Building the Future of AI Education
AI Project Academy began as a parent-led initiative driven by a group of concerned families who wanted to ensure children had safe, meaningful, and guided exposure to AI. Recognizing both the opportunities and risks of emerging technologies, we collaborate with educators and industry professionals to create a hands-on, project-based learning environment that empowers kids to become ethical innovators and confident problem-solvers.
Our Mission
Our mission is to cultivate a generation of knowledgeable, independent thinkers and innovators who can thoughtfully navigate and shape an AI-integrated world. We aim to teach students to engage with AI tools critically while maintaining their own reasoning, creativity, and entrepreneurial mindset.
Our Vision
At AI Project Academy, we believe that human judgment, creativity, and values must guide every human-AI collaboration. We envision a future where students augment their thinking and creativity with AI and become ethical, innovative and impactful leaders for a purpose-driven world.
Team
Co-Founder
VP
Burcu Mutlu, Ph.D.
Dr. Burcu Mutlu has over 15 years of experience in education and instructional design, including roles in government and higher education. She currently designs training for Cyber and Analytic Solutions in the Federal Government. At AI Project Academy, Burcu leads real-world AI projects that build foundational AI literacy and 21st-century skills. Her mission is to help the next generation think critically, create with confidence, and use technology with purpose.
Co-Founder
Chief Marketing Officer
Zehra Ozge Yilmaz Peker, MSc.
Özge is a marketing strategist with global experience in brand development and communications. She holds degrees in Industrial Engineering and Information Technology and has led award-winning campaigns. At AI Project Academy, she drives marketing and operations, blending her passion for technology, storytelling, and education to help make AI literacy accessible and inspiring for every learner.
Director of Virginia/DC Office
Chief Executive Officer
Uno Mutlu, Ph.D.
Dr. Uno Mutlu brings more than 20 years of steering high-growth ventures at the crossroads of advanced technology and academic research. Committed to ethical innovation, Uno launched the academy to equip the next-gen with practical, real-world AI skills. When not charting strategy, you’ll find him mentoring young engineers or sketching ideas on the nearest napkin. Uno has co-authored 60+ publications and patents: across a broad spectrum of science and engineering. Uno left footprints at Purdue University, Indiana (Engineering + Instructor, Department of Mathematics) and Stanford University (Earth Sciences, Earthquake/Fracture Mechanics).
Co-Founder
Chief Learning Officer &
Director of Boston Branch
Gamze Yilmaz, Ph.D.
Dr. Gamze Yilmaz is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Boston with expertise in AI-enhanced pedagogy and innovative teaching methodologies. Her research focuses on cognitive processes in digital media and the impact of pedagogical innovations on student learning experiences. At AI Project Academy, she ensures our curriculum meets the highest standards for teaching kids ethical and effective human-AI collaboration skills by blending academic rigor with playful, real-world learning.
Co-Founder
Chief Technology Officer
Gun Karagoz, MSc.
​​Gün turns complex ideas into smart and scalable solutions. He blends product thinking and AI to build tools and project-based curricula that spark curiosity. With experience in teaching and training, he builds bridges between abstract ideas and real understanding.