Episodes
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In this special episode, we speak with Professor Haim Zvi Dotan.
Prof Dotan embodies the intersection of innovation, artistry, and forward-thinking design.
He’s an internationally renowned architect, poet, educator, and futurist.
He’s the visionary mind behind the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge- the world’s first, longest, and highest glass-bottom bridge - a stunning architectural marvel that has become an iconic landmark in China and a symbol of bold innovation worldwide.
He’s been recognized for his groundbreaking contributions, earning numerous honors, including the title of “Honorary Citizen of Zhangjiajie” and the prestigious iNNOVEX Global Leader of Innovation Award.
Beyond his architectural accomplishments, he’s a dedicated educator, sharing his expertise as a professor at leading institutions like Fudan University, the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, and the DeTao Masters Academy.
And above all of this, he’s truly a special spirit.
We discuss:
• The concept of time and the journey of life
• Prof. Dotan’s belief that every person is a genius if they connect to their inner soul and DNA
• The role of education in connecting students to their inner wisdom and the importance of passion and curiosity in achieving success.
• How creativity is linked to being fully aware of the now
• The concept of being a "startup nation" and how everyone has a unique mission and passion that they should follow
• The importance of following one's passion and not being afraid to explore different paths in life
• Prof. Dotan’s passion for being a bridge between people and how this has shaped his career and life
• The importance of being oneself and not trying to fit into societal expectations or the expectations of others.
• And much more!
This episode is dedicated to Miri Perlman, a 25-year-old student of Professor Dotan who passed away unexpectedly. Shortly before her passing, Miri attended Professor Dotan’s workshop, “Green Cities and Smart Building” at HIT. During the workshop, she drew a portrait of Professor Dotan, and he captured a photo of her while drawing. Tragically, this photo turned out to be the last picture taken of her alive.
In many ways, this episode is a reminder of how fragile life truly is, and how important it is to truly try to tap into the best version of ourselves and do the best with what we have because we only have one life.
We hope you listen to this unique episode. -
In this episode, we speak with Idan Waller
Idan is the founder of the 10M club, one of the most coveted business consulting companies in Israel for SMBs. Through the club Idan has changed lives, helping 10x the paychecks of thousands of entrepreneurs.
He’s a die-hard digital entrepreneur, growing up working with the best business minds, marketers and copywriters in the US and Israel. He’s also a leading local Israeli podcast host.
His latest metamorphosis was breaking into tech, where he and his brother founded Bluethrone - a startup that acquires product market fit consumer apps from indie developers and small studios, and then grows them into iconic companies.
We discuss:
• Mediocracy as a driver for growth
• How Idan discovered entrepreneurship and his writing abilities
• The power of “away motivation”
• The value of aggressive goals and facing fears when building a business
• Managing scaling teams through systems and processes
• What it’s like working with family
• The importance of having experienced investors who understand the realities of running a profitable business
• And much more
Enjoy your listen -
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In this episode we speak with someone who has truly climbed his way to the top, starting from humble beginnings and pushing forward with determination.
Oshri Deri, began his career at just 14 years old, working as a dishwasher. From there, he transitioned into hospitality, moving from service roles to high-level management.
Oshri has managed some of Israel’s most prestigious hotels, and then went on to spearhead Brown Hotels’ European expansion, particularly in Greece.
Nowadays he’s a real estate entrepreneur, leading million-dollar deals across Israel and Greece.
We discuss:
• The importance of optimism, resilience, and the human element in leadership
• The challenges faced in the hospitality sector
• How crisis can lead to transformative leadership experiences.
• The power of constructive feedback as an engine for growth
• The value of adapting to new challenges and continuously evolving as a leader
• The impact of social media and changing industry dynamics
• And more!
Enjoy your listen -
In this episode, we speak with Shmuel Mizrachi Ginat. He’s an entrepreneur and venture capital investor with deep experience in business development, capital raising, investments, and M&As.
Shmuel has helped raise close to 100 million USD for over 80 startups and has personally invested in 17 Israeli startups. He’s the founder of Crowdinnio, a holding company with ventures in P2P lending, secondary markets, crowdfunding, and more.
