Editor’s Note: San Antonio-based Alan Weinkrantz, is on assignment serving as a Brand Ambassador to Israel on behalf of the Rackspace Startups Program. With a mission to #BeHelpful, he’s embedded in what now represents the second largest startup economy in the world, after Silicon Valley.
In the contributed story below, Alan shares his insights on what he has observed in Nazareth, his briefing members of the U.S. State Department on a program called MEPI, the Middle East Partnership Initiative, and his belief that no matter what we believe or where come from, we all have deep and profound ties to this region of the world.
Startups from Nazareth Bring Generations of Business Wisdom and Experience to TAU Innovation Week / TLV Startup Challenge
In our travels to and from Nazareth, Giuseppe Calo and I have been fortunate to meet with, and connected with the startup community in this magical city.
During our breaks, and in between meetings and mentoring sessions, Giuseppe and I would walk the streets, find a very cool restaurant, have a chance encounter with some of the locals, and spend time in some pretty amazing spice shops that I thought only existed in far-away lands.
A special group of entrepreneurs from Nazareth are coming to Tel Aviv for both the duration of the TAU Innovation Week and the TLV Startup Challenge.
In my own one-on-one mentoring sessions with the startups, I’ll let you what was far more interesting than the companies I met: it was the stories of the entrepreneurs whose family go back eight and 10 generations.
To that end, long before we had the Internet, or even basic telecommunications as we know today, businesses here thrived, people connected, and commerce ensued.
And now, there’s another generation coming online, starting new companies, and looking for the opportunity to meet the community in Tel Aviv.
Under the leadership of Fadi Swidan, Co-Founder and Co-Organizer of the Nazareth Business Incubator, a group of entrepreneurs are traveling to Tel Aviv?—?some of which will be competing in the TLV Startup Challenge. After this event, Fadi will return for the Nazareth Startups Rocks Tel Event on May 27 at the U.S Embassy.
They are born here.
They are from here.
They are of this land.
You’d be well served to connect with Fadi and the teams he is bringing to Tel Aviv.
You never know what you can learn from, and exchange energy with someone who, like everyone, is the startup ecosystem of Israel, and has a vested interest in the heart and soul of this very special nation we all share and love so much.
There are people from all walks of life, religious belief sets, from all over the world, that come here to literally and figuratively invest in all sorts of ways.
Be sure to register, and not miss out on the opportunity to meet and connect with delegations from Nazareth, from all of Israel, and from all over the world.
*Featured/top image: The city of Nazareth, Israel. Photo by Alan Weinkrantz.
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