Founders
Ulku Rowe
Ulku Rowe is a technology executive and passionate advocate for cultural exchange, who has embarked on a new journey as the co-founder of the Turkish American Orchestra. The Turkish American Orchestra embodies Ulku’s vision—a groundbreaking symphonic orchestra showcasing Turkish music from Western classical, to Turkish classical to pop, film, jaz and even rap. With a rich background spanning the tech industry, finance, and nonprofit leadership, Ulku brings a unique perspective and a wealth of experience to this innovative ensemble.
Ulku's professional journey is marked by her trailblazing roles in the technology world, where she has served as a high-ranking tech executive at Google, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Bank of America. Her expertise in cutting-edge technologies like cloud, artificial intelligence and data analytics has driven significant innovation in the industry.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ulku made headlines by winning a significant pay equity and gender discrimination case against a major tech giant, establishing her as a leading voice in social justice and gender equality on the global stage.
Ulku's impact extends beyond the tech industry into cultural and community leadership. She currently serves on the boards of Turkish Philanthropy Funds, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Engineering, and University of Illinois Chicago College of Engineering. She has also served on the Fulbright Association Board of Directors, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York Fintech Advisory Group, and the CapitalG Board of Advisors.
Ulku holds an MS degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BS degree in Computer Engineering from Bogazici University in Istanbul.
Nisan Ak
Selected as one of the thirty most inspiring people under the age of thirty (30 under 30) by Forbes Turkey in 2019, Nisan Ak is a rapidly rising conductor from Istanbul. Since has conducted orchestras on four different continents. Her recent engagements include orchestras in cities such as Ankara, Pachuca, Atlanta, Columbia, Vienna, Pärnu, Washington DC, New York City, and more.
Ak is the founder and the music director of the Bruch Chamber Orchestra (BCO). The BCO has a unique position of being an all-female executive team, a rarity in the classical music world, all under 30. The BCO published its first album in 2022 and was listed in four worldwide playlists by Apple, hitting 100k listeners in under two months.
Besides her career in conducting, Ak is a public advocate for both the accessibility of classical music for all and women’s leadership in the workspace. She creates educational outreach videos in both English and Turkish and gives speeches about women’s visibility and leadership. These engagements include the “+90” channel of Voice of America, TedX talk in METU, short documentaries by CUNY, TRT Music, Haberturk TV, and Mercedes-Benz Turkey.
During the 2022-23 season, she conducted orchestras in cities such as Miami, Palm Beach, San Francisco, Bursa, Quebec and more. Her 2023-24 season highlights include closing Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra’s season with pianist ZeeZee and closing Antalya Symphony’s season with violinist Sara Dragan.
Currently, Dr. Nisan Ak holds adjunct positions at the College of Charleston. She is a graduate of the City University of New York’s Masters of Music program in conducting and earned a Doctorate degree in conducting from the University of South Carolina.