Yeliz Erinçkan

Yeliz Erinçkan is a strategy and innovation leader working at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and the entrepreneurship ecosystem throughout her career, with extensive experience ranging from large-scale corporate transformation programs to the scaling of early-stage startups. With years of field experience in strategic growth, innovation management, and building entrepreneurship ecosystems, she accompanies organizations on their transformation journeys.

During her tenure as Strategy and Business Development Director at Sabancı Holding, she managed the group's 10-year strategic planning processes; taking an active role in investment decisions, growth strategies, portfolio management, and restructuring initiatives. In this process, she led not only strategic planning but also the shaping of the organization's innovation vision.

As part of her work in the field of innovation, she managed the design and implementation processes of various innovation programs, platforms, and intrapreneurship models; contributing to the dissemination of an innovation culture across the Sabancı Group. As the founder, manager, and Chairperson of the Board of the Sabancı ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) program, she led the establishment of a pioneering structure bringing together early-stage startups with the corporate world, playing a significant role in the development of the open innovation approach.

Today, as an independent professional, she provides strategic consulting services and delivers trainings in the areas of leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Simultaneously, she mentors startups, serves on boards of directors, and actively contributes to the entrepreneurship ecosystem with her investor identity. She is an investor in a US-based technology fund and supports the growth journeys of startups at various scales.

With her approach bringing together strategy and innovation, and a corporate perspective with the entrepreneurship ecosystem, Yeliz Erinçkan supports organizations in preparing for the future, creating new growth areas, and establishing sustainable innovation systems.

Areas of Contribution

• Strategic planning and long-term growth strategies

• Designing corporate innovation systems

• Open innovation and intrapreneurship programs

• CVC, entrepreneurship ecosystem, and startup collaborations

• New business model development and growth strategies

• Board of directors consulting and strategic governance

• Design of entrepreneurship programs and acceleration structures

• Early-stage startup mentorships

• Investment readiness and startup evaluation processes

• Leadership development and creating an innovation culture

• Corporate transformation and change management

• Training, facilitation, and innovation workshops

Areas of Expertise 

Strategy | Corporate Innovation | Open Innovation | Entrepreneurship | Board of Directors Consulting | Venture Building | CVC | Startup Ecosystem | Leadership