Seeking a shared life that cares for people, work and nature

We can build a life where we are good to one another.

We want a say in decisions that affect our lives, fair recognition for our work, and the freedom to ask for support when we need it. This is the spirit in which we are building BenBiz. By considering learning, production, livelihoods and our relationship with nature together, we are developing ways to live with care for one another. A life where everyone can remain themselves and share fairly in the possibilities we create together.

We complete together, and together we become complete.

Discover BenBiz →

People with different skills and resources completing one shared work together — Conceptual image · Different contributions meet in one shared work, each keeping its own character.

Equality in human dignity.

Fairness in recognising contribution.

Why BenBiz?

Good intentions need a sound foundation if they are to last.

We come together with good intentions: to support one another, learn or make something together. Yet over time, the whole load can fall on the person trying to keep things going. They put their own needs aside, with less and less time to rest or be with the people they love. The work depends on their sacrifices. When they become exhausted and step back, something that was helping others too can come to a halt.

Building a new project on an unsound foundation can reproduce the same problems. When a few people make the decisions, contributions go unrecognised and responsibilities are not clearly shared, even well-intentioned people are worn down. That is why we need to rethink how we see things and how we act together.

At BenBiz, we are working to rebuild that foundation with today’s needs and possibilities in mind. We are developing methods that support different views being heard, open discussion of compensation for contributions, and responsibilities shared according to what each person can take on. We also use technology to make decisions and contributions visible to everyone involved. We want good work—from education and production to livelihoods and shared living—to grow through relationships people can trust and sustain while caring for their own needs.

BenBiz, at its simplest

BenBiz is an ecosystem of solidarity whose initiatives and tools complement one another.

We call small communities that share responsibility for a common need Solidarity Circles. While each circle carries out its own work, the knowledge it gains and the possibilities it creates can help other initiatives move forward.

The member app provides a shared workspace for the circles. BenBiz Store and Exchange bring these connections into everyday life: products, services, spaces and materials can meet different needs.

Let’s look at a bag idea to see how these parts can come together in a production project.

The journey of an idea

What if the drawing in your notebook found the people who could complete it?

You have designed a bag; the drawing is ready. But the fabric, sewing machine, production experience or a way to reach people is still missing. Others have knowledge, effort or resources that could become part of this work. BenBiz brings those missing pieces to the same table.

How can we respect the person behind the idea and bring together what each of us can contribute?

01 · Agreement comes before action
Terms are discussed before the work begins.
Tasks, expenses, responsibilities, decision-making and recognition are placed on the same table from the first step.
02 · Differences meet in shared work
Each person takes on the part they can complete.
One person designs, another makes; someone else brings materials, time, a place to work or a way to reach people.
03 · No contribution loses its trace
We recognise not only the final touch, but all the effort that made the work possible.
Preparation, care, coordination, risk, communication and the effort of keeping things going all find their place in the shared memory.

It begins as a drawing in one person’s notebook. It can become a shared work that carries the effort, responsibility and rights of everyone who made it possible.

The Solidarity Circle

How do we look after one another as we move forward together?

When we learn, make things or build a shared living space together, each of us has different needs, time and responsibilities. In a Solidarity Circle, we talk openly about what we need as well as what we can take on. With these circumstances in mind, we agree together on how to make decisions and what people receive in return for their work.

That conversation continues throughout the work. If the time someone can give changes, or their task takes more effort than we expected, we talk through the terms again with the people involved. We keep track of our decisions and shared responsibilities together.

01
We understand the need together.
What are we trying to create or solve? Who is affected by this need? By listening to one another, we describe the need clearly and work out together what we have and what is missing.
02
Bring people and resources together.
Knowledge, work, time, space, materials and financial resources come together where they are needed. Not every idea has to become a circle straight away.
03
We reach a clear agreement before starting.
Together, we agree who will take on each task, how long the work will take and how we will make decisions. We also discuss how expenses will be covered, fees and pay, and how any shared earnings will be divided.
04
We record our agreements and contributions.
We record what we have agreed, who has taken on each responsibility and the contributions made. This helps us follow the work together. Preparation, care and maintenance, risks taken and the effort of keeping the work going are also taken into account.

