Draft:Mihriban Ersin

= Mihriban Ersin =

Mihriban Ersin is an entrepreneur who has been active in the fintech and blockchain sectors for over a decade, during her twenty-year career. She has made significant contributions to these fields by participating in various startups, with a particular focus on financial inclusion and technological innovation in finance. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Mihriban Ersin is actively involved in advocacy and publishing efforts to promote diversity within the technology sector. She leads initiatives aimed at enhancing the presence and impact of women and minorities in the tech industry.

Career
Ersin's career began in project management, where she worked on projects funded by the European Union and European Commission.

Ininal (2012)
Mihriban Ersin co-founded Ininal, an e-money company in Turkey that reported significant user growth, reaching over 4 million accounts and 2 million active digital wallet users monthly. Ininal marked as Turkey's first pre-paid card and e-money company, licensed by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK). In 2016, Cheque-Dejeuner Group acquired the majority stake in Ininal, marking a significant transaction in the Turkish startup ecosystem.

FinTechTime (2015)
Mihriban Ersin founded FinTechTime Magazine as a dynamic platform dedicated to covering the rapidly evolving fintech sector in Turkey. Serving as both the founder and chief editor, Ersin has positioned the magazine as an essential source of information, focusing on everything related to the fintech world.

Colendi (2018)
Mihriban Ersin and Bülent Tekmen co-founded Colendi, a fintech company that provides a broad spectrum of banking services with an emphasis on financial technology. The company's primary objective is to enhance the accessibility of financial services by connecting consumers, businesses, and financial institutions. Utilizing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, Colendi operates a scoring algorithm that caters to more than three billion individuals without bank accounts and over five billion people who lack access to credit.

Three years after its establishment, Colendi earned the title of "5th Most Invested Company in Turkey in 2021." Following a Series A Investment Round, the company expanded its senior management team to include notable figures such as Ian Hannam, Christopher Noyer, Sir David Walker, and Prof. Philip Bond. Since then, Colendi has evolved into a comprehensive platform offering a variety of fintech services globally, including investments, insurance, and credit. This expansion includes subsidiaries such as Colendi Securities, SETL, Colendi Insurance, and the soon-to-launch Colendi Bank.

Colendi Securities, in collaboration with Turkcell's payment system brand Paycell, manages embedded financial services for all BIST and NASDAQ processes. In partnership with Migros, Colendi also established Moneypay, which provides Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) infrastructure services. Colendi Insurance operates as an embedded insurance provider in association with Moneypay. Scheduled to begin operations in 2024, Colendi Bank is set to become one of the first Digital Deposit Bank in Türkiye.

CovenLabs (2022)
Recognizing the need for increased digitalization in the industry, Mihriban Ersin, along with Mert Fırat, founded CovenLabs. This organization operates as a design and development laboratory that assists companies in addressing the complexities of digital transformation and innovation. CovenLabs focuses on areas such as web3, tokenomics, NFT creation, customer loyalty, and community engagement, integrating traditional business models with contemporary digital technologies.

CovenLabs specializes in digital transformation by developing customized projects and solutions to help brands stay competitive and responsive to market changes. Its services include mobile app development and web platform creation. Additionally, CovenLabs designs flexible loyalty programs to enhance brand identity and adapt to evolving customer preferences, aiming to build lasting relationships through engagement strategies like perks and gamified interactions.

Kadingözü (2011)
A platform aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs.

Blockchaintime.io (2017)
A resource for insights into the blockchain industry.

Recognition
Mihriban Ersin's work in the financial technology sector and her efforts to promote diversity have been recognized in various industry publications and have earned her significant awards. In 2018, she was selected for the Women in FinTech Powerlist by Innovate Finance, and in 2019, she was named among the top 100 most influential women in the fintech sector. Additionally, she has been recognized as a key figure in blockchain technology by Entrepreneur Magazine and other publications.

Mihriban Ersin's career stands out for her entrepreneurial initiatives and advocacy for diversity in technology. She achieved notable success in 2011 by founding Turkey's first prepaid shopping card, Ininal. Later, she co-founded Colendi, which has also achieved significant milestones in the industry.

Achievements and Awards

 * 2018 Women in FinTech Powerlist - Innovate Finance
 * Top 100 Women in Fintech 2019
 * 8 Influential Women Making Headlines in Blockchain
 * Top 10 Leading Women In The Blockchain Space
 * Women In Crypto: Meet The Industry’s Most Influential Leaders
 * Turkey's First Prepaid Shopping Card (Ininal) (2011)
 * Wired Europe's Hottest Startups (2014)
 * Wired Europe's hottest startups (2015)
 * Fintech Power 50 List (Colendi) (2022)
 * 5th Most Invested Venture in Turkey (Colendi) (2021)
 * Fintech Power 50 List (Colendi) (2024)
 * Turcorn 100 Program Membership (Colendi) (2024)