Her goal is to drive systemic change.
he Aydın Doğan Foundation invests in education, youth, gender equality, and social development to help build a more equitable society. As its newly appointed CEO, Senem Akyollu Başyurt RC 88 aims to strengthen this mission by positioning the Foundation as an ecosystem builder that brings together civil society, academia, business, and the public sector around shared solutions. For Başyurt, lasting impact requires moving beyond individual projects and pursuing systemic change through collaboration, patience, and evidence-based decision-making.
Over the course of her professional career, Başyurt became increasingly interested in applying her skills to social challenges. This led her to the NGO sector, where she found a meaningful intersection between strategy and purpose. “The best social impact work,” she says, “requires the discipline, strategic thinking, and accountability of the business world, combined with the mission-driven focus of civil society.”
For those interested in contributing to the social sector, Başyurt offers three pieces of advice: start before the perfect opportunity appears by volunteering, mentoring, or sharing professional expertise; approach communities with humility and curiosity, listening before proposing solutions; and commit for the long term, recognizing that meaningful social progress takes time.
As a boarding student, Başyurt experienced RC as a community that fostered independence, responsibility, empathy, and lifelong friendships. She sees a direct connection between those experiences and her later commitment to community-building and social impact.
