Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya The Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC

IDC (www.idc.ac.il) is the first private institution of higher education in Israel. Modeled on distinguished small colleges in the United States, IDC Herzliya is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education and research. Its mission is to promote a culture where personal achievement goes hand in hand with social responsibility.

The Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC (www.idc.ac.il/Zell) is open to outstanding students who have the ambition and ability to launch an en- trepreneurial venture. The program – established through a generous contribution from world-renowned entrepreneur Sam Zell of Chicago – is taught in English and aims to pro- vide a practical platform from which participants can launch businesses over the course of an academic year.

VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2012 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. LEADERS 37 Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya Educating the Future Leadership of Israel Professor Uriel Reichman

PROFESSOR URIEL REICHMAN WAS A DEAN OF But the students came and enrollment The university’s facility and staff ascribe to the Law School at Tel Aviv University (TAU) in steadily grew. IDC was a refreshing change from the belief that the contribution their students 1994 when he announced his plans to create the the alternative highly subsidized, established in- will make after getting the right education will Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya in Israel. stitutions. IDC quickly distinguished itself as a continue to support the values and advance- His vision was to establish a unique, world-class university that put its students at the heart of its ment of Israel as well. IDC is the only university university – the country’s fi rst higher education culture. in the world with this mission. institution independent of government funding “During my tenure at TAU and other institu- and infl uence – that combined exceptionally tions, I had too often heard professors casually re- high academic standards with practical applica- marking that the university would be a wonderful tion and social consciousness. place without the students. That was an attitude I At the time, the academic landscape in simply could not accept,” commented Reichman. “IDC Israel was (and to a large extent still is) con- “Since IDC is not subsidized by the government, trolled by the Council for Higher Education, our professors know from day one that their sala- exemplifies how which comprised representatives of seven uni- ries depend on student tuitions and this puts stu- versities. All higher education institutions were dents at the center of everything we do.” entrepreneurs can state-subsidized and had little interest in see- IDC’s independence from Israel’s Council ing the country add more universities, since of Higher Education also freed Reichman from make a difference each new facility would diminish their share of government limits on professor salaries. As a available state resources. This barrier prevented result, the university has succeeded in attract- on a macro level” the natural advancements that occur through ing highly respected professors from American competition and limited students’ options, con- universities back to Israel. -Sam Zell sequently presenting a challenge for the pro- Reichman’s bold entrepreneurial spirit is gressive mobility of the younger generation. embodied in the culture and programming of IDC, which in 2001 attracted the attention of billionaire investor Sam Zell and led to the cre- ation of the Zell Entrepreneurship Program at “Our goal is to educate the next generation the university. of the nation’s leaders. If we see and respect “An important focus in securing the fu- students as leaders-in-training, we create lasting ture of Israel is our economic independence. relationships; we nurture the future of Israel. "Israel’s future Our internal market is small, we cannot trade These are the dividends of our not-for-profi t in- with our immediate neighbors, and we have stitution,” said Reichman. depends on the no natural resources. So it is the creativity and Today, there are 1,400 students from 86 entrepreneurship of our people that must sus- different countries studying at IDC and the vast next generation.” tain our economy,” said Reichman. “Further, this majority of them are Jewish. Twenty-fi ve per- approach encourages our students to be inde- cent of the student body is from abroad and -Prof. Uriel Reichman pendent thinkers. They should not wait for the half of all the Jewish students from abroad who government to solve their problems,” Reichman study in Israel attend IDC. The implications for added. “Nor should they allow fear of failure to the country are substantial because those for- deter them.” eign students take their interest and intercon- At the same time, Reichman believes IDC nection with Israel home. They are more likely has a responsibility to foster a social conscious- to take a leadership role among the Jewish com- ness in students, in general, and specifi cally munity abroad and remain in touch with Israel. Reichman believed the time had come for in serving Israel and the Jewish people. The To further this end, IDC created the Raphael another type of academia, and as a former lieu- university offers more than 40 social projects Recanati International School that established tenant in the paratroopers of the Israel Defense that enable students to contribute their time to full degree programs in English, again, the fi rst Forces in the early 1960s, he was not averse worthwhile endeavors, such as helping out in in the country. to taking risks. With minimal capital on hand, poor communities, teaching the Internet to the Currently, IDC is conducting a university- he purchased an abandoned military camp and elderly or assisting handicapped people. wide effort to evolve the university’s curricula. opened IDC. Friends and colleagues were wor- IDC also builds its emphasis on social re- The goal is to remain fresh and relevant. ried, but Reichman held to his conviction. sponsibility into its tuition structure. The university “That is the beauty of being independent “Many felt that I would be open to lawsuits offers a special admission policy for those who and entrepreneurial,” concludes Reichman. from students who would attend but not be able serve fi ve years in the military and features special “You are always striving to improve. I see IDC to graduate or from professors who I recruited policies for people who have demonstrated lead- as a new defi nition of the pioneering spirit of but then might have to fi re,” he remembers. ership in their respective communities. the founding fathers of Israel.”• 38 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2012 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 The Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC The Multiplier Effect of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Liat Aaronson

