Semi Hakim

Co-Founder & CEO, Kök Projekt

Semi Hakim, after his graduation in Tourism Management, continued his career as a chef after receiving his professional culinary training in Istanbul. As a chef, he conducted research projects on cuisine and culture, worked within gastro-diplomacy projects, coordinated food events, and led projects focused on supporting small-scale food producers in Turkey. In 2015, with his co-founder Shirley Kaston, Semi Hakim co-founded the Kök Projekt and started developing agri-food entrepreneurship programs within the Emerging Markets. Kök Projekt is an accelerator company that works with companies, governmental organizations, and investments funds to develop agri-food acceleration and corporate innovation programs. Headquartered in Istanbul, Kök Projekt, with its 40 plus local partners across the Emerging Markets, works globally to empower food, agriculture, and water entrepreneurship.