Explore the method in detail →Read the shared principles See how Shared Decisions works

BenBiz app

A place to get to know one another and move forward together.

As shared work grows, it becomes harder for one person to remember every task and decision. The BenBiz app makes it easier to follow the work together. We are also developing it as a social space where we can get to know one another, share experiences and meet around common interests.

A conversation here could open the way to learning together or bringing a long-held idea to life. Through the app, we are connecting tools that support shared decisions, discussing what we receive for our work, and bringing products and services to people who need them.

Guest discovery screen of the BenBiz member app — Actual guest screen · The circle content is an illustrative example and is currently in Turkish.

Account-free discovery is open · Member workflows are in pilot use

Explore without an account

Four scenes of different people in the city sewing, preparing, photographing and introducing the same green bag online — Conceptual image · Making, preparation and promotion coming together around the same bag.

Connected routes within the same work

The bag is finished. Does the story end here?

The bag we make together could meet someone else’s need. In Exchange, we can agree on what to receive in return, such as the fabric or workshop support we need for our next piece of work.

In BenBiz Store, we can introduce the bag alongside the stories of the people who designed and made it. What we learn here can also guide the next piece of work.

Explore the Store’s place in this cycle →Explore exchange examples →

Why do we need these tools?

Tools that complement one another.

Meet the community

Who could you talk to about what is on your mind?

You may be curious about a subject, want to share your experience or think through a question with others. Meet the community is a social space within the app where we can get to know one another through our interests and stories. In conversation, we can learn from one another, build friendships and, if we wish, develop an idea together.

The member network is in pilot use.Get to know the community →

Shared Decisions

Let your voice be heard in decisions that affect you.

A decision that suits the majority may make life harder for some of us. In Shared Decisions, we listen to minority views too and think together about who a decision will affect and how. For a proposal to be accepted, at least 60% of those eligible to vote must take part, and at least 60% of all votes cast must be in favour. Opposing views that people share remain in our common record.

In pilot use in the app.Get to know Shared Decisions →

Value and Fairness Engine

Discuss your fair share with confidence.

When we create something together, some contribute their skill, others the preparation, and others the responsibility they take on. When it comes to sharing the outcome, we want a clear answer to “How was my work taken into account?” We are developing the Value and Fairness Engine to help us assess the work done, the responsibilities carried and the benefit created together. In the app’s laboratory, we try this out with example contributions; seeing the assessment and being able to challenge it are also part of this approach.

Learning and practice laboratory.Get to know the Engine →

Exchange

Meet your needs with what you can offer.

An unused item, a skill or an available space could help you meet a need. In Exchange, share what you need and can offer, then agree on the scope, return and delivery together. Voluntary support expects no return. Circles can also find contributions for a shared project here; project returns and sharing arrangements are agreed separately within the circle.

Member listings and offers are open.Get to know Exchange →

BenBiz Store

Choosing a product and getting to know its maker.

Behind a product are knowledge, time and skill. We are developing BenBiz Store as a marketplace where you can get to know products, courses and services alongside the stories and working conditions of the people who offer them. We want makers to earn from their work and be able to keep doing it, and people seeking something to choose knowing what they are getting and from whom.

The catalogue is open; real sales and payments are closed.Get to know the Store →

BenAkçe · BenGram

Discuss the same value using a shared measure.

The return for a piece of work may be agreed today and paid on another day. As prices change, the needs the same amount can meet change too. We are developing BenAkçe and BenGram to express an agreed return using a gold reference. 100 BenAkçe = 1 BenGram; 1 BenGram represents the reference value of 1 gram of gold. Today, you can explore this calculation in the converter using dated data. A gold reference does not guarantee purchasing power.

