Tech Visionaries Reflect on How To Assist the Tech Industry in War-torn Israel
Influential innovators and investors explore opportunities to support Israel's tech industry amid the challenges posed by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war
The war in Gaza has profoundly impacted many sectors, including the tech industry, which has not been immune to the conflict’s devastating effects.
In December, a group of prominent, distinguished entrepreneurs and investors had the unique opportunity to personally observe the repercussions of the war on this vital industry. Their mission was threefold: to observe the magnitude of the October 7 atrocities in southern Israel, understand the effects of the Israel-Hamas war on startups, and scout out potential investment opportunities in Israel’s key sectors.
Upon learning about the horrific events of October 7 and the subsequent days, David Siegel, CEO of Meetup, pondered, “What can I do?”
His son Nadiv, a yeshiva student in Israel, encouraged his father to leverage his extensive network to assemble the Israel Tech Mission, a group of about 65 executive and business technology leaders who would “stop everything that they’re doing and do the most important thing in the world which is to show up.”
This delegation, motivated by a deep sense of duty, comprised notable figures such as Ron Miasnik from Bain Capital; Adam Goldstein, managing director of Harvard Management Company; fintech expert Ian Rosen; George Djuric, CTO of yVentures; Lauren Berson, CEO of Conceive; and Steve Miller, CFO of Warby Parker.
Over several days, they met with top Israeli leaders, including President Isaac Herzog, Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party and former defense minister now in the war cabinet, Economy Minister Nir Barkat, MK and former Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and Aviv Kochavi, former IDF chief of staff.
Israel Tech Mission participants meet with National Unity party head Minister Benny Gantz (C). (Courtesy Abby Walla)
They also engaged with influential Israeli and American investors and business leaders, including Chemi Peres, managing partner and co-founder of Pitango; Jeffrey Swartz, co-founder and board chairman of MAOZ and former CEO of Timberland; Michael Eisenberg, founder and managing partner of Aleph; Jonathan Penkin, CEO of Goldman Sachs Israel; and Eyal Waldman, co-founder and CEO of Mellanox, whose daughter, Danielle, was killed at the Supernova music festival.
Additionally, the group visited some of the communities bordering the Gaza Strip that were most affected by the attacks and met with residents, soldiers, and families of hostages.
Rachel Goldberg (R), mother of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speaks with Leah Cohen-Shohet (L) and Lauren Berson (C). (Courtesy Abby Walla)
The group prioritized their expertise, focusing on identifying areas where their assistance would be most effective.
The Media Line’s Felice Friedson joined the group at the newly inaugurated National Library in Jerusalem.
Reflecting on the visit, Ian Rosen praised the resilience and adaptability of the Israeli tech community, acknowledging the sector’s ability to innovate and progress despite challenges.
Steve Miller, deeply moved by his visit to the Gaza envelope communities, committed to developing solutions that foster lasting peace “because war is a very short-term solution.”
In the linked video from the National Library, members of this influential group share insights from their journey, revealing how they plan to contribute positively to Israel’s tech landscape amid a backdrop of conflict. Watch the full story to grasp the depth of their experiences and the potential pathways forward that they envision.
Felice Friedson: High Tech and Israel are synonymous, and as events unfolded following the October 7 tragedy in Israel, a group of leading entrepreneurs and investors felt a need to see how they can make a difference for the startup nation under war.
I met up with the tech business venture capital leaders at the remarkable and recently opened National Library of Israel as their Israel Tech mission was coming to a close.
(L-R) David Siegel, David Wolfson, Startup Nation Central CEO Avi Hasson, Yossi Katz, and Shoham Filhart. (Courtesy Abby Walla)
Ron Miasnik: I think the American Jewish community more broadly, outside of feeling fear and pain and hurt, we also felt a big feeling of helplessness. And I think one of the most important things in times of tragedy is showing up. The tech and business industry in the US is heavily intertwined with Israel, so we felt like it was a no-brainer to go organize a delegation.
Felice Friedson: Sixty-five investors and entrepreneurs came to Israel on a mission in order to learn about what happened here in Israel. They wanted to see for themselves what happened in the kibbutzim. They wanted to meet the leaders, and most of all with some of the entrepreneurs; those that have been impacted by the war and others that just need assistance on a day-to-day basis in investments and the entrepreneurial spirit that comes with it.
Ian Rosen: I think that we got both perspectives on both the Israeli tech community and the Israeli situation in general, and the trauma that Israel has gone through.
Hopefully, there are some ways that we can be of assistance.
