Our story
We first met in middle school and have been friends ever since. Life took us in different directions for a while — across countries, studies, jobs, and career paths — before bringing us both back to Türkiye.
Over the years, we worked across NGOs, journalism, design, government, and international initiatives. In different ways, we kept seeing the same challenge: people doing meaningful work often had powerful stories, but not always the words, structure, or confidence to tell them clearly.
That’s why we started Dial Down. We work with purpose-driven people and organisations to cut through the noise, clarify what matters, and communicate their story with clarity, courage, and confidence so they can amplify their positive impact.
Dr. Aylin Yardımcı
Aylin brings together experience in journalism, local government communications, nonprofit leadership, and academic research.
Born in Ankara, Türkiye, Aylin studied at the Bilkent University Preparatory and International School before earning a BA in Politics and Sociology from the University of Sheffield and an MSc in European Political Economy from the London School of Economics.
She began her career as a broadcast journalist at Medyascope, where she learned how to translate complex political and social issues into stories that engage and inform. She later joined the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, working with the Mayor’s team to shape the city’s international communications and English-language public voice.
Aylin has also held senior communications roles across the nonprofit and public sectors, including as Director of Communications at Bridge to Türkiye Fund, and contributed to high-impact public initiatives such as Istanbul’s Askıda Fatura (Pay-It-Forward) project. She holds a PhD in International Relations and Political Science from Koç University, with research focused on the political economy of development cooperation and emerging donors of foreign aid.
At Dial Down, Aylin draws on this interdisciplinary background to help clients find the story inside complexity. Her work focuses on clarifying messaging, shaping strategic narratives, and building practical communications systems that teams can use with confidence.
Melissa Clissold, MA
Melissa brings together experience in NGO management, impact communications, facilitation, and creative storytelling.
Born in Ankara to an English-Irish father and a Turkish mother, Melissa grew up between Nigeria, the UK, Poland, and Turkey. She studied English Literature and Philosophy at the University of York and completed an MA in Social Anthropology of Development at SOAS, University of London, where her thesis explored the messages and images used in humanitarian fundraising campaigns.
Her early work with the British Red Cross and Inter-Cultural Youth Exchange UK shaped a long-standing commitment to social impact and humanitarian communication. She later worked as Head of Communications & Impact at ATÖLYE, part of the kyu Collective, and served as National Director, and later consultant, for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in Türkiye.
Melissa has also worked as a translator-editor for the independent news platform Medyascope. Alongside her communications work, she brings experience in facilitation, songwriting, and interactive storytelling, including narrative-led game writing and design.
At Dial Down, Melissa draws on her background across NGOs, social impact, strategic design, innovation, and impact measurement to help teams communicate with clarity and credibility. Her work focuses on building clear messaging, meaningful stories, and practical communications systems that teams can sustain.
