Our Team

We are a passionate and dedicated team working towards innovative solutions for scoliosis patients.
Team Brace Yourself was founded in September 2024 by four high school students from different cities in Turkey, united by a shared vision of transforming scoliosis care for young people. Led by Sudenaz Irem Ak, our business manager, we bring together diverse skills and expertise. Sivel Tekeli, our social media manager, ensures our message reaches and inspires a wide audience. Kaan Atahan Kardas, our coder, powers our innovation with advanced technology, while Pelin Ecehanim Sen, our product manager, oversees the design and development of Spinaflex. Our team coach Mizan Karavar is a Physics Student from METU, Middle East Technical University, helping us with the research and development of our team. Supporting us every step of the way is Hamit, our playful and ever-present mascot. Together, we’re committed to creating a future where no child is held back by scoliosis.

Meet Our Members

Mizan Karavar
Team Coach

Mizan Karavar is a student from METU (Middle East Technical University) studying Physics. She participated in the Solve For Tomorrow Competition by Samsung with Team Akana which Sudenaz Irem Ak is a member of, in 2024 as their team coach, leading them to success, placing 2nd Nationally in the competition. She got nominated to become a mentor in the Earth Prize Challenge and will participate in the Aspire Institute founded by Harvard Business School. She is empowering our team for our research, design and development.

Sudenaz Irem Ak
Business Manager

Sudenaz Irem Ak is a junior pursuing IB in Private Zafer College from Ankara, Turkiye. She is a past scoliosis patient and she is passionate about making STEM accessible and environmental sustainability through education. She is interested in computer science and physics as well as linguistics and cultures. She has founded four startups. She is the Leader and Business Manager of Brace Yourself where she uses her skills from her past experiences and her past experiences with scoliosis and projects to utilize a successfull and sustainable impact for Spinaflex. Furthermore, she arranges meetings, sketches the prototypes and developed the website using HTML, CSS and Java Script.

Sivel Tekeli
Social Media Manager

Sivel Tekeli is a freshman at TUBITAK Science High School, Kocaeli, Turkey. She participates in various competitions and she is acting as the Social Media Manager of Brace Yourself. She uses her skills and expertise to manage the YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts where she creates various content. Furthermore, she works on the impact on the Spinaflex and our work where she hosts interviews with patients and experts.

Kaan Atahan Kardas
Coder

Kaan Atahan Kardas is a freshman at TUBITAK Science High School, Kocaeli, Turkey. He participates in various competitions and she is acting as the Coder of Brace Yourself. He uses his skills and expertise in coding and technology where he developed our AI integrated App for usage with Flutter. Furthermore, he designed the app to be able to give feedback, notifications and other features to increase user satisfaction and friendliness.

Pelin Ecehanim Sen
Product Manager

Pelin Ecehanim Sen is a freshman at TUBITAK Science High School, Kocaeli, Turkey. She is the product manager of Brace Yourself and oversees the design and production process. She also participates in a variety of science projects to enhance her competencies in this field. Her research interests lie in material units. She contributes to our work in the field of health by designing the braces, selecting the materials, completing her responsibilities as a team member, adhering to the plans and calendars, and following the appropriate procedures.

Hamit
Mascot

Hamit is the cat of Sudenaz. He didn't miss any of our team meetings, which showed his dedication towards our goal of providing a sustainable and comfortable scoliosis brace. He then decided to become our mascot and Sivel used her designing skills to make an animated Hamit to use in our future posts and app.