My journey in helping the startup communities on behalf of Rackspace Hosting in Israel continues.... this is only day 13 of 90 - and I am amazed not only at the reception here, but the willingness to help me accelerate the mission. In his infinite wisdom, Robert D. La Gesse told me that it was not was I planning to do here, but rather the unexpected that might impact this initiative even more. I am discovering the evolution of the Jerusalems startup and creative ecosystem thanks to the help and inspiration of people like Roy Munin, Hanan Brand, Ben Wiener, Dor Bershadsky and many others. (If I left off your name it was not intentional... you know who you are and I am profoundly grateful.) Yesterday I had a briefing with one of the Deputy Mayors of the City of Jerusalem, followed by coffee with a friend from way back, followed by coffee with a Palestinian entrepreneur who came over to talk about content strategy and brand. As I heard the briefing and vision of where Jerusalem is headed, I was running a parallel discussion in my head thinking back on the what I have seen in the evolution of San Antonios own startup, innovation and small business economy. People like Nick Longo, Lorenzo Gomez III and Lorenzos wonderful partner in crime, Kara Gomez who brought Geekdom to life and has made an impact on the community. A five minute walk away, the vision of our former Mayor and now Secretary Julián Castro brought forward by Cafe Commerce San Antonio and run by masterminds Peter French and Ryan Salts who are broadening the reach and inspiring mainstream businesses. ( Oh, by the way, yesterday Peter was hanging out at The White House doing all things cool entrepreneurship. Seriously.) My day continued with office hours at PICO Jerusalem , concluding my day at a Meetup where I heard wonderful insights from people like Mordecai Holtz and also randomly (or not so randomly) ran into people from San Antonio or have San Antonio roots who now live in Jerusalem. I got a sneak preview of new type of startup center that will include a workspace, maker space, media production center, performance hall, an outdoor performance and community space, and of course, a full-on bad ass coffee / bar. The neighborhood its in is in transition with young families - many who are artists, creatives, and yes, entrepreneurs. The startup world is not just about tech. Its about the expression and creation of new ideas and dreams. When I walk the streets here or take a tram or taxi, I have to remind myself of the historical significance of where I am and the fact that I witnessing history unfolding before me. I am seeing this back in San Antonio, and yesterday in Jerusalem. Last night when I spoke briefly at the meetup, I shared why Jerusalem was so personally important to me beyond my religious beliefs and what I come from. 21 years ago, some wild and crazy guy, Jonathan Medved encouraged me to come here, explore Israel and serve what was then a very different startup ecosystem. He wound up hiring me to handle U.S. PR for a company that was founded by Bob Rosenschein who went on to found the likes of Answers and now Curiyo. Along the way, Jeff Keni Pulver inspired much of what I am doing today and believed in what I was doing. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Nazareth and their respective surrounding areas all have their own unique character and vibe. What is consistent, though is people here joining forces to solve problems, advance society and make the world a slightly better place day by day. Thank you all for this initial welcome. I hope I can give back in some small way. I am truly blessed and honored to be able to do this.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 05:33:10 +0000
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