chosen to participate in the next stage of the program because they had demonstrated the most growth potential and innovation. On March 3rd, representatives from these businesses will have the opportunity take to the stage in front of the most dynamic ecosystem in social entrepreneurship and present how they are working to address the challenges associated with gender inequality, disabilities, and technology education.

Es Kariyer

This venture is the first employment consulting firm in Turkey to specialize in working with people with disabilities. The initiative, spearheaded by entrepreneur Esra Odabasi, has created a niche in the labor market for a segment of the population that statistically suffers from high unemployment. “Our aim is to bridge the divide between candidates with disabilities and companies,” explains Odabas, who was recently recognized as the Best Turkish Woman Social Entrepreneur of the year at the 13th annual best Turkish Women Entrepreneur Competition, organized by Garanti BBVA in collaboration with the magazine, “Ekonomist” and the Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Turkey (KAGIDER).

Es Kariyer provides staff recruitment services, training, mentoring, and consulting primarily to local companies, although they also collaborate with international firms. “We interview our candidates one on one to find them suitable positions.” They also organize workshops and educational forums where they try to combat the existing prejudices this group of people face. “We can now share our knowledge about employment and people with disabilities, drawing attention to the corporate improvements that come with including this segment in the workforce.”

Puduhepa ve Kız Kardeşleri 

A doll can be so much more than toy, becoming a source of inspiration that teaches girls to look at the future from a different perspective. "We make handcrafted dolls to inspire girls as they grow, telling stories of real-life superwomen," explains Puduhepa’s co-founder, Renan Tavukcuoglu. "The book and inspiration kit that comes with the dolls strengthens little girls’ inner worlds.”

The Puduhepa educational project is complemented by an employment project that is changing the lives of at-risk women: "We hire women of all ages who benefit from this work as they contribute to our artisanal project.” The proceeds from the sale of the dolls are donated to TOÇEV, an NGO that supports education for girls and women.

Twin Science

The engaging and fun Twin Science robots are making learning about technology stimulating for children. The key to their success lies in the Twin Science Sets, electronic magnetic modules that can easily connect to each other and to other block-based toys, like LEGO. Students use these gadgets to create and program their own technological devices like robots and self-driving cars. "We believe that seeing something once is more effective than reading it thousands of times; hands-on experimentation is worth a thousand words,” the heads of the company say on their website. 

The Twin Science kits are sold in brick-and-mortar shops and on their online store, but they are also sent to underprivileged schools that don't have the economic resources to be able to buy them. Asude Altintas, co-founder of the initiative explains that the future of the company is defined in terms of growth: "Our short-term goal is to reach 250,000 students, 1,000 teachers, and 750 schools."

If you would like to attend the 2019 BBVA Momentum global event and get to know these companies and the rest of the BBVA Momentum 2019 finalists along with the most renowned experts in the social entrepreneurial ecosystem, click here.