DR. MINE ANLAR

Honorary Consul of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Istanbul

Expert in International Diplomacy, Politics and International Business

Woman Leader and Turkish-American Businesswoman

US Representative and Board Member of NEYAD ( Nil Education and Aid Foundation)

Board Member of the Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Advisory Board Member of Haluk Akakce Art, Culture and Education Foundation

Mine Anlar is a expert in political consulting, international diplomacy, international business also travel and non-profit organizations, with over 20 years of experience in international business development and project management.

In 2005, Ms. Anlar established World of Travel, Inc. in New York, a bespoke travel company. In 2018, she partnered in a joint venture with Moneta Global, providing strategic business development and management consultancy services to investors, corporations, and healthcare institutions.

In 2015, Ms. Anlar was appointed as the Women’s President of Türkiye’s AK Party (AK Parti) in U.S.A. , through which she actively supported Türkiye during election periods and represented Turkish interests in the United States.

Under her consultancy, Moneta Global presented the Sierra Leone First Lady’s Medical Center Hospital Project at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 as a model of sustainable development for the region. In the same year, she facilitated the introduction between Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan and Sierra Leone’s First Lady Madam Fatima Bio, contributing significantly to the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries.

In 2020, with Ms. Anlar’s diplomatic efforts, the Sierra Leone Embassy was established in Türkiye. In 2021, she was officially appointed as the Honorary Consul of Sierra Leone in Istanbul. Since 2019, she has actively supported Sierra Leone’s development initiatives, including promoting Presidential Infrastructure Projects to global investors.

Since 2017, Ms. Anlar has organized UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) side events and conferences each March in collaboration with international UN-accredited NGOs, focusing on the empowerment of women and girls.

She was also among the key supporters of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development Conference, held at the United Nations Headquarters in 2017.

Mine received her B.A. in Economy and Management and her master’s degree is in International Relations at Conley American University. She has a PhD in Behavioral Science at UNEM University.

Gordon H.M. Tapper is the Founder of the Charitable Organization, Give Them a Hand Foundation (GTAH). He is currently President of the United African Congress (UAC) (website currently being revamped) and an active Board Member of the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN). He has had a long and distinguished career of over 35 years of service at the United Nations and is a former Chief of Section in the Department of Administration and Management. Mr. Tapper numbers amongst his more important contributions at the UN, his participation in the first free and fair elections held in South Africa as a member of the UNOMSA Mission. Then he was assigned to Kwazulu/Natal where he established and supervised electoral offices and meetings of the peace processes. In 2004 and while still a UN Staff Member Mr. Tapper founded GTAH which has led humanitarian and medical missions to disaster areas, including those affected by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy and to Haiti following the massive earthquake that destroyed much of Port Au Prince. Under his leadership and in partnership with the UAC, GTAH has hosted an annual World Interfaith Harmony Week program at the United Nations Headquarters in New York each February since 2012, bringing people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs together. With UAC, GTAH hosted the first Forum on the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa at the United Nations in August of 2014 in the ECOSOC Chamber with the participation of the ambassadors of the three most affected countries., Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. GTAH and UAC along with other partners have hosted several webinars on the Coronavirus Pandemic in Africa, each one addressing an important sub issue. Speakers included several government ministers, heads of international agencies, academicians, and representatives of NGO’s. With ARDN, Mr. Tapper has hosted an annual ‘Africa Open for Business Summit’ at the UN each year since 2018 for the purpose of advancing the development of the continent. Just this past June 2024, Mr. Tapper hosted a major event at the UN during the meetings of the State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities showcasing persons with disabilities, performing dance, playing musical instruments, singing, and modeling fashionable garments. Partnering on the event were more than a dozen member states led by Sierra Leone. Mr. Tapper is a senior advisor to the Permanent mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations. He is a proud native of Jamaica in the West Indies. He is a graduate of Pace University in New York City from which he obtained a degree in Business Administration.

Bio to come…

Born in Brussels in 1982, Mahinur ÖZDEMİR GÖKTAŞ, graduated from Université Libre de Bruxelles, Department of Economy, Political and Social Sciences. She began her political career as the Vice President of the Schaerbeek Organization of the Francophone Christian Democrat Party CDH.

