Turkish & Ottoman Studies Program | Near Eastern Languages & Civilization | University of Washington
Turkey in Seattle : an Oral History Project
Born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1965, Koray Ozcubukcu was the son of a financial analyst and a homemaker. His early years included a move to Mersin on Turkey's southern coast and a period in the country's central region. By high school, Koray returned to Istanbul to attend Işık School, known for its diverse international student body. He pursued electrical engineering at Istanbul Technical University, graduating to a computer engineering position in Tripoli, Libya. This opportunity allowed him to shorten his mandatory military service. After completing three years in Libya and two months in the military, a friend's advice led him to the United States for an MBA, landing him at the University of Arkansas in 1990. During his five-year stay, he worked as a software engineer in Little Rock to support himself, eventually graduating with numerous job propositions. Choosing a software consulting role in Seattle, he met his future wife through a phone introduction, leading to her move from Turkey and their swift marriage. Now a father of three, Koray is the CFO of Blue.cloud and has made significant contributions to the software consulting field. Koray emphasizes the importance of diligence and assisting others, valuing international collaboration and cultural exchange, and is an active member of Seattle's Turkish community.