About Us

Get to know us

SpikeUp AI is a data and AI training organization for highly educated refugees and underprivileged people who would like to become a part of the business environment. We want to help them successfully integrate into Dutch society. Thus, they can create better value for the community.

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Our story

SpikeUp AI was founded by Mehmet in 2018. Back then, Mehmet was a newcomer to the Netherlands. While he was busy upskilling himself in Data & AI, he took a very bold step and organized a training program to help other passionate refugees make a new start in the tech world. SpikeUp AI has grown from educating refugees in a tiny high school classroom to an established organization that organizes large-scale events, workshops, and training programs. Now, there is an ever-growing volunteer team and a business network that support the foundation in continuing its projects and activities.

SpikeUp AI bridges the gap and produce candidates that outperform

Enable

SpikeUp co-creates learning opportunities, internships and jobs, supporting refugees with their inclusion to the job market

Facilitate

Participants obtain hands-on and cutting-edge professional skills that make them desired in the job market

Get Matched

Companies find diverse talent by leveraging an industry-specific candidate pool, with a refugee background

Our mission

Our main goal is to help our participants find a suitable data-related profession and become self-sufficient. With this purpose, we strive hard to improve our training by forming partnerships with well-known companies and non-governmental organizations. We create equal opportunities for highly skilled refugees, allowing them to contribute to society in a meaningful way.

Our ethos

Our ethos identify the core identity of our foundation, inspiring the way we train our beloved students and create an impact for the society. We are proud to embrace each of these ethics and represent them in all our activities and operations.

Transparency

We are highly commited to being transparent and accountable for all our operations, building full trust with our stakeholders.

Equal opportunities

We are dedicated to creating a new tech world where oppportunities are evenly and equally distributed.

Confidentiality

We protect the privacy and personal information of our students to provide them a secure learning environment.

Diversity & Inclusion

We embrace and empower diversity and inclusion to create powerful and innovative tech teams of the future.

Meet the Team

Executive Board Member

As an entrepreneur and an IT professional, I like seeing dreams come true and helping others in realizing their ambitions.  I am passionate about technology education, developing clear career paths, and truly believe the importance of reducing inequalities. Therefore, I sympathize with SpikeUp AI’s mission, which is to inspire and encourage newcomers and colleagues in a golden rush to up-skill for a fast-approaching future and ensuring equality of opportunities.

mehmet.dogan@spikeup.ai

Executive Board Member

I am a young passionate entrepreneur who is enthusiastic about making a social impact in the tech world. I love the idea and the reasoning behind SpikeUp AI, facilitating the inclusion of underpriviliged people to the business world. My dream is to help co-create a business world where opportunities are equally distributed.

ahmet.karatas@spikeup.ai

Executive Board Member

In my daily life, I am a partner in a large global consulting firm, and I have been working in the area of data & analytics for over 20 years. I feel passionate about the mission of SpikeUp.AI. I strongly believe that this knife cuts both ways: we help refugees make a new start and we offer a solution to the big talent gap we have in the data & analytics domain.

stefan.van.duin@spikeup.ai

Ali Kerimoglu

Coordinator

Ahmet Demirtas

Coordinator

Anna Volkova

Coordinator

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board plays a crucial role in providing independent advice and guidance to the SpikeUp AI Foundation's board. Comprised of three individuals, the Advisory Board represents diverse backgrounds from the tech, business, and social work fields. They meet at least three times a year to discuss the foundation's plans, progress, results, and finances.

Adil Bohoudi

Advisory Board Member

Oliviana Bailey

Advisory Board Member

Ola Sidorevsky

Advisory Board Member

A place to learn, grow together
and make a fresh start!