Founder, 10Fold-HFX

Metropolis: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nation of origin: Turkiye

Named one among Atlantic Canada’s Most Inspiring Immigrants in 2024, Burcu Kaptan’s journey displays resilience, willpower and a profound dedication to social accountability.

Initially from Ankara, Turkiye, she started her Canadian journey in 2002, settling in Halifax, Nova Scotia, whereas eight months pregnant, establishing roots. Similar to the newcomers she helps right now, Kaptan confronted quite a few challenges as a everlasting resident, navigating the unfamiliar territory of a brand new nation with out her established assist programs as an immigrant girl and mom.

Together with her worldwide expertise and post-graduate research in human assets administration from each Istanbul College and NSCC in Atlantic Canada, she launched into a journey of skilled progress intertwined with group empowerment.

Kaptan’s advocacy extends to figuring out expertise and supporting people to succeed in their potential, particularly immigrant girls, and advocating for function fashions in senior management positions. As president of Turkish Society of Nova Scotia, her efforts encourage newcomers to work towards their futures and keep within the Atlantic area and Canada. Her dedication to fostering inclusive communities earned her recognition as a pacesetter dedicated to social affect, variety and supporting the Turkish group. This recognition was additional solidified by her lively involvement in group aid efforts following the Turkish earthquake, the place she performed a pivotal function in supporting the reunification of affected households.

Moreover, leveraging various platforms, Kaptan has devoted herself to linking completely different generations of immigrants, spanning from kids to worldwide college students, newcomers and rising companies, with Canadian companions all year long. By way of her LinkedIn and Instagram account @KanadaliKadin, she has constructed a group of over 5,000 girls from Canada and Turkiye, providing steerage on navigating the Canadian expertise. She repeatedly works towards gender equality for ladies and accessibility to info for newcomers, fostering real alternatives for integration.

After a 20-year Canadian company profession and public service, Kaptan has launched into yet one more journey as an entrepreneur in digital HR, establishing 10Fold-HFX. Her focus extends past sharing her experience in systemic change and digitizing individuals and tradition applications; she is dedicated to supporting the immigrant group and dealing on a venture for the mixing of newcomers and constructing a stronger and extra inclusive group throughout Canada.

Past her skilled endeavours, she stands tall not just for herself but in addition for all immigrant girls throughout Canada who’re redefining success regardless of the boundaries they face and striving to succeed in their true potential. Furthermore, she serves as a founding government committee member of the Canadian Turkish Enterprise Council-Ladies’s Community, additional supporting her dedication to empowering immigrant girls.

Her journey serves as a testomony to the transformative energy of willpower and group constructing, embodying the resilience and spirit of immigrants who enrich their environments with various views and experiences they create to the desk. Kaptan fittingly concludes her group speeches with the profound reminder that in a group, there is no such thing as a “me” or “you,” solely “we,” and collectively, we’re stronger.