Could you tell us a little bit about your background and why you signed up for the mentoring program?

My name is Eda Sargin and I graduated from the Izmir University of Economics with a BSc in Industrial Engineering. I have been living in Germany since 2022 and work as a consultant in the field of supply chain management. I gained my first professional experience as a Business Analyst and Customer Support Engineer at D14 AI.

Our paths crossed with Melda Akin through a close friend of mine from university who was an intern at D14.AI at the time. After a short interview with 2 great women - the project manager and Melda - I was accepted for the internship position. After 2 weeks of my internship, I was offered to work as a Support Engineer in the company. From the first meeting and after a little research on how the startup is successful, I was totally impressed and inspired by D14 AI.

During my internship, which took place right after I graduated, I was trying to figure out what direction I wanted to take for my career. Melda stood in front of me as a role model - a woman whose company not only survived in the brutal startup environment but also took her success to the next level in the Middle East. I had the opportunity to hear her opinion as a mentor and take guidance from her to understand how to best shape my career and self-development.

If you had to tell us one thing you learned during these months of mentoring, what would it be?

One thing I took away is that in order to push beyond your limits, you need to have a clear roadmap with steps. The steps should be backed up with solutions and patiently followed step by step. Second, you must dream big and have the courage to take risks. Even if something goes wrong, it is usually better than not trying at all.

What are your expectations/what do you want to achieve by the end of the program?

My expectation was to ask and answer the right questions for myself to find out what my goals are, where I could be more successful, and what actions I need to take to reach my potential.

What is the best advice you have received from your Mentor?

It was that failure means you are on the right track and getting closer to your goal. If you put in the right effort at the right time and learn from your mistakes, you can basically achieve anything.

What would you tell someone who is considering applying to be a Mentee in the future?

I would say go for it! Hearing the opinion of someone who has been down the same path as you and having the knowledge of a topic you are interested in can definitely help you achieve your goals faster and smoother.