YKC: Summertime acceptance
“The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them”
Welcome back {{first_name}} … to the start of summer. Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere. Accepting our new reality is hard… but as we are dealing with the virus as it drags into the summer, we are learning to live with COVID-19. Updates below:
My latest piece in ISRAEL21c on the near future of startups: The longer the downturn, the more startups will emerge.
The NY-Israel Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit whose board I sit on is hosting it’s very first webinar pitch event. It is also taking place on my birthday, so no pressure, but you should join ;) The meeting will cover some of the exciting innovations taking place in Jerusalem to help fight COVID-19. Four Jerusalem companies will pitch their latest developments in the fight against COVID-19. Monday June 29th, 10:45am. Register here.
I plan on being in Israel sometime during the late summer and am looking for volunteer opportunities. Ideally something related to the tech community in which I could parlay my professional skills (writing, content creation, etc.) to benefit others but am open to suggestions.
If you like this newsletter, make sure to check out The Startup Nation Review. It’s the latest iteration and extension of these ideas focused on global Israeli tech community; subscribe to The Startup Nation Review by clicking here.
“At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40, we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60, we discover they haven’t been thinking of us at all.”
-Ann Landers
Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are by John J. Kaag: Semi-autobiographical books where the author channels a famous historical figure have the potential to sound like something off a Kayne track, but this author does it fairly well. The author’s journey in hiking the same paths in the Alps Nietzsche tread reminds me of Andreas Kluth’s excellent Hannibal and Me. This type of book when written well helps unlock sometimes difficult concepts from ages ago that are relevant for today’s reader who is seeking meaning during these times.
Author Mark Manson covers many of Nietzsche’s basic ideas in Everything Is F*cked: A Book about Hope but this author’s approach attempts to channel the philosopher’s work. Nietzsche’s ideas are not for the faint of heart, but I chose to read this book because as an outside force like COVID is causing so much suffering, we might as well embrace it and find meaning in what we are going through. In the book the strategy is finding meaning and the tactic to do so is take long walks, which Nietzsche and many other philosophers used to think through their ideas. Nietzsche’s writings at the time of the late 1800’s rejected the increased materialism, conformity, and pretentiousness of his time, and are so relevant today, especially as COVID has shone a light on what is profoundly important.
I am also at the point to reflect on COVID and another year around the sun, thinking about mortality and one’s greater significance. The book follows Nietzsche (and the author’s) journey from youth to middle age adulthood; aging does not have to be something that we dread, meaning and truth can be found in this natural process. Despite the negativity around him, Nietzsche’s writings are ultimately about aspiration despite our flawed nature.
Key Concepts:
⚪️ What does not kill you, makes you stronger: Probably the most over-used term ever and true to an extent, but when we go through difficult experiences there are often unseen battle scars.
⚪️ Staring into the abyss: Nietzsche always seemed to be one step away from the abyss, but maybe that is where life is lived the most fully, on the edge.
⚪️ Amor Fati: Love of fate. Love and embrace no matter what happens to you, if there was a Hebrew version of this concept I would get it tattooed.
⚪️ technyc’s COVID-19 resource guide
⚪️ Israel VC & Startup Job Board: Are you looking for a job in VC or startups in Israel, or are an HR manager looking for top talent? Feel free to join this Telegram group where VCs and startups from around the country post job openings and resumes from talented individuals in the Israeli hi-tech ecosystem. This is one of the many industry/topic specific groups, in addition to the Israel Venture Capital Forum. Join here.
⚪️ List of investors actively seeking to invest: 300+ funds. Warm introductions always helpful so if know these funds listed happy to help.
⚪️ B Capital Group: Vice President of Business Development — NY or SF. At B Capital Group, they strive to be the highest value add partner to entrepreneurs. They are seeking an experienced business development leader to maintain a set of high-level relationships with C-level technology leaders around the globe in order to identify innovation and business requirements that can be addressed by B Capital’s portfolio. In addition to making qualified customer introductions, this individual will provide guidance to our portfolio companies on product/market fit. Apply here.
⚪️ drive21: CAREERS AT drive21. Come join their dynamic team and help them bring their clients’ visions to life. Click the link for current job openings. Apply here.
⚪️ Israel Economic Missions to The USA: The Government of Israel Economic Mission to The West Coast is looking for a new Innovation and Strategic Partnerships manager for an open position in San Francisco. With its unique access to Silicon Valley, the San Francisco office places an emphasis on working with early to growth stage tech companies from Israel on their US market entry. As a member of their Innovation team, you will play a key role in supporting US-based companies in achieving their innovation and business goals while supporting Israeli companies in their efforts to enter the US market. Apply here.
