Parents & Young Founders: A Shared Entrepreneurship Journey

Overview

Behind every young entrepreneur is a family learning to keep up. This programme, running across Istanbul, Selçuk and Izmir during the week leading up to Easter (21–27 March 2027), brings parents and their young founders under 18 into the same journey at the same time.

While your child sharpens their entrepreneurial mindset alongside peers, you take part in a parallel track designed for parents. The two strands run side by side, then come together for shared experiences, so you build a common language rather than watching from the sidelines.

The week also weaves in the culture and Christian heritage of the region, fitting for the Easter season. In Istanbul you will see where continents and faiths meet, and in Selçuk, in the region of ancient Ephesus, you will connect with a place of deep early-Christian history.

Modelled on our global youth entrepreneurship and leadership work, the week blends non-formal learning with real contact with Turkey's innovation ecosystem. Young founders take part alongside their parent or guardian throughout.

What you will do

• Join parent-only workshops on supporting a young founder without taking over
• Watch your child work through hands-on challenges in their own age-appropriate cohort
• Meet local founders and mentors to understand what the entrepreneurial path really asks of a family
• Visit incubators and techno parks in both Istanbul and Izmir
• Take part in joint parent–child sessions where ideas are pitched, tested and refined together
• Explore Istanbul's landmarks, including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and the Church of Saint Paul
• Cross from Europe to Asia by public ferry, experiencing a journey between continents as part of everyday life
• Connect with the early Christian heritage of Selçuk and ancient Ephesus, fitting for the Easter season
• Share meals, city experiences and reflection time as a wider group

What you leave with

• A broader vision of what your child's ambitions could become
• Practical tools to mentor, fund wisely and set healthy boundaries
• A stronger, more honest working relationship with your young entrepreneur
• A network of like-minded families and local mentors
• A recognised certificate of completion

Come as a parent. Leave as a partner in your child's ideas.