Our Team
The people building a global student movement — one city at a time.
The people behind YouthBridge
A student-led founding team building the movement from the ground up.
Ali Baha Demir
Founder & Lead
İstanbul Atatürk Fen Lisesi. Envisioned YouthBridge to connect students globally.
LinkedInEge Aydoğdu
Head of Operations
Oversees logistics, onboarding, and city expansion.
Ebrar Ece Çiftçi
Head of Community
Manages ambassador relations and WhatsApp groups.
Cem Ural
Head of Projects
Coordinates project sprints and team formations.
Founding team — growing as we expand.
Who We Are
YouthBridge is a student-founded, student-led movement connecting high school students across borders. We believe that the next generation of leaders, creators, and changemakers should start collaborating before university — not after. Our founding team is composed of passionate students who share a vision for global student collaboration, building bridges across cultures, disciplines, and geographies.
Our Mission
To create a worldwide network where students can meet, collaborate, and build meaningful projects together — regardless of where they live. We aim to lower the barriers to international collaboration, making it as easy for a student in Istanbul to work with a peer in Berlin, São Paulo, or Seoul as it is to work with a classmate next door.
Our Vision
A world where every high school student has access to a global peer network for learning, building, and growing. YouthBridge is a global movement. We envision active chapters and impact sprints operating simultaneously worldwide, entirely led by students and connected through a shared mission to solve the challenges of tomorrow.
Leadership Model
YouthBridge is designed to be led by its members. Our leadership model evolves through distinct phases:
- ▸Core Team — Guides the overarching vision, builds infrastructure, and supports global projects.
- ▸Ambassador Network — Founding ambassadors represent their schools and cities, building local communities.
- ▸City Representatives — As chapters grow, city-level coordinators emerge to manage regional operations.
- ▸Future Governance — A transparent, merit-based handover model ensures long-term sustainability and fresh leadership.
Our Values
- ▸Global by default — Every decision considers our international community first.
- ▸Student-led, always — Adults advise; students decide and execute.
- ▸Build, don't just talk — Real projects, real collaboration, real impact.
- ▸Transparency — Open communication, honest metrics, and no inflated claims.
- ▸Inclusivity — Every student, everywhere, is welcome regardless of background.