Building a Global Community

Welcome to The Startup Nation Review, a curated newsletter where I share insights from thought leaders, news, and opportunities around Israel, the Startup Nation. Every week you’ll receive timely analysis from off-the-beaten-path, perspectives from fresh voices from the ecosystem, and selected opportunities to further engage with the Startup Nation.

'The highest form of wisdom is kindness" -The Talmud

Happy 4th of July weekend to those in the States who are celebrating. I know many in the US want the coronavirus to just be over, but it does not seem to be going away any time soon. Stay safe out there and wear a mask.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes. I wrote my thoughts and lessons I learned from another year in this Medium article: On my birthday 5 lessons I learned this year.

I am contemplating creating an email version of this newsletter on Substack (with additions like a Telegram or Upstream group for networking, an added section of curated startups, etc.) for those not active on LinkedIn. I have debated for some time charging a modest fee of $5 a month to get buy-in for a weekly newsletter. I would appreciate it if you could vote and share your views for my market research here.

July 4th is a time to celebrate community, so I decided to speak with Nitzan Gal, an expert on building and scaling community digitally. Nitzan is the Co-founder & CEO of Clique.ai, a management & intelligence platform for professional community builders. Before Clique, she also co-founded Bllush, in the exclusive Zell Entrepreneurship program. She holds a B.A. in Accounting and Business Management from the IDC Herzliya. Prior to her studies, Nitzan served for 5 years in the IDF, where she served as a Company Commander in the Officers Course. In addition, Nitzan was chosen as one of the most influential entrepreneurs by Lady Globes in 2017 and was a recent list-maker for Forbes 30 under 30 in 2018.

How is COVID-19 factoring into how you're building your startup? 

The biggest influence we had from COVID-19, is the understanding that the future of communities that we predicted for 3-5 years from now - became the current reality of today across the globe. We are seeing a high demand from professionals who are searching for new ways to find, network and collaborate with others, while sitting at home. 

This means that communities are going to play a bigger part of our professional life, and we are going to relay and grow through the online world. It sent us to work faster and smarter to continue developing the ultimate solution for this new market. 

Is the political environment in the US impacting your startup as you're focused on community?

It isn't directly affecting us. Yet, we wanted to support in the best way we can and thus started to spotlight different communities of black professionals that are doing a great job empowering them. 

What is a piece of advice you would give someone who is looking to build a community during these times?

It's the perfect timing! People, specially professionals, are in an active search to find support, advice, and opportunities... exactly the value that a strong community can provide. If someone is building their community these days, I'd encourage them to focus on building a strong "core" for the community which is built on trusted connections between about 20-30 people and grow from there (it can be done online as well).

Meeting IRL is tough these days... how do you think we're going to build authentic connections digitally moving forward?

Video calls and trusted connections are going to play a large role moving forward. Trust is one of the most important ingredients of building a relationship. We used to "test" and feel the trust level by real interactions. Now that we have less of these options, people need to work harder to prove they can be trusted in a video call by being more elaborate and engaged on the call, or by coming together through a trusted connection who is helping to reduce the barriers. 

A year from from now.. describe what you think the Israeli ecosystem will look like?

I think it will pretty much look the same. The Israeli ecosystem has been through a lot, yet still was able to bounce back from hard times in the past. I believe this won't change much (except the openness to different types of work environments). 

Israeli Retail Tech companies have raised $243 million in venture funding so far in 2020

1,000Hires: If anyone is looking for quality talent check this out. If you were laid off during this time or looking for your next position reach out and they can help you. Apply here.

FirstMark Talent Network: Join the FirstMark Talent Network. With one click, put your story in front of the 75+ companies in their network. Apply here.

NYCA Partners Job Board: NYCA recently launched a job board to help talent in their network to discover opportunities within their portfolio. There are over 500 jobs open - please reach out if you're interested in connecting on any openings. Apply here.

Outgage: This year has been… well, you know! They want to help their B2B marketing community in any way possible. They created a running job board for companies and job seekers, built by the community. Search for a job, or add an opening that you know about. Read more here and remember, we are stronger together! Apply here.

UpWest Job Board: Companies you'll love to work for. Jobs here.

Cowboy Ventures: Team Cowboy is looking for a few passionate tech enthusiasts and one community driven intern to join their team for the summer! Candidates with diverse and/or underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply. I don't know if they've made investments in Israeli tech but the internship is remote. Apply here.

