A former TÜBİTAK Mathematics Olympiad champion, Hande Özbalyalı graduated with high honors from Istanbul Technical University’s Industrial Engineering Department. During her studies, she gained experience in engineering, Six Sigma, business development, and marketing through roles at BSH, British Petroleum, GFK (Nielsen), and Danone. She began her career at Reckitt Benckiser as Senior Assistant Brand Manager for Vanish, Calgon, and Finish brands, followed by a role at Unilever overseeing five brands across Turkey and Eastern Europe and managing the commercial integration of Kalina in Russia and surrounding regions. In 2018, Özbalyalı established her own venture and became the CEO of Gravel Gıda, which owns Nature by me, one of Turkey’s prominent healthy food brands. She also provides business and marketing consultancy across various sectors, offering expertise in developing effective business plans and strategies.