Meet ZAFER
TECH ENTREPRENEUR,
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLITICS AND DIPLOMACY EXPERT
Born in Kastamonu in May 1989, technology entrepreneur Zafer Küçükşabanoğlu founded "Turkey's first Hologram Center" in April 2018. In February 2021, he became the Founding President of the Artificial Intelligence Policies Association (AIPA), the first official non-governmental organization in Turkey established in the field of artificial intelligence. In March 2021, he was selected as a "Member of the UNESCO Artificial Intelligence Monitoring Group," and in August 2022, as a "Member of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Human Resources Working Group." In 2026, he became a Board Member of the Foreign Economic Relations Council (DEİK) Digital Technologies Business Council and was elected as the Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Committee within the same council. He also serves as a Board Member of the DEİK Singapore Business Council.
Zafer KÜÇÜKŞABANOĞLU
Doing good things for humanity makes people happy and determined
Between 2010 and 2019, Küçükşabanoğlu served as a founder and manager at Activa Organization, Atlasjet, Artı 1 Group, and ZMTeknoloji. From 2019 to 2024, he held senior positions in the public sector. Combining his experience and knowledge from both the private and public sectors with an entrepreneurial spirit, Küçükşabanoğlu entered the business world in August 2024. He currently serves as the Founder and Chairman of the Board of "RecroTech," a company that develops technological solutions, primarily in artificial intelligence. He has also served as the Founding President of the Kastamonu Young Entrepreneurs Association (KASGEG) and as a Member of the Executive Board and Chairman of the Entrepreneurship Commission at the Turkish Young Businessmen Association (TÜGİAD). Furthermore, he has been a member of the Beşiktaş JK Congress since May 2012.
In November 2022, Küçükşabanoğlu gave a talk titled " Similarities and Differences Between the Industrial Revolution and the Web 3 Revolution" at the Turkish leg of TEDx. From October 2022 to January 2024, he moderated the technology program "Teknolog," which aired on TRT Haber TV and ran for 33 episodes. Küçükşabanoğlu, who has received numerous awards from various institutions and organizations, received the "Scientist Who Adds Value to Kastamonu" award at the Kastamonu Solidarity Association (KAS-DER) 37th Annual Awards Ceremony in May 2022, and the "Global Innovation" award at the Global Journalists Council (KGK) Global Achievement Awards Ceremony in October 2024.
Küçükşabanoğlu has taught "Entrepreneurship" courses as a lecturer at Marmara (2018-2019), Ufuk (2021-2022), and Gazi (2023-2025) Universities. He conducts research in the context of artificial intelligence policies, particularly focusing on "Diplomacy," "National Strategies," and "Social Impacts." Küçükşabanoğlu has published two books on artificial intelligence, the new generation of youth, and international relations, as well as numerous national and international book chapters and articles. In July 2024, he brought together his studies on artificial intelligence and international relations under the brand "AI Diplomacy," and continues his work in the international ecosystem in the field of diplomacy.
Having participated as a speaker and attendee in events such as "Dubai GITEX", "Lisbon Web Summit", "Barcelona MWC", "London Tech Week", "The AI Summit London", "COP29" and "Singapore Fintech Festival", Küçükşabanoğlu has given over 200 conferences both domestically and internationally. Between April and August 2023, he was in London, the capital of England, conducting various research and studies on artificial intelligence.
Having completed her studies in “AI Governance: Technology, Ethics and Institutions” at Oxford University (December 2024) and “AI and Society” at Cambridge University (November 2025) , Küçükşabanoğlu holds degrees from Çankaya, Anadolu, and Ufuk universities. In September 2025, she received her International Exemplar Global accredited “ISO 42001:2023 Artificial Intelligence Governance System Lead Auditor” certification. Küçükşabanoğlu is fluent in English and has a beginner's level of Russian.