Defne İncekara delivering an AI talk on the TEDxOSTIMTECH stage

From understanding AI to working with it.

AI trainer and strategy consultant

6,650+Training participants
102Organizations
25+ yearsDigital transformation

AI is not a technology, it is a human matter.

A translator who simplifies the complex.

Who is

I bring AI to companies with real results. From senior executives to teams, from trainers to individuals, I give everyone AI skills they can put to use from day one.

AI Strategist · Trainer · Consultant · Speaker

Defne İncekara, as an AI strategist, trainer and consultant, makes complex AI concepts practical and immediately usable for organizations and individuals. She provides enterprise AI training and AI strategy consulting to Turkey's leading companies and shows leaders how to apply AI to real work.

She previously served as Director of CRM & Digital Services at Ericsson and Director of Big Data & Analytics for the MMEA region at IBM. Early in her career she built AI products in big data and analytics at IBM, which showed her how technology turns into business results. She is a Koç University graduate.

Certifications

  • Harvard Business School AI
  • Vjal Institute AI
  • Outskill AI Generalist
  • ICF Accredited Professional Coach
  • John Maxwell Leadership Coach

Memberships & Roles

  • Platin Yaka
  • Arya Women Investment Platform
  • Member of the OSTİM Technical University Advisory Board
  • Özyeğin University Center for Continuing Education, AI Trainer
  • Member of the İKG Advisory Board
  • Vjal Institute Super Trainer
Defne İncekara speaking on stage

Keynote.

From the TEDx stage to a ministry launch, from a holding company's leadership programme to a sector summit. Talk, fireside chat, panel or workshop, depending on what the room needs.

  • Keynote 1-2 hours; fireside chat, panel and workshop formats available
  • Turkish and English
  • In the room, online and hybrid
  • Examples adapted to your sector
Tell Me Your Date, I Will Check Availability
Defne İncekara taking a photo with the audience from the stage of a full auditorium

Talk recordings are in the media section.

We take your AI transformation from vision to execution.

Corporate training and transformation

We set the vision with your board, write the roadmap, train your teams against it and bring the chosen work live in your business with AI chiefs of staff. Once the new way of working is running, we hand it over to the owner we have developed inside.

01Vision

CEO and board

We set the AI vision and the priorities together with the board and senior leadership.

On stage at a Corporate Governance event

02Roadmap

The whole company

We define the company roadmap: work ranked by value, cost and risk, each item with an owner and a measure.

Talk on the economics of work

03Team training

Following the roadmap

We train teams by sector, role and priority, have them apply it inside real work and measure the result.

With the KW Kent team after the training

04Transformation leadership

Fractional lead and chief of staff tools

As your fractional transformation lead we run the process with you and hand the role to the person we develop inside.

On stage at a Doğuş Otomotiv event
Defne İncekara delivering AI training on stage

Self-paced, on two platforms.

Academy

Defne İncekara Academy

an online AI training platform for your organization. 15 video modules; your team signs up with a company code, watches in any order and earns a certificate on completion.

Neo Skola

my course Kişisel Yapay Zeka Asistanı (building your own digital team, in Turkish) is live. 4 lessons, 22 episodes; the first episode is free, the rest come with a Neo Skola subscription.

Devrettik

Podcast, in Turkish

Three episodes every week: a conversation between the two founders, a hands-on session with a technical guest and an executive's success story. Hosted by Defne İncekara and Olcay Silahlı. Devrettik is a kurm.ai production.

Three questions, executive episodes

1. What did you hand over?Delegable
2. What could you not hand over?Not delegable
3. Who is accountable?

Defne in the media and on stage.

Media

Right Answer, Wrong Question · TEDxOSTİMTech
Friend or Foe? · Corporate Governance Summit
AI in Daily Life · EKOTÜRK
AI and the Davos Agenda · EKOTÜRK
AI Guide for SMEs · Kobi Dünyası
Working Smarter with AI · Murat Erdor
Defne İncekara speaking on the TEDxOSTİMTech stageDefne İncekara taking a photo with the audience from the stage of a full auditoriumDefne İncekara mid-keynote, close upDefne İncekara speaking in a panel sessionDefne İncekara with participants at the GENÇ 2030 eventDefne İncekara presenting on stageKoç ÜniversitesiDoğuş OtomotivKAGİDERYeditepeİYTEOtokoçArya AIİnci VakfıGenç 2030Yaşar Holding yapay zeka eğitimiKurumsal YönetişimKeller WilliamsKW KentYenibirliderICFGençlik ve Spor BakanlığıTIHCAD AydınTIHCADYeni Nesil 2000Genç 2030 BursaİKGDefne İncekara konferans sahnesindeGENÇ2030 GUHEM etkinliğiİnsan Zekasının Üç Boyutu sunumuİşin Ekonomisi konuşması

From you.

Participant and client testimonials

“I have lost count of how many trainings we have now done with dear Defne. If you want to keep your organisation steady against the AI storm, tsunami, wave (call it what you like), Defne is a wonderful companion for opening that road together. My thanks for all her diligence, her approach and her generous outlook.”

