Sharing her journey of entrepreneurship, Cansu Akyar, Co-Founder of Digipac Consultancy, spoke with the students as part of the TransformHER webinar series.
The discussion started by focusing on the foundations of business such as values and motivations.
“You will bring who you are, who you want to be, the things you love in life.”
Top tips from Cansu:
- Reflect on your own values and motivations
- Find internships during breaks and summers when you are studying
- Be open and try working in different types of jobs to see what you like
- Engage with business advice services and networking events
“I think networking is everything, build it before you need it because you are going to need it!”
Four factors to consider when you are building your business:
- Right timing (external) – for example, the economic situation
- Right place and conditions
- Right people – for example, business partners, mentors and your network
- Being ready to take the first step (internal) – for example courage and motivation
“What’s your power? What’s your strength? And what is the demand in the market? And if you merge these things and connect the dots, you’re going in the right direction”
Three things Cansu wishes she had known:
- Embrace the unknown and take risks
- Hard moments don’t mean you are failing, they mean you are building
- Choose people who share your values (skills can be taught, values cannot)
A major takeaway from the discussion was the importance of building a strong portfolio over time, especially for entrepreneurs or early-career professionals.
Emphasis was placed on:
- Consistency
- Sincerity
- Integrity
The TransformHER webinar series is designed under the Student Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP), implemented in collaboration with the British Council, and hosted by the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme under Universities South Africa (USAf).
Digipac Consultancy is a London-based growth consultancy for purpose-driven B2B enterprises.
Resources shared by Cansu:
Global youth opportunities with AIESEC: https://aiesec.org/