Burcu Arıkan

Burcu Arıkan who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Istanbul University and Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, is the co-founder of Myconom; a company transforming agricultural and textile waste into high-performance, mycelium-based composite materials. These materials replace styrofoam, foams, fiberglass, and other petrochemical-based products in packaging, construction, and interior architecture without the use of chemical binders.

Prior to her entrepreneurial journey, she has over 10 years of experience in planning, developing, and executing marketing strategies for leading brands. Before co-founding Myconom, Arıkan founded a social enterprise aimed at improving access to fair and nutritious food through education and urban food production. A flagship product of this initiative, the “Grow It Yourself” mushroom kits, inspired her to co-found Myconom with material engineer Cem Dildar.