Garanti BBVA hosts a new edition of Türkiye’s Women Entrepreneurs Awards
The winners of the 18th Türkiye’s Women Entrepreneurs Competition, organized by Garanti BBVA alongside Ekonomist magazine and the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye (KAGİDER), have just been announced at an award ceremony held on February 27.
Photo cover: Garanti BBVA CEO Mahmut Akten and Özlem Kahramaner, Türkiye's female entrepreneur of the year.
The grand prize, Türkiye’s Top Woman Entrepreneur, went to Özlem Kahramaner, founder of Arksigner. Other category winners included Tuba Toprakçı Yılmaz (Sustainable Impact in Local Communities), for her Gaia Oliva olive oil business, Ayşe Aslı Başak (Promising Woman Entrepreneur in Technology) with her Shipsider Denizcilik maritime shipping solution, and Alev Ertem & Cansu Ertem Paoletti (Women Social Impact Entrepreneur) with Studio Potato. Meanwhile, Aynur Çeşmeliler scooped the Women Cooperative award for setting up the Trakyam Producing Women Cooperative.
During the ceremony, Garanti BBVA General Manager Mahmut Akten stressed the importance of women getting involved in all sectors, including digitization, AI, and innovation. He remarked that the competition, which started with 103 applications back in 2007, has now reached 48,000 women entrepreneurs and fosters an inspiring ecosystem. Akten underscored Garanti BBVA’s firm commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs and noted that their efforts are recognized globally across the entire BBVA Group.
KAGİDER President Esra Bezircioğlu praised the long-standing collaboration with Garanti BBVA and Ekonomist magazine, stating that 48,000 women have shared their entrepreneurial stories through this competition. She stressed that entrepreneurship is not just about profitability but also about vision, courage, and creating an impact. She said that past winners had gone on to achieve global success and doubled down on KAGİDER’s dedication to fostering gender equality and making women more visible in business.
Meanwhile, Ekonomist Editor-in-Chief Talip Yılmaz acknowledged the importance of female participation in business and said that the competition has grown from a single category to five, reflecting the evolving entrepreneurial landscape. He celebrated the increasing presence of women in technology, AI, circular economy, and global expansion, congratulating all participants for their achievements.
Ekonomist magazine Editor-in-Chief Talip Yılmaz, Esra Bezircioğlu, Chairwoman of KAGİDER and Garanti BBVA country manager Mahmut Akten.
About the winners
- Özlem Kahramaner (Arksigner) – Türkiye’s Top Woman Entrepreneur: Founder of a company specializing in digital security, remote customer acquisition, and e-signature solutions, Kahramaner experienced international growth and provided jobs in cybersecurity for some 2,500 young women in 2024.
- Tuba Toprakçı Yılmaz (Gaia Oliva) - Sustainable Impact in Local Communities: Leading a sustainable olive oil production venture, she ranks among the world’s top producers and aims to establish educational facilities for olive oil production and innovation.
- Ayşe Aslı Başak (Shipsider Denizcilik) – Promising Woman Entrepreneur in Technology: A former ship captain, she developed an AI-powered SaaS platform to optimize maritime freight operations and aims to expand globally.
- Alev Ertem & Cansu Ertem Paoletti (Studio Potato) – Women Social Impact Entrepreneur: Founders of a sustainable textile brand that employs female artisans and integrates traditional weaving with modern design, they plan to expand their workforce and product range.
- Aynur Çeşmeliler (Trakyam Üreten Kadın Kooperatifi) – Women Cooperative Award: Head of a cooperative that transforms regional agricultural products into value-added goods, supports 320 female suppliers, and champions organic farming initiatives.