The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

Erdem Ovacık, co-founder of Donkey Republic, built one of Europe’s leading bike-sharing companies from Denmark — but success as an international entrepreneur hasn’t come easy

Photo: Erdem Ovacık, Donkey Republic.

Seljan Zeynalli

May 9, 2025

If you’ve ever rented an orange bike in a European city, chances are you’ve used a Donkey Republic bicycle — a service co-created by Erdem Ovacık, a Turkish-born systems thinker and entrepreneur focused on societal change. But while the bright bikes are now a common sight in cities across Europe, few know they were born […]

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“The biggest problem is the recognition of foreign diplomas”: interview to Jens Kristian Lütken, Mayor of Copenhagen for Employment and Integration

On Monday afternoon, Copenhageners braved the rain to converge at Copenhagen Capacity’s office for the unveiling of the latter’s Expat Survey 2025. Findings were revealed, explanations shared, questions posed, and a panel discussion to address pain points held. Afterwards, we caught up with panel member, Jens Kristian Lütken for his exclusive take on the issue of internationals in Denmark.
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“The biggest problem is the recognition of foreign diplomas”: interview to Jens Kristian Lütken, Mayor of Copenhagen for Employment and Integration

On Monday afternoon, Copenhageners braved the rain to converge at Copenhagen Capacity’s office for the unveiling of the latter’s Expat Survey 2025. Findings were revealed, explanations shared, questions posed, and a panel discussion to address pain points held. Afterwards, we caught up with panel member, Jens Kristian Lütken for his exclusive take on the issue of internationals in Denmark.
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