Ilke has been working in the water/wastewater sector in the U.S. for over a decade as a consultant and project manager. She is an environmental engineer, small-scale farmer supporter, and advocate of sustainable approaches. She volunteered for Water For People in its North Carolina committee and completed capacity-building projects in Bolivia. She worked in Turkey for a brief period at the Third Sector Foundation of Turkey to help strengthen civil society organizations. She loves taking part in rural development projects and likes to work towards making small-scale businesses more economically and environmentally sustainable. She has a great passion for introducing Turkish cuisine and the farmers and runs a personal blog focusing on Turkish food, farming, and its environmental problems at Intertwined Earth.