Berivan Mine Uçar Ferhanoğlu
Berivan encountered water scarcity and severe air pollution, which made it impossible to go outside, in her hometown in Ankara when she was still a child. It was during that time that sustainability issues found a place in Berivan’s mind. As she grew older, Berivan began generating projects to tackle the complex problems faced by society and the world. She participated in collaborative projects aimed at bringing educational opportunities to disadvantaged rural areas, preventing child labor, promoting vocational training, compost systems and establishing sustainability infrastructure in institutions. She was involved in the founding of non-governmental organizations to create awareness in the field of sustainability and established a social venture called “Meaningful Works” in order to support young leaders working for a sustainable world. Additionally, she teaches courses on change management, sustainability, and leadership development in master’s programs at universities.
Currently, she works in the corporate world in the education sector with the motivation to contribute to the development of future generations’ capacity to address and tackle the complex problems the world is facing and will face. She actively utilizes participatory methods she learned during MSLS, Master of Strategic Planning towards Sustainability program in Sweden, in her engagement with NGO’s, social entrepreneurship, and the business world. Berivan is also an internationally certified yoga instructor and continues her journey of self-discovery through practices such as meditation, gestalt psychology, and somatic experiencing.
In 2013, Berivan encountered the Art of Hosting in Sweden and strongly believes in the power of sharing and co-creation. She is both excited and happy to host this valuable international platform in Istanbul through an outstanding international team.