She is a social impact enthusiast with over 12 years of experience at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, civil society, and international development. She is working on how social enterprises can use participatory and dialogic communication methods to drive social change.
As Chief Impact Officer at Toyi, she leads key strategic functions including Social Impact, Global Communications, Community Engagement, and Sustainability. In this role, she developed and led progress against Toyi’s 3 impact areas including the sustainable and playful planet, equal play opportunities for child’s right to play, and participatory business.
Prior to Toyi, Gizem held a variety of roles over 8 years at YADA Foundation and Active Living Associationincluding leading project design, implementation, and monitoring processes with a deep focus on the sustainable city, active living programs, civil society journalism, and impact communication. In 2017 Gizem joined the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work which is OXFAM’s affiliate member in Turkey she led the foundation’s communication, public engagement, and advocacy strategies while working with the 70+ women cooperatives to drive a more impactful grassroots movement.
She has consulted with and served on the boards of a variety of nonprofit organizations, including as an advisory board member for HundrED, and co-founder of International Play Association Turkey Branch, Women Cycling Initiative, and While İstanbul Reads. She has mentored social enterprises in accelerator programs and helped them develop impact communication strategies. She holds a BA in International Relations from Hacettepe University and is studying for a master’s degree in Non-profit Management at Bilgi University, Turkey.
