THETEAM
The team behind Istanbul Ignited by Slush'D. A group of builders, operators and dreamers putting together the biggest startup event in Türkiye, one edition at a time.
Şan Yalman
Founder & CEO
Melisa Çağlar
Co-Founder & President
Yağız Özkes
Head of Investor Relations
İpek Çeliksöz
Head of Partnerships
Nevena Vujovic
Head of Marketing
Ceyda Sabancı Dinçer
Head of Program Curation
Stijn Verhagen
CTO
Selin Kosova
Startup Experience Lead
Kaan Taskent
Head of AI Experience
Deniz Akyürek
LP Relations Lead
Damla Özdemir
Event Operations Lead
Anastasiia Shabliienko
Startup Operations Lead
Yasemin Sezer
Global VC Partnerships Lead
Tanzila Sharifli
PR & Media Lead
Cecilie Auersperg
Editorial Lead
Meryem Balcı
University Ambassador
Nicole Mano
Graphic Designer
Kağan Korkmaz
Volunteer Co-Lead
Selim Emirhan Önder
Startup Associate
Aziz Berkan Hoşgül
Startup Associate
Mark Adato
Co-Founder & Alumni
Kaan Soysal
Alumni
WHO'S BUILDING THIS
WE LEARNED IT IN HELSINKI
WE BUILT IT HERE
ISTANBUL ignited by Slush’D carries the Slush heritage and is run by a young generation of founders, investors, operators, and people who live and breathe venture and tech — backed by volunteers drawn from the local ecosystem, students, and first-time builders finding their way in.
Our story started in Helsinki. The core team has been showing up at Slush since 2022 — in different roles, on different missions — until we earned the mandate to bring it home. We ran the first Istanbul edition in 2025. Now we're back with a bigger team and a sharper obsession.
We answer our own emails. We read every application. We obsess over who you sit next to at lunch. That's the entire job.
If something needs to be better, tell us at info@istanbulignitedbyslushd.com.
WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE
WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS
The 80+ volunteers from these institutions ran the floors, registration desks, side events, and after-parties. Thank you.
80+ People Making It Happen
VOLUNTEER AT THE EVENT
Be part of the floor, the side events, the after-parties.
80+ volunteers ran the 2025 edition. Apply to join the 2026 crew — floors, registration, side events, after-parties.