The Boost The Future event was held on January 14, 2026, at Sabancı Center. The event’s opening speaker, Emre Kurttepeli—entrepreneur and Chairman of the Board of Endeavor Turkey—delivered an inspiring speech focused on entrepreneurship, dedication, and the transformative power of artificial intelligence.
During his speech, Kurttepeli shared his strong personal connection to Endeavor, stating that it is an organization he deeply values. He noted that Endeavor currently operates in 35 countries and is approaching its 30th year globally and its 20th year in Turkey. Emphasizing Turkey’s position as one of Endeavor’s early adopter countries, he highlighted the significant impact and major achievements realized over the past two decades.
Reflecting on the evolution of entrepreneurship, Kurttepeli explained that 20 years ago, the concept of “entrepreneurship” was less clearly defined and often confused with general proactiveness. Today, however, companies admired for their scale, impact, and value creation have emerged. He underlined that Endeavor particularly focuses on ventures that change the world, transform Turkey, create employment, and challenge existing rules and conventions.
Kurttepeli stressed that how individuals perceive the world ultimately shapes how they build their lives. He explained that true success requires an almost obsessive level of focus and a high degree of personal sacrifice. While hard work is a part of every profession, he noted that entrepreneurship often demands significant compromises in personal life—an especially challenging reality for today’s younger generation seeking balance. He added that he had never seen a venture built with half-hearted commitment reach truly significant success.
A major part of Kurttepeli’s speech was dedicated to artificial intelligence. He emphasized that AI now sits at the core of nearly every industry and is fundamentally reshaping the world. Sharing that his perspective differs as an investor versus as an entrepreneur, he described AI as an ongoing process that takes time to mature and deliver measurable results. He pointed out that technologies used today can become obsolete within months, presenting one of the biggest challenges for startups. Those who manage to overcome this challenge, he stated, are the ones that quickly stand out and scale.
The Boost The Future event concluded as an inspiring gathering, with Emre Kurttepeli’s opening speech offering valuable insights and motivation to all participants.
https://turkiye.endeavor.org/profiles/boost-the-future/
