I’m Umit Gokce

I’m a Tech Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur lets me conceive and act on things that are meaningful to me. My earliest related memories are from various work-for-hire services I provided in my childhood neighborhood — helping out people; increasing my work output. Fast-forward to today, and it’s still about serving people’s needs and wants through scalable solutions.

Basic Data:
4 Startups Founded
145 Total Employees
6,000+ Paid Customers

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I love getting tactical and solving problems hands-on as much as being strategic and developing meaningful innovations.

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I strive to blend a mastery of methodologies and best practices together with proficiencies in best-of-breed tools and techniques.

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Whether I'm pitching, selling or just sharing, my goal is to make it a story, make it human, make it empathic and make it matter.

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Nothing compels me more than leading a dedicated team towards important goals at the speed and efficiency of a startup.

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I've applied and optimized technology to form several solution-driven startups in travel, healthcare, wellness and sports.

Energy Kit Apple Watch App

I’m a Product Designer

For as long as I can remember, I’ve instinctively attempted a left brain / right brain balance. Logic and analysis appeal to me as greatly as creativity and aesthetics. UX design therefore represented left-right brain balance in software, web and mobile design. Once I wrapped my brain (both sides) around that, I knew I found my place.

Basic Data:
125+ Product/UX Design Projects
17 Years of User-Centered Design
14 Years of Mobile UX/UI Design

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What defines me as a product designer is the deep compassion I have for users as well as my ability to work effectively across numerous disciplines.

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When facing design challenges, I don't just create solutions on my own — I seek an understanding from all relevant users and subject matter experts.

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Having a broad range of experiences, from wearing a large number of hats, lets me collaborate well in teams and empathize sincerely with customers.

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While my formal education is in engineering and business, I'm self-taught in design — the former influencing the latter, making it instinctively process-driven and detail-oriented.

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The bottom line is I care greatly for people and am forever fueled by a passion for solving challenging problems through great user experiences.

University of Washington Lecture

I’m an Educator

I used to give a lecture titled, “The Accidental Educator.” I explained how, as an early Flash developer, I felt empowered to create worthwhile experiences capable of reaching large and distant audiences. That technology and my early understandings served as a foundation for greater things to come.

Basic Data:
11 Years University Board Member
8 Years University Student Mentor
7 Years University and H.S. Lecturer

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First off, I'm a voracious learner, but I get greater satisfaction from teaching, mentoring and coaching.

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Becoming an effective educator has yielded big benefits in generally being a more interactive and results-driven communicator.

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I'm passionate about creating educational experience that engage, stimulate and empower students.

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I love the idea of advancing educational norms through best practices and tools sourced from outside industries.

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I've learned an amazing amount from my students, and they've become a great source of honest, instant feedback for book chapters and other new material.

Highlands Soccer Club's Volunteer Coaches

I’m a Community Organizer

Being a father is my single greatest source of inspiration. My world view has been inextricably shaped through fatherhood. I can clearly imagine a better place — be it the neighborhood, country or planet — when considering how important matters will impact my child and her global peer group.

Basic Data:
400 Volunteers Recruited and Managed
36 Scholarships Sponsored
10 Years of 150+ Hrs/Yr Volunteering

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I'm driven by a vision for common understanding — bridging divergent needs and wants through an emphasis on peoples' core values.

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I emphasize skill building, participant enjoyment and ongoing feedback as the optimal mechanism for community program development.

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Its a truly rewarding experience to create opportunities that get people excited about volunteering time and energy in their communities.

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I've come to understand the best community program has the greatest relevance combined with the highest accessibility leading to tons of word-of-mouth.

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One of the best parts of organizing is when other people take the lead and use what they've been shown to create new solutions.