Kaya Gafar

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Resume

kaya gafar

Education

  • 2018-2025
    Istanbul Technical University
    Ph.D. of Earthquake engineering
  • 2010-2013
    Istanbul Technical     University
    Master of Structural engineering
  • 2005-2010
    Islamic Azad     university of Khoy
    Civil engineering

Languages

  • English (Fluent)
  • Turkish (Fluent)
  • Persian (Fluent)
  • Azerbaijani (Fluent)
  • Arabic (Intermediate)

Skills

Leadership & Team Development

  • Team Building & Leadership (Patrick Lencioni frameworks)
  • Applied Management
  • Mindfulness & Conflict-Free Collaboration
  • Organizational Psychology & Behavior Optimization
  • Agile and Kanban management

Engineering & Construction

  • Earthquake Engineering & Seismic Risk Analysis
  • Structural Design (Concrete & Steel)
  • Construction Project Management
  • CSI softwares (ETABS, SAP2000, SAFE)
  • Autocad

Systems & Technology

  • System Architecture & Workflow Design
  • CRM, ERP & API Integration
  • Business Process Automation (Make.com, WooCommerce, Google Suite)
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications
  • Python

Business Intelligence & Strategy

  • Business Intelligence (BI) & Data Analytics
  • Business Modeling & Scalability
  • SEO, SEM & Digital Marketing Strategy
  • Cross-Border E-commerce Operations
  • Google Analytics, Webmaster, Ads, Tag manager
  • MBA-Level Knowledge: Strategy, Organizational Leadership, Financial Planning, Operations

Publications

  • 2013 – Rehabilitation of Corrosion-Damaged Substandard RC Columns Using FRP Sheets – Advanced Materials Research, Vol. 639, pp. 1096–1103
  • 2013 – An Attempt to Repair Corrosion-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Columns Using a Low-Cost Method – Vienna Congress on Earthquake Engineering
  • 2021 – A Machine Learning Framework for Automated Ground Motion Prediction – 1st Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, pp. 533–544
  • Seismic Vulnerability Factors in Earthquake-Affected Urban Areas: A Data-Driven Approach Based on Real Building Data from Hatay — in preparation
  • Earthquake Damage Classification Using Ensemble Machine Learning and Engineered Structural-Seismic Features — in preparation
  • Understanding Earthquake Risk Through Interpretable AI: Insights from SHAP and Transparent Modeling of Building Damage — in preparation

Certificates

  • Yoast SEO for WordPress
  • Kommo CRM Partner

Awards

Selected as one of Turkey’s Top Startups by Etohum (2016)

Executive Education

  • Etohum Startup Camp – Entrepreneurial leadership, venture strategy & fundraising (Istanbul, 2016)
  • İTÜ Çekirdek Acceleration Program – Lean startup methods, business modeling & go-to-market
  • Applied Management (MBA) Training, Arshia Dekami Institute – Delegation, planning, business systemization, control systems. 

Contact

Kaya Gafar
(Pooya Ghaffari)

Strategic Program Manager | AI & Automation Strategist | System Architect — From Engineering Systems to Adaptive Organizations

Solution Architecture & Earthquake Engineer with a Ph.D. from Istanbul Technical University. I design scalable digital and physical systems by combining deep engineering expertise with intelligent automation and strategic business modeling—transforming complex challenges into resilient infrastructures ready for global scalability.

I have more than a decade of experience as a Solution Architect & Earthquake Engineer. I successfully bridge the worlds of structural engineering, artificial intelligence, and business scalability. I conduct advanced seismic risk assessments, build resilient WordPress ecosystems, integrate ERP/CRM systems, and design data-driven marketing platforms. My career reflects a rare fusion of technical mastery and strategic vision.

I specialize in helping businesses and organizations create scalable, automated, and sustainable infrastructures. I engineer systems that are technically sound. These systems are primed for long-term growth, operational excellence, and global adaptability. I work on designing resilient cities and digital enterprises.

🔹 Earthquake Engineering – I bring advanced skill in structural analysis. I am proficient in damage prediction modeling. I use seismic retrofitting strategies. This is underpinned by machine learning research on urban risk resilience.

🔹 Artificial Intelligence – I design intelligent workflows. These workflows transform traditional engineering processes. They automate operational tasks and enhance business intelligence pipelines.

🔹 Strategic Business Development – I work closely with founders and executives. We align technology infrastructure with market scaling strategies. We bridge the gap between innovation and execution.

🔹 Technical Program Management – I oversee complex, cross-disciplinary projects. I balance engineering precision with resource planning. I manage digital automation and performance marketing through agile execution frameworks.

