- Ayla Göksel is fired up about social change, and she does not want to be calm about it. Her work with leading foundations and civil society organizations has led her to believe that passionately caring and acting to confront social injustice is somet
Ayla Göksel
CEO of Özyeğin Social Investments
Ayla Göksel is the CEO of Özyeğin Social Investments, presiding over AÇEV (Mother and Child Education Foundation), Hüsnü M. Özyeğin Foundation and Iz Child Development Centers. AÇEV is a Turkish NGO working on early childhood, female literacy and parent training. Hüsnü M. Özyeğin Foundation is a private foundation that has provided financial aid for over 12,000 students; constructed and donated 65 schools, dormitories and social facilities; undertaken cultural restoration projects and founded Ozyegin University. Ayla is also a trustee of Özyeğin University and serves on the boards of the Education Reform Initiative and Tohum Foundation for Autism. She was selected a “Young Global Leader” and a “Senior Fellow” by the World Economic Forum and Synergos Institute in 2008 and in 2009, respectively. Ayla obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Politics from the University of Bath and received her Master's Degree in Development Economics from the London School of Economics. She has completed research and fellowships at the John Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies and the Hauser Center of Harvard University.