He also founded EvE, an investment banking firm specializing in M&As, guiding startups through capital growth and regulatory challenges.
We discuss:
• the challenges of investing in early-stage startups and the importance of diversifying investments
• how Shmuel’s belief that his generation onwards will live at least till 100 impacts his investment strategy
• the importance of chemistry between co-founders and the need for a strong team to support each other
• growing a network while being an outsider in a new market
• And much more!
We hope you enjoy your listen! -
In this episode we speak with Roy Avidor. Roy is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cymbio, a game-changing retail tech startup.
Cymbio is a marketplace and dropship automation platform that helps brands like New Balance, Lacoste, Steve Madden, and many more scale their digital sales effortlessly.
With over 15 years of experience in retail, wholesale, and eCommerce, Roy knows the industry inside and out.
He's also a shareholder and board member at I.A IL and owns and runs the multi-brand retail chain "Originals." He’s previously served as a Senior Economic Advisor to Israel's Minister of Industry and Trade and is a member of YPO - the global leadership community of extraordinary CEOs.
We discuss:
- Co-Founder relationship and initial bootstrapping
- The importance of working with investors who act as partners
- The potential conflict between personal and professional relationships
- The power of trust and communication
- The significance of listening to customers and adapting to their feedback
- Balancing stability and growth
- The sense of responsibility and urgency that comes with leading a startup
- And much more
We hope you enjoy your listen. -
In this episode, we speak with Aviad Harell - the Managing Partner at Team8, a global VC with deep domain expertise that builds and invests in companies specializing in enterprise technologies, cyber, AI, and fintech.
He’s a seasoned angel investor and adviser to numerous startups, VCs, and executives.
Before joining Team8, he co-founded Sisense, a powerhouse in the business intelligence space. Under his leadership, Sisense thrived, achieving $150 million in annual revenue and growing to over 800 employees.
He's seen the highs and lows of the startup world, and his journey is full of valuable lessons.
We discuss:
• Aviad’s journey, including the early days of Sisense, working long hours and enjoying the "joy of creation" without much direction or success.
• The shift in expectations for new startups, from building a product to generating revenue quickly.
• Difficulties the Sisense team faced in raising institutional funding due to lack of professionalism in pitching and business model.
• Insights on company growth, funding, and pitching
• A professional CEOs' impact on startup growth
• What Aviad looks for in founding teams
• Where grit plays in
• And much more
Enjoy your listen! -
In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with a special guest—Prof. Ehud Menipaz. Not only is he an international academic leader and a leading figure in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation, but he also happens to be Ronen’s father, which adds a special dimension to this conversation.
Prof. Menipaz's career spans several impressive roles: a former senior partner at Ernst & Young International, a Professor Emeritus at Ben Gurion University, and an esteemed author and lecturer.
His expertise stretches across aeronautical, mechanical, and industrial engineering, all the way to business administration. He's significantly influenced academic and professional communities worldwide, serving on prestigious forums under the leadership of global leaders like U.S. Presidents and even Russia’s Putin.
He chairs the Board of Governors at The National Association of Engineers, Architects, and Academics in the Technological Sciences and has played a pivotal role in advancing science literacy globally.
He's also deeply involved in fostering young entrepreneurs through initiatives like Junior Achievement-Young Entrepreneurs Israel.
We discuss:
- Entrepreneurship research and its impact on local economies
- Gender inequality in tech and entrepreneurship, with insights on innovation in academia
- Innovating in academia through an entrepreneurial mindset and tapping into relevant issues
- The importance of tenacity and focus
- How to maintain Jewish identity and pride in the face of global anti-Semitism
- The potential of a small group of people with diverse skills to contribute to the world's future
- And much more
We hope you enjoy your listen -
In this episode, we speak with Omri Hurwitz. He's a tech marketer and media strategist. His clients are some of the leading companies, billionaires, and tech startups He is also an investor and owns several media publications in the United States. And yet he’s only 28 years old.
We discuss:
• Media ownership, investing, and transparency the ease of regulations in the US compared to Israel.
• How Omri found solace in writing during difficult times, and his unique approach and self-belief that led to eventual success, despite initial rejection from gatekeepers.
