Young Guru Academy

Young Guru Academy (YGA) is an international non-profit established in 2000 in Turkey. The organization aims to raise the leaders of the future who combine compassion with innovation. Its volunteers develop international projects to help solve the problems their communities face. The innovations, alongside the climate of cooperation, that they create makes them role models.[1]

Young Guru Academy (YGA) Dream Partners Foundation
Founded2000
FounderSinan Yaman
FocusSocially responsible leadership
Location
Area served
Turkey & United States
Key people
Sinan Yaman (Chairman and Founder)
Asude Altıntaş (Co-President)
Sadık Ünlü (Co-President)
Websitewww.yga.org.tr

Innovations

Social and technological innovations that YGA volunteers have created include:

  • "My Dream Companion", an app that helps 200 thousand visually impaired people in their daily lives
  • The smartest cane for the visually impaired, WeWalk
  • Twin Science Kits, which popularize science among young students

Awards and Accolades
  • My Dream Companion, has received first place at GSMA awards twice, making it the first app to do so.[2]
  • 2 YGA graduates, were chosen by MIT Innovators Under 35 as “Leading Innovator of the Year”.
  • WeWalk has won the Gold prize in the Edison Awards 2018.[3]
  • My Dream Companion and WeWalk, have been presented at the United Nations to delegations of 150 countries.
  • YGA graduates have been chosen by Forbes magazine as "30 Under 30" innovators twice.[4]
  • YGA has been chosen as a “Great Place to Work” in 2016 and 2017. With a trust index of 100%, it was the only NGO to be chosen in Europe. YGA has also been chosen as a GPTW ambassador due to the high trust index.[5]

YGA Programs

Over 50 thousand university and high school students apply to YGA every year. After a 5-step process, 50 chosen students are admitted to the program. Scientists, innovators, and leaders such as Prof. Aziz Sancar, Ali Koç, Faruk Eczacıbaşı, Prof. Mehmet Toner, Prof. Kristi Raube, and Prof. Doğan Cüceloğu train these admitted volunteers. Over 5000 hours of volunteer work and education allows the knowledge to be implemented in their lives. YGA's global partners such as Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Brown, Technical University of Munich, Polytechnic of Turin, London Business School and UC Berkeley allows students from those institutions to join YGA volunteers in the field.

Finances

70% of financial resources of YGA are donated by over 50 international corporations, %20 is crowdfunded, and %10 is raised by startups by YGA graduates. In 2020, this number is planned to reach 50%.

Such startups and innovations include:

  • The largest Hydrosolar Plant in Turkey.[6]
  • The tourism app Piri which has provided audio tour guides for over 200 thousand uses and was the most popular Travel app in the marketplace.

Global Reach

YGA has offices in London, UK and Turin, Italy.

References
  1. https://hbrturkiye.com/dergi/ozgur-ozgun-bir-inovasyon-modeli
  2. http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/egitim/hayal-ortagima-onemli-odul-40059667
  3. http://www.edisonawards.com/winners2018.php
  4. https://www.forbes.com/profile/tyt-energy/#1f29eb0857d6
  5. https://www.greatplacetowork.com.tr/workplace/item/1802/YGA+%28Young+Guru+Academy%29
  6. https://www.haberturk.com/ekonomi/enerji/haber/1585287-turkiyede-ilk-yuzer-gunes-enerji-santrali-buyukcekmece-golu-uzerinde
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