New York, July 12, 2019 — Turkish Philanthropy Funds is pleased to announce that Zeynep Oğuz Bilimer, Barbaros Karahmet and Osman Kurtuluş have been elected to serve as members of the Board of Directors as of July 1, 2019.
Zeynep Oğuz Bilimer is a notable creative director and a philanthropist. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia and her master’s degree at the Pratt Institute, she worked with legendary designers Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar – creators of iconic brand logos like Chase Bank and Mobil. Soon after she founded her own boutique branding and communications design agency, ZEO. Her work with ZEO has been covered globally by major media outlets. For more than three decades, Zeynep and her family are committed to equal educational opportunities in Turkey and have been supporting Turkish contemporary art.
In Zeynep, we gain an extraordinary innovative person and a voice for children whose educational rights are challenged. Her perspectives on art, philanthropy and communication will be critical as TPF carries out its vision of addressing inequality in all its forms.
“I’ve been so impressed by TPF’s mission and commitment to assist like minded Turkish-Americans in their charitable giving and make their philanthropic goals a reality. I am very excited to join the Board and to help advance this amazing mission and increase its impact,” said Zeynep on her appointment to TPF’s Board of Directors.
The board additionally welcomes Barbaros Karaahmet, the co-chair of the Herrick Feinstein’s Turkish Practice Group. Barbaros works closely with Herrick’s Real Estate Department, one of the largest in the New York City area and has extensive experience managing Turkey’s largest real estate development projects and international trade matters. His experience includes cross-border transactions for multinational and Turkish clients in a wide range of sectors including banking, real estate, finance, luxury goods, fashion, healthcare, food and beverage, hospitality, media and e-commerce. Barbaros received his law degree from Istanbul Law School and his LLM from New York University School of Law. He also completed University’s executive education program on advanced real estate finance and management.
Barbaros brings his legal acumen and skills to the board, as the foundation works to grow its impact in the areas it serves.
Barbaros Karaahmet, has been an active Turkish-American in the non-profit world for many years, “I always thought that as Turks we were lagging behind in philanthropy compared to other diaspora groups in New York. I strongly believe that TPF is the right organization to fill that void and I am proud to be part of it.”
The board also welcomes Osman Coskun Kurtuluş, Chief Financial Officer of the Museum of the City of New York. Osman is a prominent financial leader in NYC. He has spent his career working as a Finance Executive in different capacities at distinguished organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Teach for America (TFA), Fortune Society and Turnaround for Children. Osman holds a bachelors of science in Economics from the University of Istanbul and an MBA in Finance from St. John’s University.
Osman’s deep financial skills and decades of experience with non-profit organizations will bring new senior expertise to the management of TPF’s financial strategy.
Osman expressed his excitement on his appointment as a new board member saying, “one of the greatest satisfactions in life is being able to give back. Social enterprises as non-government funded organizations are relatively a new concept to the rest of the world but it is the backbone of United States charitable giving. I am so proud to be part of TPF, from it’s founders to donors and the staff, chance to contribute to the work they do and advancing TPF’s vision and the cause.”
“We are extremely pleased to welcome these three outstanding community leaders to our board,” said Mehmet Kirdar, the Chairman of the Board at TPF. “They will be tremendous assets to TPF to guide and ensure the continued growth of our vibrant community through meaningful philanthropy.”
“Each new member of the TPF board brings with them experiences that are crucial to helping the foundation fulfill its commitment to inspire and enable donors to bridge gaps in opportunities in our communities. We look forward to their many significant contributions,,” said Senay Ataselim-Yilmaz, TPF’s COO & CFO.
Turkish Philanthropy Funds
Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) is the leading U.S. community foundation for high-impact social investments dedicated to Turkish and Turkish-American communities. Since 2007, TPF has mobilized over $35M and has invested over $20M in grants with partners focused on addressing economic, education, gender equality, social and environmental needs in Turkey and around the world. By providing support to realize the philanthropic vision of individuals, families, and corporations, TPF donors and partners have reached thousands of families and directly funded over 200 projects.
For more information contact:
Goncagul Ay
Turkish Philanthropy Funds, Communications Lead
(646) 530-8988; [email protected]