• The importance of seeking feedback but not becoming obsessed with it.
• The importance of speed in promotion - getting a product or company in a position of trust and influence as quickly as possible.
• How podcast interviews with successful investors ended up with Omri becoming an investor.
• Decisiveness and aggressiveness in entrepreneurship.
• How Omri manifests desires through writing (including gratitude for what has not yet happened!)
• The law of attraction, manifestation and asking the universe for opportunities.
• A tactic of asking for something bigger after a rejection, to increase the chances of success.
• And much more!
Enjoy your listen! -
In this episode, we interview Sagive Greenspan, a professional with two decades of experience navigating the complexities of the telecom and financial sectors.
Sagive has tackled numerous executive roles, managed large-scale projects, and led teams in both development and client engagement. He’s also experienced in business development and running large delivery organizations.
Beyond the roles and responsibilities, Sagive has been key in integrating acquired companies into vast organizations, directing teams of over 2000 people.
We discuss:
• Managing complexities in business, including global expansion, acquisitions, and team management during reserve duty
• Managing large-scale operations and teams, with emphasis on culture and strategy alignment.
• Company culture, management, and acquisition
• Leadership qualities, creativity, and career paths
• Stress management, and personal growth
• ..and much more
Enjoy your listen! -
In this episode, we’re excited to be joined by Donna Griffit, a world-renowned corporate storyteller, pitch alchemist, and best-selling author of “Sticking to my Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups”.
Her ability to create, edit, and deliver powerful presentations, pitches, and messages has earned her a reputation as one of the most sought-after storytellers in the business world.
For over two decades, Donna has been working extensively on a global scale, collaborating with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors across more than 30 countries.
Her unique approach has led to outstanding results, with her clients collectively raising over $1.5 billion through her guidance.
We discuss:
• Storytelling for startups and personal growth
• Donna’s journey and what the Japanese word “ikigai” has to do with it
• The importance of empathy in storytelling
The correlation between fear and excitement
• The power of clear communication in business
• The mistake of being too factual and straight to the point
• Practical tips on how to improve storytelling
• The role of credibility, likability, and momentum
• Optimism and perception in challenging times
• And more!
Enjoy your listen! -
In this episode, we speak with Roy Gottlieb, currently the co-founder and CEO of a backed stealth cybersecurity startup.
Before embarking on this latest venture, he spent almost a decade on the investor front, co-founding and serving as a general partner at Cardumen Capital, serving as an investment manager at Samsung Ventures, and collaborating with industry titans such as Lightspeed, Team8, Insight Partners and more.
He was also the co-managing director of the Israeli YVCF (Young Venture Capital Forum) for six years, helping shape the next generation of venture capital leaders.
We discuss:
• Imposter syndrome, walking around with feelings of not being good enough
• The importance of understanding the breadth of a topic and diving deep into one industry
• Decision making, focus and choosing what not to do
• The unique qualities that make for an industry expert
• Competing with the giants of the world
• The true power of professional relationships and deal flow in sourcing capital
• ..and much more
Enjoy your listen -
In this episode, we speak with Liron Azrielant, a Founding Managing Partner at Meron Capital - a VC at the forefront of investing in technology companies in Israel.
Her track record speaks volumes as she's led investments in tech successes such as Loom Systems, Clear Genetics, Testim, and many others which were subsequently acquired.
Prior to Founding Meron, she was a Principal at Blumberg Capital, where she led early-stage deals that also turned into successful exits.
Before her venture capital career, she honed her skills as a Strategy and M&A consultant at top-tier firms like Bain & Co. and PwC's PE group in New York. She’s also a fellow of the Kauffman Fellowship, a highly sought-after two-year program for leading venture capitalists.
Her list of accolades is long.
We discuss:
• Entrepreneurship and mental preparation during turbulent times
• Resilience, and investment strategies in challenging times
• Motivation, and Career Paths
• Focusing on solving a specific problem, rather than pursuing fame or money
• Developing a business partnership language to argue passionately but constructively
• Building skills through practice and repetition
• And much more
Enjoy your listen! -
In this episode, we speak with Asaf Yanai, a visionary entrepreneur and the Co-founder & CEO of Alison.ai.