Diagnostic Robotics: They are looking for an Executive Sales Leader who's based in the US with a strong track record of success to lead their next stage of growth in the US. The Sales leader will lead strategic sales efforts and help us expand our footprint across markets in the United States. The ideal candidate will have deep understanding in the healthcare ecosystem and solid experience selling and partnering with payers. Sales Director here. Customer Success Director here. Business Development Manager here. 

Israeli healthtech impact startup: They are seeking a US co-founder/CEO, paid + equity. They seek someone experienced in raising funds, biz dev, with a medical sciences background or education + ideally MBA. Please send resumes or questions to [email protected]

Lemonade: Senior Product Manager. They're looking for a Senior Product Manager who’s experienced in planning, designing and delivering consumer-facing apps. If you have perfect English, a deep understanding of consumer business, and a love for data and delighting users, this one’s for you. Apply here.

Medorion: As a Medorion Customer Success Manager, you will own the relationship and customer success of our clients. You will be responsible for strategy development, campaign execution, optimization, and retention. You will act as the liaison between our customers and the internal Medorion teams and you will be the main focal point for all client related activities. Resumes can be sent to [email protected]

Microsoft: They are looking for an architect who will be skilled at working with the biggest startups. From characterization to technology bridges between startups and Microsoft's various product teams. If you have the technical depth and desire to work with the most interesting companies out there, contact them at Raz.Bachar at Microsoft.com

Monday.com: Win big and give big. Build an amazing app on top of monday.com Work OS and for each winner selected,they'll give back to an NGO supporting POC in tech! And for the grand prize winner? You'll drive away in a brand new Tesla... Get to building! Register here.

myInterview: Come work at myInterview, a fast growing VC-backed video recruitment start-up with offices in Tel-Aviv and Sydney. New Openings in Tel Aviv! -Sales Operations Manager. -Customer Success Manager. -Senior Full-Stack JS Developer. They love Olim! (so far they're all Olim there, from Australia, UK, US, France... where are you from? Sabras welcome too). How to apply? Start here.

Obligo: They are an advanced rental screening tool that enables qualified renters to rent deposit-free. They are looking for a summer intern to help with their customer support volume, which spikes during the rental season. Start second half of July, and of course there's an opportunity to move to part-time or fulltime employment after the summer - if the person is really awesome. Email at [email protected] if you got any leads!

Pagaya: Plenty of great opportunities are available in Pagaya Investments! One of them is in their team as a BI Analyst! Come join a fast-growing and fast-paced fintech company who deals with top notch technologies, with amazing people and a view. Apply here. 

SodaStream: SodaStream sparkling water makers enable consumers to transform ordinary tap water into sparkling water and flavored sparkling water at the touch of a button. Their products promote health and wellness by making ordinary water fun and exciting to drink which has been proven to lead consumers to drink more water. Apply here for careers.

TECH FOR FIN: They are very excited to share their (Citi, Discount Bank & Visa) new initiative: TECH FOR FIN is an incredible community for financial institutions, VCs and startups to share and discuss new innovation, solutions and news around the fintech community and beyond. You will find many up and coming events, news deal flow and activities that anyone in the Fintech ecosystem will find valuable. Looking forward to seeing you in our community and feel free to invite others to join :) Apply here.

TikTok: TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Their mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. There are Israel based positions as well. Apply here for careers.

VC Associate: A venture capital fund that invests in startups (various rounds) in the healthcare, AI and more - is hiring an associate: A candidate with strong processing power who can work with the partner and build a Due Diligence process vis-à-vis the companies, and also present to the companies.The required background is: analyst or associate in a fund or investment house, who knows the investment process, has depth and technological understanding, and a lot of passion for technology investment. Send resumes to: [email protected]

Vintage Investment Partners: They are looking for a senior team member to join their Value-Added Services department. The candidate will manage and execute the VAS processes connecting corporations and startups in order to create meaningful business transactions. Responsibilities will include working with team members and corporations to understand business pain points and match relevant startups. The ideal candidate should have extensive business experience and well familiar w different technologies. Please email [email protected] 

Wix: They started in 2006 to give anyone the power to easily create their own online presence. Today, they have over 3,000 employees around the world working to create products that impact the lives of millions of people. And they're just getting started. Their vision is big, their drive is bigger. Apply here for careers.

