800+
Sparks Graduates
Rooted in Türkiye and led by Değişim Liderleri Derneği (DLD), SPARKS-Türkiye is an eight-month, experiential leadership journey for university women. Through teamwork, real social change projects, and guided facilitation, participants build confidence, find their voice, and practice leadership by doing.
Since 2009, SPARKS-Türkiye has supported nearly 800 young women, creating a lasting ripple effect across campuses and communities.
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Building on the success of SPARKS-Türkiye, SPARKS-USA is a five-month leadership journey for young women with international roots shaping their lives and careers in the U.S. Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and a supportive community, participants grow into confident leaders creating real-world impact.
Now in its fourth year, SPARKS-USA brings together young women from 9+ countries, each carrying the spirit of Sparks into new communities.
LEARN MOREThrough our Sparks Program in Türkiye, young women step beyond theory to lead social change projects rooted in real community needs.
Guided since 2009 by Değişim Liderleri Derneği (DLD), also known as the Change Leaders Association, these projects have shaped leaders and sparked ripple effects across Türkiye for more than 15 years.
One leader can change a room. A community of leaders can change generations.
Through a learning-by-doing model, Turkish Women’s Initiative empowers young women to lead with courage, turning small sparks into ripples of confidence, resilience, and impact that last generations.
TWI is strengthened by an extraordinary network of partners, advisors, and supporters who believe in our mission and help extend our reach.
From nonprofit organizations and academic institutions to corporations and individual champions across the U.S. and globally, this community makes our work possible and ensures that every spark travels further.
TWI represents the kind of partner we seek to support through Turkish Philanthropy Funds that combines intellectual depth with a strong commitment to collaboration and real-world impact. What distinguishes TWI’s work is its emphasis on leadership by doing. Through experiential learning, teamwork, and real social change projects, TWI creates a powerful space where university women build confidence, find their voice, and step into leadership with purpose.
Sema Basol and her team are powerful, values-driven leaders whose work to empower young women in Turkey and the U.S. is both visionary and deeply grounded in community. As an alumna of our Women Leaders for the World Fellowship, they have consistently demonstrated clarity of purpose, courage, and an extraordinary ability to translate vision into action. Turkish Women’s Initiative is shaping the next generation of global women leaders, and we are proud to have witnessed—and supported—their growth and impact.
I am passionate about accelerating the participation of women in society as a way to attain global harmony. TWI’s educational program – helping girls and women make valuable contributions to family, careers, community, country and the world – is in perfect alignment. Leadership development combined with a community of support is the key to changing the future.