With a track record of turning ideas into reality, Asaf has left a lasting mark on the tech landscape, with Alison.ai being the third company Asaf founded after successfully selling two tech startups he’s built in previous years.
We discuss:
• Managing a startup during a crisis
• Analyzing video content for fake news and intelligence
• Growing up as the son of two entrepreneurs and co-founders
• Entrepreneurship, family, and motivation
• Learning from mistakes, and starting a business
• Self-management, and post-mortem analysis
• Personal growth
• And much more!
Enjoy your listen -
In this special wartime episode, we speak with Asaf Shamly, a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader in the AdTech space, who co-founded Browsi, an AdTech AI startup back in 2017, with a mission to create a world where content and ads blend harmoniously.
He’s been at the forefront of innovation in the AdTech industry for over 8 years and has a wealth of experience which he’s gained from involvement in three startups.
He also takes a lead role in the open-source community, championing transparency.
And here's the kicker – despite all his achievements, he’s just 30 years old.
We discuss:
• Being an entrepreneur during a war
• Entrepreneurship struggles and emotional toll
• The difference between selling to investors vs. clients
• Emotional intelligence, EQ, and managing a team
• The lonely road of entrepreneurship
• Dealing with failure and learning from mistakes
Have a good listen -
In this special episode, we’re pleased to have Andy Ram as our guest.
Andy made history by becoming the first Israeli tennis player to win a senior Grand Slam event. He achieved this feat at Wimbledon in 2006.
His winning streak includes the French Open mixed doubles title and the men's doubles title at the Australian Open.
He achieved a World No. 5 doubles ranking in July 2008.
Throughout his career, he represented Israel at multiple Summer Olympics, and competed in 36 doubles finals, triumphing in 20 of them, often partnering with Jonathan Erlich, together known in Israel as "AndiYoni."
Andy's success on the court is just the beginning of his incredible story.
As a former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, Andy used his platform as a tennis player to raise awareness and support for the IDF soldiers and their families.
He's also dedicated himself to promoting peace and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians through tennis.
In these turbulent days, we discuss:
• Resilience and hope in Israel amidst conflict
• Overcoming obstacles to becoming a top tennis player despite not being a super talent (Andy’s words not ours!) or coming from a wealthy background.
• Resilience and failure in sports and life
• The importance of leaning on people for support during tough times
• Finding solutions to problems through conversations and maintaining a positive outlook.
• Positive thinking and energy management
• Passion, discipline, and belief in achieving success
• Overcoming challenges
• And much more
Enjoy your listen! -
In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Becker, a marketing executive for some of Israel's leading technology companies.
After she was widowed with three small children in 2008, Pamela co-founded and remains the active chairperson of the Israeli charity Jeremy's Circle, which supports children and teens coping with cancer or cancer loss in their young families.
We discuss:
• Coping with losing a husband to cancer, with 3 children at home, in need of community support
• Needing to be strong for everyone else, and the need to keep going no matter what
• The power of healing through helping others: “The way to lift yourself up is to bring someone else up with you”
• Mission-driven and powerful companies
• The importance of being allowed to screw up
• Preparation and proportions as key factors of success
We hope you enjoy this profound episode! -
In this episode, we're traveling to the crossroads of cybersecurity and blockchain technology, where our guest has been a prominent figure and an influential force.
Our guest is Idan Ofrat, CPO and co-founder of Fireblocks, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to securing digital assets, with over 600 employees and a large global customer base.
When it comes to defending the cyber frontiers, Idan's track record speaks for itself. Prior to Fireblocks, Idan was a key player at C4 Security, which was acquired by Elbit Systems.
His expertise isn't confined to the realm of cybersecurity alone. He's also an expert in decentralized technologies. He was the co-founder and CTO at Yeloha, a disruptive platform aiming to decentralize energy trading, and VP of Product at Orbs, a public blockchain designed for high-scale apps.
