Location Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey Regions Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Middle East, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Gender Male Also Known As Sam
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Sam Chaqan is a Turkish entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Llavia, a fashion-focused artificial intelligence startup based in Istanbul. He co-founded the company in 2021 with Emerson Uyghur at the age of 17, initially serving as Chief Financial Officer before becoming Chief Operating Officer and later CEO
following Uyghur’s departure.
Chaqan played a key role in Llavia’s operational and financial strategy during its formative years, helping to position the company as a pioneer in generative AI for fashion design. Prior to Llavia, he held an executive role at Hichzat, a microblogging platform focused on free expression, where he served as Chief Operating Officer from 2020 to 2021.
His leadership at Llavia was marked by efforts to scale the company’s AI capabilities and forge partnerships with independent fashion houses through the House of Llavia initiative. Despite Llavia’s eventual closure in early 2023, Chaqan remains a notable figure in Türkiye’s emerging tech ecosystem.