Rights tracking is in the application. Informational converter open; wallets and payments are not available.Get to know BenAkçe and BenGram →

No number can measure the value of a human being. A record only makes a specific piece of work visible; the final word remains with a reasoned human decision and an open route for objection.

From ideas into everyday life

Ways to learn, create and live together.

An accessible education, a shared table sustained by people’s work, a place to explore what interests you… At BenBiz, different initiatives aim to bring people and resources together around these needs. Each is at a different stage; below, you can see where it stands today and its next step.

Learning and presentations from a previous adult workshop shared by the mindbugnush educators

Pilot in preparation · Istanbul

BenBiz & mindbugnush

mindbugnush is a research and development team working on the mind. At BenBiz, we are preparing together in Istanbul to connect people who want to learn with Şeref Gökmen and Elif Özcan’s educational programmes.

Today: Get in touch to discuss training and consultancy options suited to your needs.
Next step: Shall we plan a training programme for you and your team with BenBiz and mindbugnush?

Get to know BenBiz & mindbugnush →

Land, growing areas and homes meeting in a shared-living horizon — Conceptual image · A horizon under exploration, not an established settlement.

Long-term work · Place and core team under exploration

ObaNova

A table set with food grown together, a workshop where new ideas are tested, your own space to retreat and rest… ObaNova is an idea for a network of small settlements that bring living, production and learning together in harmony with nature. Each oba takes shape through the experience of the people who create it and the conditions of its location. We aim to explore the solidarity we are developing in BenBiz in everyday life through shared decisions and responsibilities.

Today: Places, real needs, permissions and available resources are being considered.
Next step: Define the smallest observable trial with a suitable place and people.

See where ObaNova stands today →

Different generations exploring nature, craft and science together in a workshop — Conceptual image · A proposed learning approach, not an open school.

Community proposal · In design and development

Apatheia

When you build a solar oven, you can bring science, practical skill and creativity into the same task. Apatheia, Tahir Akıncı’s independent education and culture proposal, aims to bring science, art, craft and nature together around the questions that interest you. The first proposed step is a travelling school that visits places where knowledge is created, alongside an archive for sharing experiences. BenBiz is exploring ways to connect this idea with people who could contribute, while respecting its author and its distinctive approach.

Today: There is no open circle, student enrolment or confirmed programme.
Next step: Define the first trial’s scope, team, permissions and needs.

Explore Apatheia’s direction and first step →

See the current state of every project and proposal →

A place to read, learn and improve

Start with the question on your mind.

Working together, you might ask, “How will we make this decision?” or “How will we discuss what people receive in return for their work?” The Reading Area is a place for learning and development where you can explore BenBiz’s thinking and how it works through questions like these. You can start with short answers and examples, go deeper into a topic through the guides, and read the original sources. With current explanations and earlier documents side by side, you can also follow how the ideas have developed.

Enter the Reading Area →

Hands contributing notes and plant drawings to a shared learning table — Conceptual image · Different experiences can help us explore the same question.

Right now at BenBiz

Ways you can explore today.

Editorial update5 October 2026

Account-free discovery

Take a first look inside the application.

Explore public work in the guest area. Private circle workspaces open after a conversation and approval.

Explore the guest area

Call status

There are no open calls for applications right now.

Contribution areas remain in preparation; cards without confirmed terms are not presented as open listings.

See areas in preparation

Needs and contributions

Begin exchanging with what you can offer.

Read listings without an account; publish listings and offers with your verified BenBiz account. A monetary contribution is a pledge; no money is collected here.

Explore needs and contributions

Which path feels closest to you?

Let’s begin by talking about what you want to do.

You may want to try out an idea, find a way to meet a need or share something you know. Perhaps you would like to take part in a project that interests you. By talking about your intentions, what you have available and the time you can give, we can discover how we could complement one another.