⚪️ ERA Accelerator: Investment Analyst early stage seed fund & tech accelerator. Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) is seeking an exceptional Investment Analyst to join their team in growing ERA’s seed-stage venture capital fund & accelerator platform. ERA is a leading early-stage venture capital fund and technology accelerator based in NYC. We have invested in 200+ companies since 2011 through our accelerator and 50+ companies through our venture fund (Seed & Series A). Their portfolio companies have raised more than $500M are collectively worth more than $2.5B. Apply here.
⚪️ Fyber: Content Marketing Manager. Fyber is looking for a Content Marketing Manager to join their Marketing team in the company’s headquarters in Israel. This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in building Fyber’s brand, positioning and narrative, and help drive the company’s strategy through content creation for a wide range of purposes. The scope of this role is broad and includes creating and amplifying different types of content across various channels. The Content Marketing Manager will be a part of the global Marketing team and collaborate closely with different stakeholders from across the company. Apply here.
⚪️ Melio: Strategic Markets Associate, you will be helping Melio Accountants & Bookkeepers onboard and take on all areas of the Accountants Dashboard. By providing onboarding, video tutorials, and stellar support for both inbound leads and new users, you will be a leader in helping the Accountants vertical get the most value out of Melio and onboard their clients along with them. You should be passionate about sales, support, relationship building, and problem solving. Apply here.
⚪️ Schusterman Foundation: They are seeking a number of positions: Digital Communications Officer (Washington DC or Atlanta, GA). an Gender and Reproductive Equity Grantmaking Program Associate (Washington DC). For more Schusterman career opportunities in the U.S. and Israel, click here.
⚪️ Spring Health: Spring Health is looking for a VP Finance based in NYC! Series B-D start-up experience is a must, as is passion for their mission of eliminating every barrier to mental health. Apply here.
⚪️ 2020 Afro Future Digital Accelerator Application: Apply now for the world’s 1st Afro Future Digital Accelerator program. As a society, we dedicated a month for black history, and as we move forward, we are dedicating August month towards black future. They are launching the 1st digital accelerator program, which is a 4 week digital course for Afro descendant and black peoples. This program will cover several key topics highlighted below and will welcome top experts and executives to speak on these subject matters. Apply here.
⚪️ Female Innovators’ Lab: Barclays and Anthemis are committed to bringing more women into entrepreneurship in the financial services ecosystem and closing the fundraising gender gap. Once established, the startups will move into Barclays’ newly expanded Rise building in New York’s Silicon Alley, where they will have unparalleled access to mentoring and networking opportunities from the world-class FinTech hub. Deadline: rolling basis. Apply here.
⚪️ WeWork Consumer Labs: An equity-free incubator that aims to build an environment, community and program that empowers entrepreneurs to invent the future of the consumer experience. They’re building an end-to-end global platform for consumer products and retail innovation. Apply here.
⚪️ Starta’s Batch 10: They are currently accepting applications for entrants into their upcoming Batch 10. They will make sure that, even in these turbulent times, you will have the proper guidance & tools for navigating the American market. They also offer flexible online & offline participation, which means that whatever your personal circumstances are, you will be able to follow the program properly. Post-graduation, top-performing companies may be eligible for follow-on investment from Starta Ventures. Register here by July 1st.
Featured webinar: Israel Chamber of Commerce JLM-BioCity Online Conference “COVID-19 Innovation: New York Meets Jerusalem”: The meeting will cover some of the exciting innovations taking place in Jerusalem to help fight COVID-19. Four Jerusalem companies, will pitch their latest developments in the fight against COVID-19. This pitch session will be moderated by Noah Berkowitz, SVP, Development Unit Head, Hematology at Bristol-Myers Squibb. To conclude the event, invited keynote speaker, Prof Zeev Rotshtein, Director General, Hadassah Medical Center will give an overview on his hospital’s successful response to the COVID-19 crisis. Monday June 29th, 10:45am. Register here.
⚪️ Media & eSports (Online) Annual Conference — by Fusion LA & Remagine Ventures: Remagine Ventures, partnered with their friends at Fusion LA on the Media and eSports online annual conference. You’ll hear from leading Israeli startups and investors in this space and learn about the trends and opportunities in the entertainment, media and esports tech sectors. Attendance is free but registration is required. Highly recommended for founders and corporates in these space. Jun 23, 09:00 AM in Eastern Time. Register here.
⚪️ DLD Sync with Steve Case & Yossi Vardi: Join Steve Case, Chairman and CEO of Revolution, and DLD Co-Chairman Yossi Vardi for a comprehensive talk on entrepreneurship in a time of crisis. It’s hard enough to build a successful startup when times are good. But now? How will the Covid-19 pandemic impact entrepreneurs, investors and startup ecosystems around the world? Tuesday, 23rd June 11.00 am (EDT). Register here.
