Riding the Waves of Purpose

Deniz Toprak is an entrepreneur whose journey flows as naturally as the elements his name evokes, sea and earth. From launching a surf hostel on the shores of Sri Lanka to rebuilding hope in post-quake Hatay, his life charts a course between passion and purpose. Guided by a quiet philosophy and a reverence for nature’s rhythm, Deniz has turned surfing into a vehicle for connection, healing, and change, inviting communities to rediscover their own stories through the waves.

by Merve Eker 

In 2017, Deniz Toprak left behind the comforts of a corporate career and moved to a small coastal town in Sri Lanka with a surfboard, a backpack, and a dream: to build a business where purpose and passion could coexist. Eight years later, that dream has rippled far beyond the shores of the Indian Ocean. Today, Deniz; the founder of Mellow Hostel, one of the most talked-about surf hubs in Asia, is a quiet force behind a growing surf culture that’s giving new life to the towns of Ordu and Hatay in Türkiye.

It’s a journey that mirrors his name: Deniz means sea, Toprak means earth. For the past decade, he has learned to live between both; guided by curiosity, anchored in purpose, and powered by one question: What kind of morning do I want to wake up to?

Mellow Beginnings in the East

Mellow Hostel was born out of a contradiction: the Western impulse to innovate and lead, meeting the East’s deeply communal rhythm. When Deniz first arrived in Sri Lanka in 2017, it was with bold ambitions. “I had big dreams and visions. I was going to bring change and innovation,” he says. “And in some ways, I may have done that through the business I built here.” But what he didn’t expect was how much the place would change him.
On a trip to a small coastal town, Deniz saw potential; not just for living, but for building something meaningful. “My goal was to make a living doing what I love,” he says. “And in Sri Lanka, I saw a picture where both could come together.”

Set against the palm-fringed southern coast, Mellow became more than a boutique hotel for digital nomads and surfers. It evolved into a social organism where guests and staff engage in Socratic Design dialogues; a practice rooted in deep listening, self-awareness, and shared questioning.
“Among foreigners, especially in the West, we often see this mindset: there is one truth, we know it, and the rest of the world must adapt to it,” Deniz reflects. “Yet later on, we find ourselves facing deep psychological crises rooted in a lack of authenticity.”

It was through engaging deeply with the local community, and letting go of preconceived ideas, that Deniz discovered the real power of hospitality. Sustainability, both environmental and emotional, became central. From local sourcing to zero-waste practices and collective rituals, Mellow is a space where business meets introspection. “We don’t just want to sustain the old,” Deniz says. “We want to reimagine what’s possible.”