Dr. Gonca Ongan
One of the leading figures in sustainability and social impact measurement in Türkiye. Chair of Social Value Türkiye and board member of Social Value International.
Gonca Ongan has been a founding partner of ImpactNest since July 2026, working as a sustainability and social impact management specialist. A graduate of Saint-Benoît French High School, she completed her undergraduate studies in Economics at Istanbul University, went on to finish the Global MBA programme at Fordham University, and holds a PhD in European Economics from the European Union Institute of Marmara University.
After building experience across the private sector, the public sector and civil society from 2000 onwards, she joined Koç University in 2010. Between November 2012 and June 2026 she served as executive director of the Koç University Social Impact Forum (KUSIF), and taught courses on social entrepreneurship, social impact management and project work at the university.
Through her pioneering work in the field, Ongan is among the founders of the Türkiye Social Entrepreneurship Network. She is a founding member of Açık Açık, a platform established to bring together transparent and accountable associations and foundations that respect donors and donor rights, and has served on its board since November 2016. Since September 2023 she has been a co-founder and chair of Social Value Türkiye, and she also sits on the board of Social Value International.
Active internationally as well, Ongan was elected to the international advisory council of the International Sustainable Campus Network in March 2016 and served on that council between 2016 and 2018. Since August 2021 she has been a member of the monitoring committee that evaluates the societal impact of TÜBİTAK research projects, and since May 2023 she has served on the Academic Advisory Board of the Teachers Academy Foundation.
Publications 5
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Analysis
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Analysis Author Field research Reporting Advisor
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Analysis Author Field research Reporting Advisor
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Analysis Author Field research Reporting Advisor
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Analysis
Projects 7
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Womentum Social Return on Investment Report (2026)Lead
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Social Impact ReportLead
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Womentum SROI StudyLead
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Container City Mother and Child Centres SROI StudyLead
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Farmer Meetings SROI StudyLead
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Umut Kentler VKV Earthquake Fund SROI StudyLead
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Teacher Communities SROI StudyLead
Trainings delivered 4
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Trainer
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Lead trainer
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Lead trainer
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Trainer