I have an idea or a need

You might want to set up a workshop, solve an everyday problem or learn something new. Tell us what you want to do and what you are finding difficult right now. Let’s begin by understanding your idea or need together and considering the people and resources that could help.

Share your idea or need →

I have something to contribute

You can share what you know about a subject, lend a hand with a task or make your space available for a project. Materials, a tool you are not using, your connections or financial resources could also help meet a need. Let’s talk about what you could offer, the time you can give and the terms that work for you.

Share what you could contribute →

I would like to take part in a project

Look at the purpose, current stage and needs of a project that interests you. If you see a place that could suit you, tell us what you would like to do and how much time you can give. Let’s discuss the first step and the terms for taking part with the people leading the project.

Get to know the projects →

An idea, materials and hands-on work meeting around a shared build already under way — **Taking part does not mean fitting into a ready-made mould.** It means arriving as you are and discovering together what you can offer, what you need, and where the two might meet.

Before the first step

There is room for your questions.

Here you can find short answers to questions about membership, contributions, what people receive in return for their work and the terms for taking part. To explore a topic in more detail, continue with the explanations in the Reading Area.

01Where can I start getting to know BenBiz?

Depending on what interests you, you can read the explanations in the Reading Area, explore Projects or visit the app’s guest area. You do not need an account for any of these. If you have an idea, a need or something to contribute, we can begin a conversation through the Ways to Join section.

02What happens after I share an idea or a need?

We first try to understand what you want to do, what you need and the resources you have. If we decide to move forward together, we consider who could contribute and where we could begin.

03How can I take part in a project that interests me?

On the Projects page, look at the project’s purpose, current stage and needs. Share your interest and the time you can give; let’s discuss how you could contribute, the first step and the terms for taking part with the people leading the project.

04Do I need to contribute money to take part?

You do not need money to get to know BenBiz, ask questions or share an idea. If a project involves expenses, pay or a financial contribution, we discuss together who will cover these and under what terms within that project.

05How do we agree on what I receive in return for my work?

We distinguish voluntary contributions, pay, expenses and any possible share of earnings from shared work. Before work begins, we openly discuss tasks, responsibilities and what people will receive in return for their work with everyone taking part.

06Can I use the app without joining a circle?

Yes. You can explore the guest area without creating an account. As an Explorer Member, you can get to know people in the member network and share your ideas and experiences. Joining a circle’s private workspace involves getting acquainted with that circle and going through its approval process.

07Can I use Takas if I do not have a product?

Yes. A skill, your work or use of a space for an agreed period can also be part of your offer. You share what you need and what you can offer in exchange, then agree on the terms with the other person. If you would like to offer support without expecting anything in return, you can choose the solidarity route.

08Can I take part if I live outside Türkiye?

Yes. Share your interest from wherever you are. Remote or in-person participation depends on the relevant work’s needs.

Read the fuller answers in the Reading Area

First step: let’s meet

Tell us briefly; let’s find the first step together.

You may want to share something on your mind or simply get to know us better. Let’s begin here.

We complete together,
and together we become complete.

01 · No membership needed

A simple hello is enough.

Share your name, email and what you would like to discuss. Your message is used only to get acquainted and consider a possible way to take part.

Checking form availability…

How is your information used?

Your name, email, selected area and message are recorded to discuss and assess participation. Metehan Tamer Mete manages these enquiries for BenBiz; other members and coordinators cannot access them. Records are stored in the site’s Cloudflare-based service. For questions, corrections or deletion requests, contact iletiselim@benbiz.com.tr. Records no longer needed can be deleted by the person responsible. This form does not create membership, a payment or a marketing subscription.

Write an email to introduce yourself

02 · For members

Let’s meet around what interests us.

In the member network, we can get to know one another through shared interests and stories. As a member, you can meet people who choose to be visible and share as much of yourself as you wish.

Real profiles are visible only to signed-in members; email addresses and phone numbers are never published on profile cards.

Discover the community Become an Explorer Member