Elementary school friends Elif Çatıkkaş and Yasemin Kırkağaçlıoğlu, after many years in corporate careers, reunited in 2017 to establish Kokopelli Şehirde (Kokopelli in the City). They were driven by a nostalgic yearning for their nature-filled childhoods, a pursuit of healthy food, and a commitment to making a positive impact on the planet. Through Kokopelli in the City, a social enterprise they define as the brainchild of two women, two mothers, and two friends, they are working to spread ecological living practices in urban settings.

Elif and Yasemin, working to make cities—where more than half of the world’s population lives and which are the centers of production and consumption—more sustainable and self-sufficient, aim to show through their center in Istanbul that ecological practices are possible in urban settings. In the practice area they initially set up in Reşitpaşa, Istanbul, they developed practical examples of urban ecological practices. These included composting organic waste to enrich the soil, growing their own food, and harvesting rainwater for irrigation, thereby demonstrating urban rainwater harvesting, gardening, and composting techniques. Later, at the center they established in Gebze on the city's outskirts, they had the opportunity to work on a larger scale, focusing on plant systems, animal systems, and composting. They share these practices with individuals interested in incorporating them into their own lives, be it at home, within their neighborhoods, or at their workplaces.

To reach a wider audience, Elif and Yasemin founded the Soil for Life Association (Yaşam İçin Toprak Derneği). They began collaborating with schools to provide hands-on training for teachers and students through the Self-Sufficient School Gardens project. They also partner with organizations to establish urban orchards on their premises and conduct sustainable living workshops.

Elif and Yasemin's initiatives have reached almost 5,000 people so far. With Kokopelli in the City, they continue to make a difference in the fight against the climate emergency by increasing urban ecology centers, promoting harmonious living with nature, cultivating healthy individuals, and aiming for a more livable world.