⚪️ Moving Forward: Global Venture Capital Investments Post COVID-19: On June 23rd (Tuesday) 11AM EST, a panel event will be held by experts from the VC industry to discuss the global investing landscape, opportunities and challenges within private markets, and the future of venture capital in a post-pandemic world. Tue, June 23, 11:00 AM. Register here.
⚪️ Conversation with Enterprise VCS: They’ll kick off the event with a conversation between Amish Jani, Founder & Managing Director at FirstMark Capital, Crissy Costa, Principal at B Capital Group, Lonne Jaffe, Managing Director at Insight Partners, and Nnamdi Okike, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at 645 Ventures, moderated by SVB’s Shai Goldman. They then will facilitate a question and answer segment with the webinar attendees moderated by SVB’s Ben Shephard. Tuesday, June 23, 2:00pm. Register here.
⚪️ Industry 4.0 Scaling-Up: Start-Ups Meet AWS & Taavura-Livnat Group: The Israel Industry 4.0 Community, AWS and Taavura-Livnat Group invite you to join this digital event to discuss challenges and opportunities that require scale and agility, in order to drive innovation for changing business needs. Jun 24, 2020 09:00 AM in Eastern Time. Register here.
⚪️ ICON: You wouldn’t want to miss this summit! Join these 6 remarkable figures this Wednesday, June 24th, for a unique perspective on the fintech ecosystem. You must register to participate click here.
⚪️ How the Israeli start-up industry works and why should you care: Introduction to the Israeli start-up ecosystem. The terms, the players, and how to navigate job hunting this high-paying industry? In this webinar, Assaf Luxembourg will provide a basic introduction to the business side of this industry, and will explain why no matter how good or bad you will be at your next high tech job, you must know the basics of the industry in order to survive and thrive. Wed, June 24, 6:30 PM Shoken St 18. Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District. Register here.
⚪️ Prove market opportunity on a shoestring budget: So you have the perfect pitch deck but continually get hammered on your go-to-market strategy. Why don’t investors believe your multi-channel, thoughtful marketing plan? Because marketing a new, unproven product/service has many more unknowns and much higher costs. You need to sell and learn at the same time, which means speed and flexibility are essential. Jun 24, 2020 02:00 PM in Eastern Time. Register here.
⚪️ TechFire x DLA Piper: Bessemer Venture Partners’ Ethan Kurzweil: On June 24th, Partner Ethan Kurzweil will join the TechFire virtual stage with DLA Piper’s Patrick Anding for a discussion on the state of consumer tech startups and the “new normal” of venture capital. Wed, June 24, 2:00 PM EDT. Register for the event here.
⚪️ Partnering with the “Good Guys” to Close the Gap on Gender Equality: Drawing upon the evidence-based backgrounds of two successful female leaders in tech and media, they will address the hard facts behind critical roadblocks that women typically face in Silicon Valley as well as Silicon Alley. Wednesday, June 24th, 6:30 PM EST. Register here.
⚪️ How to Raise VC Funding in Times of Uncertainty: The last few months have been hard due to the COVID pandemic and lockdown, and for many of us, particularly from an economic point of view. But they want to focus on how to make it possible, how and what to do so that funding becomes easier in these times and those to come. That’s why they are inviting both sides of the equation to one table — both startups & VCs are invited to share their views, attitudes & knowledge. Thursday, June 25th, EDT ,12 PM. Register here.
⚪️ WOMEN IN TECH NATIONAL SUMMIT: Join women in tech from all across the country and Israel. National Women in Tech with Jocelyn Goldfein, Effie Epstein and Emily Melton. This event is in English and is for Women in Tech only. Tuesday, June 30 1:30PM EST. Register here.
⚪️ Getting a Job in 2020: Their amazing panel will talk about how to craft your resume and apply for jobs during the Corona Apocalypse. Come network with other attendees and the panelists! Tue, June 30, 6:30 PM. Register here.
⚪️ Sports 2020: What About the Fans? Their topic for this edition of Connection to Innovation will focus on what it means to be a sports fan in 2020. It is clear that sports are coming back to the fans, but it is still unclear when and how the fans will come back to sports. While the social distancing persists, what will the experience look like? What cutting edge innovations will support the “new normal” fan experience? Wed, July 15, 2:00 PM. Register here.
⚪️ Venture Summit Virtual Connect | Global: New-York Israel Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its sponsorship and invite you to join us at Venture Summit Virtual Connect | Global. Come meet, interact and network online with more than 1,300 VCs, Corporate VCs, angel investors, industry execs and founders of venture backed, emerging and early stage companies at the prestigious Venture Summit Virtual Connect. August 4th — 6th. Special offer: Register Now & Save 20% off Early Bird Rates (Use discount code “NYICCVIP”). Register here.
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Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Frenkel
+1 (908) 616–9776 (Whatsapp)