In 2006, she became a member of the Schaerbeek City Council in Brussels. In the election of 2009, she became a member of Brussels Parliament as the first ever member with a headscarf. Within the context of this duty, which she continued until 2019, she served as the Deputy Chairman of the Social Services Commission of the Brussels Parliament, and the Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women. Throughout her political career, she took an active role in the fields of employment of women, women entrepreneurship, violence against women, domestic violence and equal opportunity as well as environment and urban planning not only in the Brussels Parliament but also in various NGOs. She also took an active role in the fight against discrimination and Islamophobia.

In 2005, she was expelled from her party on the grounds that she did not recognize the allegations of Armenian genocide. She then continued her career as an independent member of Parliament.

For two years, she contributed  to the execution of the “Forgotten Women Project”, which was initiated to increase visibility of the Muslim women in Europe by the European Network against Racism.

For three years, she was placed in ‘The Muslim 500’ list, which identifies the most influential Muslims in the world, declared each year by Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC).

In 2009, she was awarded the title of “Pioneer and Exemplary Woman” by the New Arabic Woman Forum. In 2019, she was declared as one of the most 100 influential women in Belgium. She was awarded the Order of Leopold thanks to her contributions in Belgium in the same year.

Since 2019, she has continued being a member of The Organization of Islamic Cooperation Women’s Consultative Council. In 2020, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Algeria, which made her the first woman Ambassador of Türkiye to North Africa.

On the 4th of June, 2023, she took her place in the cabinet as the Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye.

She is married with two children and speaks French, English and Dutch.

GÖKAY GÜNDOĞDU

Founder & Creative Director of TAGG 

Born and raised in Turkey, Gökay Gündoğdu studied Business Administration at Yeditepe University before continuing his academic path in the United States. He completed Brand Management at the State University of New York and pursued Strategic Marketing at New York University (NYU).

 Driven by a deep interest in design and creative direction, he later moved to Milan to study Design at Domus Academy, expanding his multidisciplinary perspective between business, branding, and fashion.

Throughout his professional journey, Gündoğdu has undertaken creative and managerial roles at internationally renowned brands including Italia Independent, Armani, Bulgari and Valentino.

 In 2015, he founded TAGG, establishing a contemporary ready-to-wear label defined by refined tailoring, elevated craftsmanship, and a confident attitude. As Founder and Creative Director, he translates his modern vision into high-quality ready-to-wear collections that merge luxury with wearability, shaping pieces that express a feminine yet powerful presence.

 Sharp tailoring, confident silhouettes, and a balance between masculine structure and feminine elegance have become his signature codes. Each collection reflects a commitment to refined craftsmanship, precision tailoring and distinctive hand-finished details. Today, TAGG collections are presented and sold in prestigious locations worldwide.

In 2018, Gündoğdu won the OpenMyMed Prize by Maison Mode Méditerranée, representing Turkey among 19 Mediterranean countries. In 2019, he proudly represented Turkey once again in the “Best Of” category during the Mediterranean Summit organized under the patronage of Emmanuel Macron. 

Selected by a distinguished international jury, TAGG exhibited alongside leading designers from 11 countries and iconic names in fashion, including Jacquemus, Koche, Azzedine Alaïa, Christian Lacroix and Paco Rabanne.

In 2026, TAGG marks its 11th anniversary, celebrating a decade of contemporary design, strong identity, and steady international growth.

 Beyond his creative practice, Gündoğdu is a member of the Advisory Board of the Haluk Akakçe Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of the Turkish Fashion Designers Association (Moda Tasarımcıları Derneği), actively contributing to the global positioning and future vision of Turkish fashion.

Bio to come…

Bio to come…

Dr. Judy Kuriansky, fondly called “Dr. Judy” by so many who know and love her, is internationally-known clinical psychologist, humanitarian, philanthropist, author, and award-winning journalist. 

