SosyalBen Vakfı Kurucusu Ece Çiftçi, 2012 yılında New York Üniversitesi’nin İletişim Becerileri programından mezun olduktan sonra sosyoloji lisans eğitimini tamamladı. Ardından Sosyal Projeler ve Sivil Toplum Yönetimi alanında yüksek lisans yaptı. Şu anda Antropoloji doktorasına devam ediyor. 2013 yılında kurduğu SosyalBen Vakfı ile güzel çalışmalara imza atan Ece Çiftçi ulusal ve uluslararası pek çok platformda konuşmacı olarak yer aldı. Genç bir sosyal girişimci ve sosyolog olan Çiftçi, “Hayallerime Dünya İnandı” diyerek çıktığı bu yolda SosyalBen Vakfı ile 11 ülkeden 60.000’i aşkın çocuğa umut oldu. Ece Çifti, 2018’de ABD Dışişleri Bakanlığı’nın düzenlediği “Gelecek Vadeden Genç Liderler” töreninde ödül alan ilk Türk oldu ve dünya listesinde yerini aldı… Aynı zamanda Forbes Dergisi’nin listelediği “Türkiye’nin en başarılı 30 yaş altı 30 genci” ve “40 Yaş Altı 40 İş İnsanı” listelerinde yer aldı. 9 Nisan 2024’te, Avrupa Konseyi Genel Kurulu’nda “Daimî Komite Üyesi” seçilerek, 75 yıllık Konsey’in bugüne kadarki “En Genç Daimî Komite Üyesi” olarak dikkat çekici bir başarı elde etti. Ece Çiftçi her geçen gün toplumsal faydayı üst düzeye çıkaracak farklı sosyal girişim fikirleriyle büyümeye devam ediyor.

Born in 1993 in Istanbul, Social Entrepreneur Ece Çiftçi completed her undergraduate studies in only 3 years. She put her social responsibility project, she’d started up in her high school days, on a formal and regular trajectory while in college and established SosyalBen Foundation in 2013. Having pioneered SosyalBen Store, an economic enterprise, and SosyalBen Academy, offering consultancy for individual social responsibility projects, in addition to her foundation work, Çiftçi gathered all her social responsibility activities under the roof of SosyalBen Foundation in 2017. Çiftçi was invited to BBVA Momentum Training Program by Garanti Bank in order to receive strategic investment support for her projects. She represented Turkey in the 2017 G(irls)20 Summit held by G20 countries, where young women aged 18-23 develop solutions to women’s problems in their own countries. With the social enterprise network created by SosyalBen brands, she was chosen as the “Woman Entrepreneur of Turkey” from among 34.000 women in Turkey’s Woman Entrepreneur Competition organized by Garanti Bank and Economist. She became the first and only Turkish woman who received an award from the U.S.A. Foreign Ministry in the “Promising Young Leaders” ceremony held in April 2018. Since October 2018, she has been carrying out various projects in collaboration with Crans Montana Forum UN and other international organizations to reduce poverty in the world, ensure equality and security, and enhance global dialogue. The Forum organizes an annual award ceremony,” New Leaders for Tomorrow”, for achievements of state officials and members of NGOs. Ece Çiftçi was the name who received the “New Leaders of the Future” award from Turkey. She shared her journey of volunteerism and “A Social Entrepreneurship Story” with Turkish participants from Belgium at the invitation of the Turkish Embassy in Brussels in the special event organized for the 100th Anniversary of 19th of May Commemoration of Ataturk and the Youth and Sports Festival. Ece Çiftçi, who is currently the Chair of the SosyalBen Foundation, pursues her PhD in Anthropology. In 2019, she was named one of Forbes Turkey’s 30 Most Successful Young People Under the Age of 30. Moreover, in 2019, she became the first-ever Turk to receive an award at the Global Forum of Education and Learning (GFEL) conference held in Dubai for the SosyalBen Academy model. GFEL awarded the top 50 participants from among the participant institutions and organizations serving on education throughout the world. SosyalBen Academy is the first Turkish institution to have received an award in the Forum. In November 2020, Ünlü & CO Women Entrepreneurs Academy was selected as one of the names selected by the SosyalBen Academy social initiative when young Turkish business world opinion leaders, entrepreneurs and executives of the Fortune Turkey located 40 Under 40 Business took place with SosyalBen Foundation as a social entrepreneur in the human list.
Also in November, she became one of the names whose story was selected within the scope of the 80 Years, 80 Women, 80 Stories project special to the 80th anniversary of British Councile. Finally, prepared by Fast Company Magazine and Turkey with a global jury’s assessment carried out for the first time “50 Leaders for Sustainability” took place in the list. SosyalBen Foundation that aims to support the social development of children aged 7-13 living in disadvantaged areas and to contribute to their growth as happy individuals with self-confidence, organize field and educational activities at national and international levels under Çiftçi’s leadership.