We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues - Growing Roots

Jennifer Hattam is a freelance journalist who has been living in Istanbul since 2008. She writes about environmental, social, and urban issues, as well as arts and culture, food, and travel for publications including Bloomberg, Culinary Backstreets, Hyperallergic, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Travel + Leisure, and The Washington Post.

Panelists:

Bayan Agha is a Syrian architecture entrepreneur with a multifaceted career across several diverse sectors. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of YOLO Art Center, and formerly Co-founder and CEO of Castyplus casting agency. Adept in media, Bayan served as a programmer and ingest operator for television, also holding a Radio Degree from Arel University. Her creative pursuits extend to filmmaking, such as in her directorial work on short films. Bayan is also an accomplished author, penning the book "Migrant Letters." // https://www.instagram.com/yoloartcenter/

Heather Demir, LMSW, received her Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and is licensed to practice clinical social work by the State of Michigan (USA). She also holds a Master’s of Arts in Asian Studies with a specialization in Japanese, and has lived and worked in both Kosovo and Japan before earning her MSW. She began her social work career in 2009 working with Japanese expats, refugees, and immigrants, and then moved on to work with military veterans in Michigan. Since moving to Istanbul in 2015, she has been working with globally mobile families as a psychotherapist, specializing in the treatment of adjustment-related challenges, trauma, parenting stress, bicultural relationship challenges, and neurodiverse individuals. She is trained in several psychotherapies for stress and trauma, to include Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, CBT, EMDR, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and clinical applications of Polyvagal Theory. She established her private online practice Smooth Transitions Psychotherapy in 2020 and joined The Truman Group in 2021. Her clients include individuals and families of the US government, international school teachers, global companies, and NGOs living in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. She also expects to earn her post-graduate certificate in School-based Social Work through the University of Wisconsin-Madison this May, and has been working this year with British International School in Etiler to gain competence in supporting children with special needs. // https://www.smoothtransitions.world/

Muhammed Juha, hailing from Damascus, has made Istanbul his home since 2014. He thrives in the real estate realm as a Focused Project Manager, adept at project planning and sales, alongside ensuring seamless operations. His expertise extends to guiding manufacturing teams to meet high-quality standards. Muhammed's blend of creativity and analytical skills fuels continuous sales growth. Notably, he infuses modern content creation into his work, maintaining a creative and fun presence on social media. His passion for mentoring and empowering teams further gives him meaning in his professional pursuits. // https://www.instagram.com/muhammed_realestate/