Ayse Durmush Selected as Community Judge for Women Build AI Build-A-Thon

London, United Kingdom - 1 May 2026 - Ayse Durmush, founder of The GEO Agency, was selected as a community judge for the Women Build AI Build-A-Thon, an international competition bringing together women builders from around the world to create AI-powered projects in just eight days.

The Build-A-Thon, hosted by the Women Build AI community, attracted teams spanning all experience levels - from women who had never written a line of code in their lives to seasoned developers with years of experience. The competition was designed around one core belief: that the most complex project does not always win. Builders were encouraged to build from the heart, lean into the resources available to them, and trust the process.

The stakes were real. Cash prizes of up to $1,000 were on the table, generously sponsored by AI entrepreneur and community figure Sabrina Ramonov, who also offered a one-on-one mentorship session to the first place winner. Second place took home $700 and third place $300. All winners received annual subscriptions to help them scale and ship their products beyond the competition.

Durmush joined the community judging panel for two rounds of live evaluation on 1 May 2026. Judges were assigned to teams, entered breakout rooms, and assessed projects against a structured set of criteria - fairly, without bias, and on merit alone.

The standard of entries was exceptional. One submission in particular stood out for its human impact - an app designed to help seriously ill patients stay connected with carers who could not be with them full time, allowing loved ones to monitor and support remotely. It was exactly the kind of project that demonstrates what AI is capable of when it is built with genuine purpose, and the kind of story that Durmush and her team at thegeoagency.io work to amplify every day.

"I was not prepared for the emotional weight of some of what was presented," said Durmush. "One entry brought me to tears. Women were solving real problems - not building for the sake of building, but creating tools that could genuinely change lives. That is what this competition was really about."

Durmush brings 28 years of digital marketing and brand strategy experience to her work at The GEO Agency, the UK's only full-service AI visibility agency helping SMEs get found and recommended by AI search engines including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. For business owners who have never heard the term before, a plain-English explainer of what Generative Engine Optimisation actually means for their business is available at thegeoagency.io/what-is-generative-engine-optimisation-geo. Those wanting to know where they currently stand can book a free AI Visibility Audit at thegeoagency.io/audit.

She has worked with major global brands including Google, Apple, Microsoft, LEGO, Virgin, and O2, holds MCIM credentials from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, is a certified Anthropic Claude Architect, and is the author of the ChatGPT Blueprint. Media enquiries can be directed to thegeoagency.io/media.

Durmush's involvement with Women Build AI reflects a wider commitment to advancing women's participation, confidence, and visibility in the AI economy at a time when the industry is moving faster than most businesses can keep up with. That same ethos is at the heart of The AI Visibility Hub at skool.com/the-ai-visibility-hub, a free community she founded for business owners and founders navigating the shift to AI search - built on the belief that this knowledge should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford an agency.

The GEO Agency
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The GEO Agency is the UK's only full-service AI visibility agency, helping SMEs get found and recommended by AI search engines including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Founded by Ayse Durmush - a digital strategist with 28 years of experience and a career spanning Google, Apple, Microsoft, LEGO, Virgin, and O2 - the agency delivers GEO, AEO, SEO, reputation management, and AI automation under one roof. Ayse holds MCIM credentials, is a certified Anthropic Claude Architect, and is the author of the ChatGPT Blueprint. The GEO Agency Ltd is registered in England and Wales, Company No. 17123993.

This release was published on openPR.