In our conversation, we discuss:
- Balancing parenthood and entrepreneurship
- How to decide whether or not to become an entrepreneur
- The importance of market validation
- Breaking up with Co-founders
- The inherent challenges that arise once you raise money
- Shutting down a startup
- Bootstrapping vs raising money
- The valley of death
- Conducting difficult conversations
We hope you enjoy your listen -
In this episode, we speak with Yair Snir, he’s the managing partner of Dell Technologies Capital.
With over a decade of experience in building companies, Yair has a keen eye for investing in innovative startups.
His firm has backed over 145 startups, including some of the most successful companies in the tech industry such as DocuSign, JFrog, Netskope, Redis, and Zscaler.
Prior to his role at Dell Technologies Capital, Yair held corporate leadership roles at ECI Telecom and Microsoft, where he gained valuable experience in managing teams and developing successful strategies.
He's also founded and worked in various biotech companies, showcasing his versatility as a business leader.
We discuss:
• As a mindset, diving into deep waters and learning to swim
• Along Yair’s career so far, what led him to choose his next steps
• How navigating your career can be like riding a bicycle - keeping your balance and looking forward “If you look downwards at the wheel, you're most likely to fall“
• Overcoming naysayers (who will always be there)
• The investment approval process in Dell Technologies Capital
• What Yair looks for in a team
• The revolution that is AI, and where data plays in
• ..and more!
Enjoy your listen!
And if you want to contact Yair his email is: [email protected], his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairsnir -
Welcome to our podcast, where we interview trailblazers who have made a significant impact by being human beings performing at their best.
Today, we're excited to have Gur Shatz as our guest.
Gur is an accomplished entrepreneur, having founded Incapsula, a cloud-based web application security and acceleration company that was later acquired by Imperva.
In 2015, he co-founded Cato Networks with Shlomo Kramer, a leading all-in-one enterprise networking and security solution delivered from the cloud.
Gur and Shlomo's vision for Cato Networks has been a resounding success. In just five years, they have raised an impressive $532M at a $2.5B valuation, and as of 2022, have surpassed $100M ARR. This makes Cato the fastest-growing networking and security startup, outperforming even industry giants like LinkedIn. In fact, Cato's growth rate is faster than many consumer-oriented brands, such as Wix, Zapier, Canva, and Shopify.
We discuss:
• How Cato Networks came to be and how experience in a field plays an advantage
• How the team went about acquiring market acceptance
• Selling to customers before you have a solution that’s 100% functional
• The need to convey confidence while experiencing constant paranoia and concern
• How past success can also be an impediment to future success
• The fear of growing into a large non-agile organization
• What happens when leaders lose touch with what’s actually going on in “the trenches”
• Gur’s leadership formula for time management
• The importance of blocking time eternal learning
• And much more!
We hope you enjoy your listen! -
In this episode we speak with Jason Feifer, the Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine, host of two popular podcasts, and the author of "Build for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in Today's Challenging World of Work".
With over a decade of experience in the media industry, Jason has become a thought leader in entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.
He’s interviewed countless successful entrepreneurs and innovators, gaining invaluable insights into the mindsets and strategies that have enabled them to achieve their goals.
We discuss:
• The path to mastery, and what it has to do with “gripping the wheel”
• Using what Jason calls “the ZigZag payoff” to break the glass ceiling many of us create by limiting ourselves to a specific skill set. In a nutshell, it’s about tapping into the core interest that drove you to develop the skills that enable you to do what you’re currently doing (and are maybe feeling trapped in)
• The power in asking yourself “What do I have? What do I need? What's available?”
• Evaluating the cost of action vs. the cost of inaction
• Framing new things we do as experiments rather than long-term commitments
• What people afraid to lose their job/venture in an era of generative AI can do
• And much more!
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned professional, or simply interested in becoming the best version of yourself - this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Useful resources:
• Jason’s newsletter https://jasons-newsletter-e2c0e6.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• His book Build for Tomorrow: How to Thrive in Today's Challenging World of Work http://jasonfeifer.com/book
• His podcasts Help Wanted https://link.chtbl.com/LsYdERXQ
• and Build for Tomorrow https://www.jasonfeifer.com/build-for-tomorrow/ - Show more