Esra BeyzadeoğluMember of the Executive Committee · Doğan Holding

“Defne is a wonderful trainer, both in what she knows and in her ability to pass it on. The knowledge she shared at the training we organised together at the İzmir Institute of Technology was important and valuable for all of us.”

Gültekin GürdalLibrary Director · İYTE

“We had a productive training process with Ms. Defne to assess global developments in the world of agentic AI and the sector-wide impact of pioneering applications. Her high energy and hands-on command of different tools made a valuable contribution that reinforced our current logistics and spare-parts vision.”

Serkan CebelliDoğuş Otomotiv

“We became able to make well-judged tool choices in our software development processes. We achieved clear improvements in project management and documentation.”

Cahit ÇelebierSoftware Development Manager

“It took us from seeing AI as just using ChatGPT to a much broader, more strategic perspective. It created strong awareness across the team.”

İdil Pora ÖlmezBoard Member · Yüksel Proje A.Ş.

“Some people stay in your mind as much for the impact they leave as for the work they do. For me, dear Defne İncekara is one of them. Everyone who attended the AI Workshop we held at İKG shared one thing in common: they now look at AI differently. We're so glad you're here, Defne.”

Ferhan Sivri AvcıChair of the Board · İKG

“We thank Defne İncekara for pushing the limits of our minds and taking every one of us into the world of AI in the fastest possible way. It was superb. We listened without pausing for breath.”

Dilara Neyişci ÇağlıCountry Head & Board Member · Mr.DIY

“We took a huge step into a New World where the saying “starting is half of finishing” takes concrete form and the art of asking questions is the currency that counts. Thank you very much to Ms. Defne İncekara for this valuable training, which opens new doors that will add value in every area of our lives.”

Muhammet UsluCFO · Körfez GYO

“It was a thoroughly enjoyable, horizon-broadening training in which we did not notice how the day passed.”

Burak VurgenHead of Human Resources and Administrative Services · Körfez GYO

“Defne İncekara is a professional whose achievements at Vodafone I witnessed first-hand, and whose trainings I have attended; she has supported me a great deal both in my own work and in helping my own clients use AI effectively. I always recommend following her and joining her programmes if you want to use AI to grow your business.”

Selda DoğancanParticipant

“A truly valuable trainer who does not just transfer knowledge but teaches you how to learn. Her impact is not limited to individual development either; she has a vision strong enough to change how a company sees AI at an organisational scale.”

Burak EliuzBilgili Holding

“In all three trainings held with the organisation I work for, there was great and varied knowledge, different AI tools, and most importantly a subject like this delivered hands-on to people across the company in a way that made the training enjoyable. Thank you again, Ms. Defne.”

Bilal ArslanThe Marmara Group

“A small group of us from our company, which operates in the finance sector, took a Claude-focused AI training from Defne İncekara. The material shared with us before the workshop and the assessment used to gauge our level were well thought through. On the day itself, both the fluent, genuinely engaging way she established the logic of the subject and the examples showing how we could put AI to work in practice were very useful. The only downside was the anxiety of realising how boundless the subject is and wondering how I will keep up with everything new, but I found the training highly successful.”

Berna KurbayÜNLÜ & Co

“I met Defne through an AI training on Saturday, 15 November 2025. It was my day off, my mind was already elsewhere, and I walked in wondering why I had bought the training and whether I would even concentrate. I walked out glad that I came. Defne has a deep command of the subject, gave a clear answer to every question, shared her own experience, and even showed us how to configure the settings of the platforms we use, which I still rely on today. After five hours our batteries were flat, but she was still ready to keep going: let us do another hour, let me show you more. I had missed seeing people who love their work this much and care this much about the person in front of them. So if you want to bring an AI training into your company, I said, take it from Defne with your eyes closed. Thank you again for the respect you show your work and for all your effort, Defne.”

Murat ErdörMarketing, E-Commerce and Digital Transformation Consultant

“Approaching a field that evolves and renews itself as fast as AI not only with theory but with current examples, hands-on applications and practical approaches that hold up in business made the training far more effective and lasting. Her command of the subject, her ability to convey complex topics clearly and fluently, and a presentation style that draws participants into the process meant both my team and I got a great deal out of it.”

Yeşim KöktaşCo-Founder · Şoteks Etiket

“The AI training we did with Defne was a truly valuable experience for me. What I valued most was that she didn't just explain the topic — she helped me keep my finger on the pulse of the field and feel current. Her delivery is remarkably clear and fluent; she brings even difficult subjects down to a language everyone can understand.”

Nukte ToyProject Development Director · Bofor Lojistik

“We received AI for Marketing training from Defne and I'd highly recommend it, especially for anyone struggling to bridge today's fast-paced strategic and tech developments with their day-to-day reality on the ground. With her strong grasp of where AI is heading and a hands-on display of specific tools, she gave us a concise overview and real cases that generated real benefits — for our business and for us as individuals. In conclusion, her session is a great way both to sanity-check your current AI readiness and get a few wake-up calls.”

