Mert Karakus

Mert Karakus has a diverse work experience that spans several industries. Mert is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oda Studio since 2019. Prior to that, they worked as a Researcher at MIT Media Lab Digital Currency Initiative from October 2018 to May 2019, where they focused on analyzing consensus protocols and developing a framework for evaluating blockchain reliability and governance. Before that, Mert worked as an Associate Financial Economist at Cornerstone Research from August 2011 to July 2018.

Mert Karakus began their education at Bates College, where they obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Economics from 2007 to 2011. Later, they pursued further education at the MIT Sloan School of Management, enrolling in their Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in 2018. However, they dropped out of the program in 2021. During this time, they also attended the Harvard Kennedy School from 2018 to 2021, aiming to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. Nevertheless, they also dropped out from this program. Additionally, Mert has participated at Y Combinator in the W20 class, although no specific degree or field of study is mentioned.