AppsFlyer: They are looking for a data-driven, self-motivated and creative individual with strong analytical and operational experience. In this highly cross-functional role, you will be the "source of truth" for answers, new findings, and next steps based on critical operational data, related to sales strategy and performance trends. You will build and enhance processes, design and measure metrics to enhance overall productivity, and ultimately help scale the Sales Team performance. Apply here.

Coralogix: They are on the hunt for some killer DevOps Engineers, Backend Developers, and Customer Success Engineers in both Tel Aviv and San Francisco. Apply here.

Operations Manager: Looking for the right leader to join them and head their operations and client experience team in Los Angeles. Their client is growing and is upgrading their operations system. This is an opportunity to lead the process improvements, support the Branch team with the timely launch of new products, be responsible for operations of ACH, RDC, account analysis, business online banking and merchant relationships. You'll prepare Regulatory, Branch, and Head Office reports as requested in addition to other duties and responsibilities. Apply here.

Soapy: Soapy's team is growing! They're looking for a sales manager who wants to grow with them and help create a safer, more hygienic world. All the details are right here.

SQream: SQream has raised $39.4 million in our latest financing round, And YES – THEY ARE HIRING. If you love deep tech and cloud innovation and want to join their winning team, see all opportunities here.

Via: Head of Litigation and Regulatory Compliance. Via’s Head of Litigation and Regulatory Compliance will manage all litigation, regulatory work connected to Via’s consumer, SaaS and TaaS services, global compliance across jurisdictions where they operate, communications with regulators, and any investigations that may arise. You’ll manage an all-star team, report directly to the General Counsel, and be a trusted advisor to the CEO and Via’s executive team on strategic issues of the highest importance to the Company. Apply here.

They're growing the Jerusalem-based Via team tasked with building the future of transportation and they're looking for engineers who share our commitment to affordable, sustainable, efficient public mobility! Help them find their next QA Engineer here.

Celebrate Israeli Innovation @Peres Center- Tours, Wine & Music: You don't know what you are missing at the incredible Peres Center. Come for a day of in-English tours, music & wine for young Tel Avivis. In-English tours of the Israeli Innovation Center will continuously run from 11am- 3pm. In between tours, enjoy the wine, music and gorgeous Yafo beach side views from this architectural gem.Fri, July 3, 11:00 AM IDT. Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, 132 Kedem Street, Tel Aviv-Yafo. Register here.

UK-IL Women Leading Innovation: Join their second specially curated UK-Israel Women Leading Innovation online event on Wednesday 8th July, where leading VCs and Founders in Israel and the UK will share concrete solutions to raising capital, specific opportunities to access cross-border networks and best business practices during uncertain times. Wed, July 8, 9:00 AM. Register here.

Remote work - The security aspect: See what these Israeli cybersecurity for remote work have to offer: Silverfort, BioCatch, Polyrize, Levl, Ctera. Find how US, European and Israeli startups help corporations today in different areas of innovation. Jul 8, 11:30 AM in Eastern Time. Register here.

SigmaLabs & GreenUp City Virtual Demo Day: Welcome to the SigmaLabs and GreenUp City Virtual DemoDay. Join to view 12 early stage Israeli startups from the best accelerator programs in Israel. On July 8th, 12 early-stage Israeli companies, part of Sarona Partners programs, will be pitching to angels and VCs from all over the world. Register here.

Entrepreneurship in Times of Crisis: DLD Sync with Steve Case & Yossi Vardi. Join DLD Sync - an interactive roundtable with a number of experts from the DLD community discussing the international evolution in a Covid and post-Covid world. Follow the green button to register! Wed, 15 Jul 11.00 am (EDT). Register here.

Connection to Innovation July 15th: Their topic for this edition of Connection to Innovation will focus on what it means to be a sports fan during (and after) COVID. While social distancing and small gatherings remains essential to our safety, what might we expect to see in the upcoming sports seasons and our means of watching and enjoying sports? Wed, July 15, 12:00 PM. Register here. 

Cybersecurity for the Healthcare Sector: Healthcare institutions have never been more vital. Hospitals have successfully improved operational efficiency and patient well-being with technologies like IoT, Deep Learning, Big Data and AI. However, rapid technology adoption, outdated legacy systems and the human risk factor, make all health organizations vulnerable to cyber breaches.This session will be an all-encompassing event for healthcare, highlighting hospitals, pharma, R&D and insurance and will feature presentations on the  new cyber challenges. 16 July, 2020 | 10:00 EST. Register here.