Murat HatipoğluSenior Vice President · Head of Cooling Business Unit, Emerging Markets

“It was a very productive training — practical, interactive and never stuck in theory. It helped our teammates imagine how to use AI beyond a simple chatbot and how to digitalize their processes with AI agents.”

Aykut DedeIT and Digital Transformation Manager · Mercan Kimya

“After the training, I built four different applications with AI development tools and integrated AI into the daily work of our organization.”

Cüneyt UsluChairman · Argion Bilişim & CCG Customer Care

“We quickly learned which AI platform to use in which situation. We launched our AI pilots and saw significant improvements in our business processes.”

Reha ÖzkanHead of BU · BSH Türkiye

“I've been using AI actively for two years, yet the training gave me a completely different perspective. We established standardization in the team, and both speed and accuracy improved.”

Ergin AydınCo-Founder · HavsaTekstil

“It took the awareness we already thought we had to a much higher level. Our integration process gained real momentum.”

Levent SoygürAgency Owner · WON Ajans

“Thanks to the training I've attended, a single day started to feel worth a month to me; once I truly learned everything I thought I already knew, I realized how much I didn't know.”

Sernaz LurciLearning & Development Assistant Manager · Sinpaş Holding

“As someone who actively uses AI, I didn't know what to expect from the training. Defne's training opened up dimensions of AI I hadn't seen before.”

Mesut DemirbilekFounder & Chairman · My Security Analytics | FinalCheck | SecuRitma

“She explained very clearly how we can use AI tools according to our needs. It was an immensely useful training.”

Sela HabifFounder · Echo Coaching & NETTALKS

“In my fast-paced work life, she taught me how to integrate AI into my real work. It doubled my speed in the real estate sector.”

Buket Öz KırtayReal Estate Agent · Keller Williams Platin

“I was already using Claude and ChatGPT in my daily life. But today's training was a deeper, more hands-on experience. We dove into areas I'd never explored; my horizons expanded and I had the chance to try out new fields.”

Woman EntrepreneurParticipant

“From morning to evening, I didn't notice how the day flew by. It turns out I only knew ChatGPT. Now I'll move forward on this path with more confidence, with clearer knowledge and knowing which tools to sign up for.”

Gamze Meral KaptanParticipant

“I thought I was using AI, but with this training I realized I actually knew very little; now I've truly started to learn.”

Woman EntrepreneurParticipant

“From ChatGPT to AI agents, the doors of the AI world opened with a completely new perspective. With her experience and energy, she made us all say, 'The future is here!'”

Esra ÖztiryakiParticipant

“It was the best AI training I've had in a long time.”

İdil DorsanFounding Member Platin Yaka · Advisory Board Remus Energy · LP Arya VC · Mentor Tech Istanbul

“We discussed how we can design the future together in AI and the textile sector. Eight hours packed full of value.”

Gizem YıldıranDesign Director FGA Textile · Creative Advisor Jendue

“Every minute was packed with value; I hadn't attended such a content-rich training in a long time.”

Av. Arb. Gamze Meran KaptanParticipant

“It was a mind-opening conversation on AI literacy, current applications and future projections. We didn't notice how the time flew by.”

Dr. Cemran ÖnderFounder & Director · KültürHub

“Our view of AI shifted from an operational tool to a strategic priority. From technology to HR, from procurement to brand, everyone now writes prompts, produces content and automates their processes. The most visible change was in the requests coming in; the questions we get are now far more business-focused.”

Barış TopuzluDirector of Technology and Digital Strategy · The Marmara Group

Video testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions.

Frequently asked

Defne İncekara is an AI trainer and strategy consultant who provides AI training and strategy consulting to organizations. She previously served as Director of CRM & Digital Services at Ericsson and Director of Big Data & Analytics for the MMEA region at IBM, and brings 25+ years of enterprise technology experience.

6,650+ participants have been trained across 102 organizations, from holdings to universities, from the public sector to SMEs. See the references

A keynote runs 1 to 2 hours. Fireside chat, panel and workshop formats are also available; which one fits depends on what the room needs and where the session sits in the programme.

Turkish and English. In the room, online or hybrid.

Yes. Examples and cases are changed to match your sector. A short needs call comes first, and the content is built around the work of the people in the room.

By the time on stage, the format, the city and how much organisation-specific preparation is involved. Send the date and the format and I will prepare a proposal. Get in touch

Corporate training and transformation now run through kurm.ai, which I co-founded: vision work with the management team, the roadmap, team training and putting the work into production. This site is for keynotes, the academy and references.

Headcount is not a result. What counts is whether participants build something in their own work afterwards, automate a process and start a pilot. Progress at the organisation level can be measured with the AI-First Index.

Three of the eight items in the AI literacy programme speak to this directly: role clarity (who may use what), risk awareness (possible harms and limits) and regulation (the scope, obligations and timeline of the EU AI Act). The design of organisation-specific programmes runs through kurm.ai.

The Academy is for people who want to move at their own pace: 15 video modules, the team signs up with a company code and gets a certificate on completion. Unlike corporate training, the content is not designed for one organisation. Anyone who needs that goes to kurm.ai. Explore the Academy

Defne's AI Corner

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