In Academia, she is a professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University Teachers College, and lectures worldwide. She was a visiting professor at Peking Health Sciences Center and the Hong Kong Psychiatric Institute. She avidly supports her students’ professional development, mentoring them on international projects and missions about health in Hanoi, Haiti recovery, at the UN Disaster Risk Reduction Conference in Japan, on women’s rights in Beirut, refugees in Jordan,  at the World Government Summit in Dubai, training Chinese volunteers,  supporting Nepalese health workers, and producing COVID-19 response webinars and interventions worldwide.

At the United Nations for over 20 years, she is an NGO Representative of the International Association of Applied Psychology and World Council for Psychotherapy in consultative status with ECOSOC and association with the Department of Global Communications, and has advocated to secure the inclusion of mental health and well-being in the UN 2030 Agenda, the Political Declaration for UHC, and the Global Compact for Migration, and is an honorary member of the Group of Friends of Mental Health and Well-being, having founded it with Ambassador Otto of Palau during the SDG negotiations in 2014. She has co-organized, moderated and been a speaker at innumerable UN events, including for UN Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Social Development, Science, Technology and Innovation Forum, World Interfaith Harmony Week, the UN High-Level Political Forum, and many others.

As a humanitarian, she has co-developed a girls camp in Africa, and is notably a first responder providing post-disaster recovery worldwide to build psychological resilience after terrorism, natural disasters and epidemics, including after 911, school shootings, and in Japan, China, Iran, St. Maarten, Sri Lanka, Haiti, and for Syrian refugees in Jordan, and significantly went to Sierra Leone not only during AIDS, but during Ebola when everyone was running away, about which she wrote a book, The Psychosocial Issues of a Deadly Epidemic: What Ebola has Taught us about Holistic Healing. She co-developed the Global Kids Connect Project that promotes resilience of children and communities around the world, and the Stand Up for Peace Project that hosts peace charity concerts, symposia, and memorials with original songs and workshops worldwide. 

Her many other books include topics covering international relations, including Ecospsychology: The Intersection of Psychology and Environmental Protection,  Beyond Bullets and Bombs: Grassroots Peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians, and a special journal issue on “Models of Mental Health and Human Rights in Celebration of The 60th Anniversary of The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights for All” as well as interpersonal relationships, including The Complete Guide to A Healthy Relationship, and 31 Things to Raise a Child’s Self-Esteem. Her latest edited volumes are Psychosocial Experiences and Adjustment of Migrants: Coming to the USA and Resilient Health: Leveraging Technology and Social Innovations to Transform Healthcare for COVID-19 Recovery and Beyond. 

A trustee of the United African Congress, and Policy Advisor to H.E. Ambassador Sidique Wai of the Embassy of Sierra Leone to the United States, she has hosted a U.S.-Africa Business Expo and the First Ladies of Africa Health Summit, and also served on the Board of Voices of Africa Mothers.

A strong advocate for gender equality, she has presented at innumerable events during the Commission on the Status of Women on empowerment and leadership, and supports First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Maada Bio’s #HandsOffOurGirls campaign.       

An award-winning journalist and media personality, she has been a reporter, host or expert commentator on innumerable TV shows for decades, pioneered the format of call-in radio advice, and hosted top-rated radio shows for 25 years. A columnist for years — for newspapers such as Singapore’s The Straits Times and the NY Daily News — she also now writes for Black Star News. She has been featured in many magazines from People to Rolling Stone and quoted in innumerable newspapers including in The NY Times. She hosted the Money and Emotions television show on CNBC-TV, and was an expert commentator on ShowBiz Tonight on MSNBC-TV.

A cultural envoy, she invests in Broadway plays, and is a musician who played in an all-woman rock band and is currently a writing and performing partner with Russell Daisey, with whom she writes original anthems about hope and healing, such as Every Woman, Every Child, aligned with the UN campaign, as well as One in Faith for the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, and Honor Our Girls which was written in honor of the First Lady Fatima Maada Bio’s #HandsOffOurGirls campaign. They have performed for the Dalai Lama, Reverend Desmond Tutu, and other dignitaries, and at many peace festivals around the world including in Japan, France and Mexico.

Her many awards include a Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement in Global Peace and Tolerance, and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio recently awarded her as Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel.

She received her Ph.D. from New York University and her B.A. degree from Smith College.

Bio to come…