JiT Chat With David Blumberg, Founder & Managing Partner at Blumberg Capital: To kick things off, they're welcoming David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital, an early stage fund headquartered in San Francisco with team members in Tel Aviv and New York. They'll be diving into a conversation around what it looks like to start a company during these "uncertain times" and how you can prepare accordingly. 6:00pm Thursday, July 16. Register here.

Microsoft Inspire: The partner event of the year goes digital. Join your global partner community for countless opportunities to extend your expertise in innovation, leadership, and partnership as the new Microsoft Inspire digital experience kicks off. Register now at no cost for our global digital event, July 21–22, here.

Cybersecurity in the cloud age: See what these Israeli cybersecurity-for-the-cloud companies have to offer: Axis Security, Tufin, Ermetic, Salt, Stackrox. Find how US, European and Israeli startups help corporations today in different areas of innovation. Jul 22, 11:30 AM in Eastern Time. Register here.

Female Founders in InsurTech 2020 global innovation competition: An open innovation competition targeted at promoting female entrepreneurs with solutions relevant to the insurance industry and address technology opportunities. Hosted by Quesnay, the competition is open to all startups with a female founder, co-founder, CEO, or C-Suite leader with solutions relevant to the insurance industry. Office Hours will be held on a weekly basis every Friday from 12:00pm ET - 1:00pm ET until the Submission Deadline (July 26). Deadline July 26. Apply here.

Introducing the Talent x Opportunity Fund. Andreessen Horowitz has launched this fund devoted to helping those who are lacking resources to be able to achieve entrepreneurial success. If your business idea has a solid model with potential and promise, and you identify as coming from an underserved community, here’s your opportunity. A16z are looking for entrepreneurs who did not have access to the fast track in life but who have great potential. Their products can be non-tech or tech; and ideally, their business will have an interesting model, niche market, and/or a little traction to indicate the promise and potential. Learn more about the fund here.

Money 20/20: They believe startups are the frontline of innovation – and key to the great re-build ahead, so they've got some new exclusive programs and workshops for startups at this year's Monday20/20 in Las Vegas. AND they've raised the stakes in our annual Startup Pitch. New for this year, we'll have 15 ground-breaking startups enter the MoneyTank and pitch to leading VCs ready to commit up to $250,000 in potential investment* Are you ready to enter the Money Tank? Applications close July 15. Apply here.

Quantum Hub: Got a revolutionary product in the Mobility & Automotive space? Apply today to join the first batch of Quantum SPARK - the first program that connects you with 200+ industrial companies in Israel and abroad, including a $50K investment, dedicated to developing a POC. Deadline to apply: July 15. Apply here.

Proposals for Advanced Homeland Security Technologies: Looking for up to $1M in non-dilutive funding for your innovative homeland security solution? Find out about the unique BIRD-HLS program and how your U.S. or Israeli company/ Research Institute could benefit from the BIRD HLS program here.

SAP Foundries: They have 8 global foundries around the world offering equity-free programs. These innovation hubs accelerate 16 cohorts of startups every year. Their mission is to help early stage enterprise startups build with SAP via integrations or APIs and provide startups with the exposure they need to gain customers. Tel Aviv based as well. Apply here.

The US Israel Bi-national Agricultural R&D Fund: Call for proposals for the next round of funding in 2021. BARD projects focus on increasing agricultural productivity, particularly in hot and arid climates, and emphasize plant and animal health, food quality and safety, and environmental issues. BARD also supports international workshops, and offers fellowships for postdoctoral research, senior research scientists and graduate students. Apply here.

Yashir Challenge: If you are an entrepreneur with innovative thinking and outstanding ideas, we invite you to take up our challenge: Direct Insurance, Start-Up Nation Central, Viola and Moneta, are looking for teams with PoC-ready products that will help us make insurance better. Click here.

Jonathan “Yoni” Frenkel has been involved in the New York-Israeli tech community for many years, mentoring startups on marketing, hosting events connecting investors with startups, and publishing on the topics of tech and venture regularly. Professionally, he heads a content marketing agency, YKC Media, focused on engaging millennials, Gen Z, and tech professionals through written content and social.