Languages – Fluent in Azerbaijani, Persian, Turkish, and English. I thrive in multicultural, multidisciplinary environments that demand analytical thinking, creative problem-solving, and resilient leadership.

If you’re looking for a strategic partner in solution architecture or earthquake engineering, let’s connect to explore high-impact collaborations.
💬 Open to collaborations, strategic advisory, and international ventures.ures.

Work Experiences

  • 🔹 KayaGafar.com | Founder & Systems Architect
    Istanbul & Remote | 2024 – Present

    Lead architect and strategist for building end-to-end digital and operational systems for clients in e-commerce, real estate, education, and manufacturing.

    • Architected and deployed custom CRM/ERP and AI-driven automation workflows, cutting manual operations by up to 70% for select clients.
    • Engineered WordPress stacks with Google Ads, GA4, GTM, SEO; lifted leads by 40–500%.
    • Orchestrated remote, cross-functional delivery to guarantee on-time completion of multi-phase projects for global clientele.
    • Collaborated directly with founders and executives to align technology infrastructure with growth and scaling strategies.

    Portfolio >

  • 🔹 Moroj Construction Ltd. | Project Director
    Istanbul, Turkey | 2019 – 2024

    Steered the end-to-end lifecycle of residential construction programs—from land research & acquisition to final sales and handover.

    • Reduced municipal permitting time from 3 years to 1 year. This was a −67% reduction, saving 24 months. This was achieved through strategic process management and relationship building.
    • Secured premium land at $500/m² during market lows; appreciated to $1,500/m² within one year (+200%, 3× price).
    • Cut construction costs in two ways. First, source luxury materials from clearance channels. Second, commission custom manufacturing at wholesale rates. This approach preserves top-tier quality while maximizing margins.
    • Achieved over 100% profit in USD (~300% in TRY) — ≥2.0× MOIC (USD), ~4.0× (TRY) on completed developments.
    • Accelerated occupancy permit approval, becoming one of the first projects in the area to secure move-in authorization before unit sales.
    • Drove go-to-market and sales strategy, ensuring prompt, profitable project exits and high client satisfaction.

    Project >

  • 🔹 Fiza Group | Founder & CEO

    Istanbul, Turkey | 2014 – Present

    Founded and scaled an international retail and fulfillment company. The company sources products from Turkey, China, Bangladesh, and Europe. It sells across Iran, Turkey, Europe, and the US.

    • Reached 100,000+ customers; handled 2,000+ orders/day (≈60,000+/month at that daily run-rate)
    • Halved international shipping time (−50%), improving customer satisfaction and retention rates. 
    • Grew the company’s social media presence to 800,000+ followers, leveraging organic and paid strategies for brand dominance.
    • Architected and stood up the entire technical infrastructure using open-source tools, ensuring cost efficiency and scalability.
    • Bootstrapped the business with zero external funding, applying Lean Startup principles to achieve sustainable profitability.
    • Institutionalized ISO-aligned process frameworks, flowchart-driven operations, and algorithmic decision-making for repeatability and auditability.
    • Architected & scaled the company’s tech stack (ERP/CRM + Make.com + Woo + Google Suite + Ads + analytics), cutting manual ops and reporting overhead (aligns with automation intent) and enabling real-time BI.
    • Negotiated global supplier agreements and ensured international compliance, securing competitive pricing and stable supply lines.
    • Selected in 2016 by Etohum Accelerator and İTÜ Çekirdek Incubator as one of Turkey’s top startups.
    • Spearheaded the digital transformation toward scalable, repeatable, cost-efficient operations, turning Fiza into a self-sustaining business ecosystem.

    Portfolio >

  • 🔹 Yalçın Proje | Senior Structural Design Engineer

    Istanbul, Turkey | 2013 – 2015

    Designed structural systems for large-scale concrete and steel buildings across Turkey, Kazakhstan, Iraq, and Azerbaijan. These projects totaled 1,000,000+ m² in built-up area. Projects included residential towers, shopping malls, corporate offices, and industrial facilities.

    • Applied Turkish (TS500, TBDY) and international (EC2, ACI) codes in all phases of design and documentation.
    • Delivered comprehensive structural analysis, modeling, and detailing using ETABS, SAP2000, SAFE, and AutoCAD.
    • Orchestrated multi-disciplinary integration across architectural, MEP, and geotechnical teams to resolve complex constraints.
    • Produced code-compliant, high-performance designs under tight deadlines and multi-country regulations.
    • Developed skill in seismic zone engineering, deep foundation systems, and long-span steel roof structures.
    • Delivered value-engineering analyses and authored technical reports for client approvals and municipal permitting.
    • Increased human-resource throughput by 1,600% (m²/person) (≈17× output per engineer) via optimized design workflows and process automation.

    Portfolio >

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