Felice Friedson: Ian Rosen who is a partner at the TIFIN Group, an AI-based wealthtech firm learned how deep and adjustable Israel’s infrastructure is.
Ian Rosen: Tomorrow of course, taking our own feelings and beliefs and what we learned both about what’s happening in Israel and about the sheer ability for the Israeli tech sector to innovate and to continue to move on and take that back to their own communities in the United States, our own teams, our own colleagues that we’re considering doing business with investing in Israel.
Ian Rosen speaking with Felice Friedson at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. (The Media Line)
Felice Friedson: Israel is known for its resilience and creative solutions, and the war emphasized the ingenuity of the tech nation.
George Djuric is one of the only Christians on the tour and a first-timer visiting the Jewish State. He was enamored with Israel’s large tech sector outside of Silicon Valley, and that they are building solutions others aren’t even thinking of.
George Djuric: We had a nice event at the Whiskey Bar in Tel Aviv and a gentleman approached me and we had a nice conversation, and he basically gave me an elevator pitch. I said, “I’d love to see a demo of your product.” He showed up, and I’m going home with a prototype of a very proprietary piece of technology, and I’d say there’s a very high probability that we are going to write this man a check, because what he’s building is a work product under incredible circumstances with very little funding.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (L) greets George Djuric at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. (Courtesy Abby Walla)
Felice Friedson: New York-based Lauren Berson is an entrepreneur and runs a digital health startup called Conceive, operating in the fertility sector.
Lauren Berson: What’s incredible is that there are so many amazing entrepreneurs here [in Israel], building digital health, and I know many of them who are particularly building in the fertility space. I’m actually heading over to Sheba Medical Center to spend some time with them to see how I can help. There is so much we need to do.
Ian Rosen: The sheer ability of the Israeli ecosystem to fill in the blanks for itself to overcome problems in creative ways both for their own firms and even prevent the next 10/7 in terms of tools that are being developed. We’ve met many people who are either looking for or investing in technologies that are moving the ball forward to help keep people safe.
Felice Friedson: The group also visited the destroyed Gaza envelope. Steven Miller, CEO of the US eyeglass retailer Warby Parker reflects on his witnessing the atrocities that day.
Steve Miller: As I walked through Kfar Aza and the Nova Music Festival, I wasn’t thinking initially, I was more just taking it all in to understand how could something so heinous actually occur. What occurred to me after experiencing these places was just grief, sorry, disbelief, and then a practical understanding of what occurred is actually worse than most people realize. It made me really want to commit to coming up with solutions that lead to lasting peace because war is a very short-term solution.
Israel Tech Mission participants tour Kfar Aza with resident Chen Kotler. (Courtesy Abby Walla)
Felice Friedson: Rosen’s takeaway was deep and emotional.
Ian Rosen: It’s difficult for them to have to expose their lives. It’s difficult for us to have to feel voyeuristically like we are in their world and we shouldn’t be, but it’s an important job for both sides.
We intellectually know the depths of human depravity. What’s a problem today is that many people have just lost their sense of right and wrong.
Felice Friedson: How did the whirlwind junket come to be?
David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup and was inspired by his son who is studying in Israel to use his connections for good.
Nadiv Siegel: People love thinking about where they are not. People who are in America want to be in Israel and help phone lines. People who are in Israel want to be in the army. And people who are in the army, they want to be in Gaza. And people in Gaza, they want to be on the front lines. And for me, it was where I was in yeshiva., What can I do for my yeshiva? What can I do for my world? For my dad. It’s what can he do for Israel.
David Siegel: I then said to my son, what should I do? And he said, Dad, you need to do what you can do with relationships you have and people you know. So, I said to him I do know a lot of people. I’m going to get 65 to 100 executive and business technology leaders to stop everything that they’re doing and do the most important thing in the world which is to show up.
Felice Friedson: For George Djuric, who was born in Bosnia during the war with Herzegovina, showing up is what he did.
George Djuric: The things that happened on October 7 came from hate. They didn’t come from anyone trying to act some justice out. It came from pure evil, and that’s just what this world needs to stand up against. We can’t accept evil anymore.
I think Hamas and terrorist organizations wouldn’t stop with Israelis. I think they would continue their campaign if they were given their resources until a very horrible end.
Lauren Berson: I think the most important thing we can do from this trip from what we’ve heard from almost everyone that we’ve met, is telling these stories.
And then continuing to vote with our dollars, as I like to say, whether that means donations or continuing to invest in the amazing Israeli tech culture and companies here.
Felice Friedson: From the National Library of Israel, Felice Friedson reporting for The Media Line.
