YKC: Back to work (and school)
Welcome back to YKC. End of summer and the beginning of the fall, back to work, back to school.
Over the summer I had conversations with a number of you (and while I’m a huge believer in concentrated focus) I’ve decided to pilot small curated breakfasts with a loose focus on (Israeli) tech once a month. I’ve kept the newsletter “neutral” by not utilizing a sponsorship model, but am opening up these highly curated boutique events to sponsorship. If you (or your org) are interested in an opportunity to take part in an upcoming breakfast and get mindshare with influencers (really just high-quality amazing people) as a sponsor please respond to this email directly.
If you enjoyed reading this article please subscribe to my newsletter for curated opportunities and upcoming events here.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
-The Talmud
Can You Build a Lifestyle Brand Around Erectile Dysfunction? No, it’s not Goop For Men? This New Site Targets The $3.7 Trillion Wellness Industry. You know that millennials are getting old when startups have slick ironic ads for ED, hair loss, and wrinkles plastered all over the subway and Times Sq. I know some people think I’m going to go on an anti-GP and Goop tirade; I won’t because I buy into some of the broscience on the Internet (like interment fasting). That men are becoming more open about these things is a net positive; it will be interesting to see how this trend progresses (ex., ED has mental causes as well), will one be able to buy anti-anxiety meds thru these sites? Mental health does fall under wellness, and while we’re already at the point where we medicate away any pain associated with the human condition, we could get even more unhinged.
Key Takeaways:
⚪️ Tim Ferriss is kind of like the male equivalent of GP: Are men less dogmatic about health, wellness, and beauty? I don’t think so, we can be extremely vain as well. But at least with TF you know he is trying all the products, techniques, and treatments on himself first.
⚪ This is not new, it’s just has a millennial shine to it: If you opened the television a few years back you’d see commercials for heart medication and ED (they’re probably still on, but who watches TV anymore). It’s just now on the Internet (and social) and has a millennial angle to it, but the body ages and with that, we still seek ways to regain our vitality. For time ever after the human experience has been to prolong our youth, usually at any cost.
⚪ Wellness is the new elite: Wellness bros are depressed to be back to the daily grind after being centered AF at Burning Man. The ayahuasca the shaman gave them made the flame-throwing car installation almost seem real. But seriously, like how we ruined yoga and make it a competitive sport we’re doing the same with being healthy and fit. You’ll see, being out of shape will be the new sexy very soon (dad bod does not count).
⚪ My Events Calendar — September 2018: For additional events happening around Silicon Valley check out Peter Mullen’s calendar. The event activity has picked up noticeably and he’s hoping the continued focus on high-quality events in the greater Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem is not lost in the quantity, which obviously spans worldwide. Hopefully something for everyone. Enjoy! You can check it out here.
⚪ Business Development for for-profit dept at Pro-Israel NFP: Do you love Israel, have a knack for sales and an understanding of the Jewish not-for-profit ecosystem? Then there may a job for you! Role is based 15 min from NYC. Must be willing to travel approximately 2x/month domestically and occasionally to Israel. Salary in the mid 60s commensurate with experience with opportunity for commission in future years. Email resumes with subject [Name] BD & Israel to Mickeyp@bachrachgroup.com
SafeOnGo: SafeOnGo is a disruptive B2B startup, focused on the corporate and insurance industries, developing a first-of-its-kind fully-automated safety intelligence agency platform, empowered by sophisticated big data, NLP, and ML technologies. SafeOnGo detects and pinpoints exact locations of risky incidents such as an active shooter, civil unrest, or a terrorist attack. It also marks risky places to be avoided at certain hours due to recent criminal incidents. This detailed real-time safety data has uses across multiple industries.
The first industry that has signed up for pilots are corporations who are legally obligated to protect their employees, suppliers, and facilities. Additional customers are insurance companies looking to increase engagement and loyalty of their customers by providing “peace of mind” services as well as having the ability to dynamically price various insurance types based on nearby risks. SafeOnGo is now looking for additional investors to take part in their upcoming seed round. They are also looking for insurance customers. If you think you can assist, invest, or just chat, please shoot an email to their Co-Founder & CEO at eli@safeongo.com
⚪ Relocation to Tel Aviv: My friend Max is relocating from the States in early October and is looking to sign a 1-year lease. They are searching for a 3 room (2 bedroom) apartment that’s located in central Tel Aviv that comes furnished with a stove, washer, beds, couch, etc. Please share this message with your friends and contact Max (max.delahanty@gmail.com or +1 203 512 4931 on WhatsApp) if you have any leads. Thanks so much!
⚪ Made Visible: Made Visible is a podcast that gives a voice to people with invisible illnesses. This podcast aims to change the conversation around invisible illnesses, helping those who experience them–whether as patients, caregivers, or friends or family members–feel more seen and heard. The goal of Made Visible is to help people living with invisible illnesses feel less alone as they strive to create a “normal” life, while also creating a new awareness of how we can be sensitive and supportive to people who seem fine, but aren’t. We never truly know what another person is going through unless we ask, listen, and do our best to understand. To subscribe on iTunes click here.
⚪ High Holidays at FED House: Come to FED House for egalitarian, out-of-the-box, and spiritual High Holiday services and delicious meals! They are offering 5 services and 3 meals over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Join them! SEP 9TH, 6:00PM — SEP 19TH, 10:00PM. Tickets here.
⚪ VibeFest 2018: On September 13th they’ll be meeting again in NYC for a festival of Israeli food, culture, creativity and innovation! Don’t miss this Israeli celebration and get a ticket today. Thursday, September 13 at 7 PM, 79 Leonard Street, New York. Tickets here.
⚪ AWS EdStart Pitch Days: Join AWS to learn about the most innovative and revolutionary new EdTechs at the upcoming AWS EdStart Pitch Days! On September 27th, they will showcase 8 up and coming EdTech startups from the AWS EdTech Accelerator, AWS EdStart. These high-energy events will be a great opportunity for you to discover groundbreaking new ideas/products, identify areas for industry collaboration, and network with the newest EdTech companies. Thursday, September 27, 6:00pm AWS Loft 350 West Broadway. Register here.
⚪ Save the Date — iAngels & iCapital Innovation Party: Join iAngels and iCapital for an evening of drinks, innovation and a great party in a beautiful venue in Chelsea. Meet some of Israel’s top innovators and founders who are creating disruptive technologies in the space of frontier technology, AI, real-estate tech and blockchain. Tue, October 2, 6:30 PM. Register here.
⚪Startup Grind: Max Levchin FIRESIDE CHAT: Startup Grind is hosting Max Levchin. He is the founder and CEO of Affirm, co-founder and Chairman of Glow, and co-founder and general partner at SciFi VC. All three companies were created and launched from his San Francisco based innovation lab, HVF (Hard, Valuable, Fun). Max was an original co-founder of PayPal where he served as the CTO until acquisition. NY OCTOBER 4th, 6:30 PM. Tickets here.