“TAKE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW businesses. In fact, many of the new compa- a venture they want to launch or that they’re about being an entrepreneur, mix it with men- nies started as a result of the Zell Program are already working on, or present a business issue torship, add steroids, and you’ve got the IDC in the technology industry. for discussion. Zell Entrepreneurship Program,” says Eyal Gura, “Because of the Internet, the world today True to the IDC mission of fostering social a program graduate who founded the online is fl at,” she adds. “Israelis can create business consciousness, the Zell Program places heavy image sites PicScout and PicApp, and then sold models and technical innovations and expand emphasis on community. All new students are them for a collective $30 million. into markets they wouldn’t have been able to assigned to social entrepreneurship projects fo- Since its inception in 2001, the IDC Zell enter as easily in the past. Zell entrepreneurs cused on giving back –- from fruit-picking to Program has evolved into an acclaimed venture- often go into Internet ventures because it’s creating incubator, providing students with an relatively easy to gain domain expertise as an opportunity to apply advanced entrepreneurial undergraduate.” “I would never have studies to launch real world business ventures. To Aaronson says that the Zell Program date, more than 30 companies have been founded itself evolved like a start up. When Professor believed a one-year as a result of the Entrepreneurship Program. Reichman created the program, the core idea The six-month application process for the was to instill the entrepreneurial mindset in program could have Zell Program is so stringent it self-selectively students, but there wasn’t a clear idea of how such an amazing narrows the number of finalists. Aside from to execute that vision. Initially, the program minimal grade requirements, students must tried a purely consulting approach that teamed impact on my life.” have previous entrepreneurial activity or busi- professors and students. Then it tried apply- ness experience, and often leadership and vol- ing a business plan writing approach. Finally, -Shirley Schwartz unteer experience, as well as a demonstrated the program hit on the successful formula of strong work ethic. After initial screening by a balancing academic rigor and practical learn- (Zell Class of 2008-9) committee, only about 100 serious applicants ing through team projects that try to germinate make it to the interview round, where they ideas into real business ventures before the end of the academic year. visiting elderly Holocaust survivors to conduct- Often, students try out their business ideas ing workshops. Additionally, there is an alumni and fail, and that experience of rebounding af- initiative called Zell Gives Back, which involves “The Zell Program terward is a critical lesson. a group of alumni who are working with a lo- “Being able to handle rejection and to cal Israeli school to build a high-tech education is an eco system bounce back after something doesn’t work is center; they’re currently raising funds and devel- a building block of the entrepreneurial spirit,” oping a business model to make it sustainable. that goes beyond Aaronson says. “That is as valuable a lesson as “IDC offers more than just an entrepre- any other they learn in the classroom.” neurship program; it offers a school for life, a venture creation. It’s The Zell program enlists the Israeli and school for business, and an extended family,” American business communities to provide says Dror Ceder, a graduate who created Wibiya a People Accelerator.” students with the opportunity to present their for online publishers that recently sold for $45 ventures and to get practical feedback from pro- million. -Yonatan Raz-Fridman fessionals in various fi elds. Students travel to the About 30 percent of Zell Program gradu- U.S. where they present their business ideas to ates pursue entrepreneurial ventures either (Zell Class of 2008-9) other entrepreneurs and visit companies such as started during the program or shortly thereafter. Estée Lauder and Goldman Sachs in New York. Others conclude that they’re not cut out for en- Their fi nal presentations are delivered to Sam trepreneurship, but through the program have Zell in Chicago. To further our students’ ability learned critical independent thinking and proj- spend time with faculty and two alumni. From to compete in the global marketplace, the pro- ect management skills. there, 36 fi nalists attend a summer curriculum gram is taught in English. “Entrepreneurship is really just a vessel,” and only 20 of them are selected for the full Zell Many of these meetings are facilitated by Aaronson concludes. “We’re looking to build the Entrepreneurship Program. alumni who are critical to the program. They future business leaders of Israel. This is essen- “We try to fi nd students who will be able are involved in recruiting students, participat- tially a leadership program with a strong vein to take this unique opportunity and exploit it to ing in the application process, conducting guest of social awareness to give outstanding students the fullest,” says Liat Aaronson, the program’s lectures, and serving as mentors. Further, the the tools they need to thrive in exceptionally executive director. students learn the high value of continued net- successful, productive, and meaningful careers. Aaronson believes IDC is particularly working among program graduates. Every two Though the program is small in scope, gradu- relevant today as technology and globaliza- months, about 20 alumni meet at one of their ates leave their mark and there is a huge multi- tion have leveled the playing field for new places of employment and two of them pitch plier effect from it.”• VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3 POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2012 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. LEADERS 39 Examples of Successful Zell Entrepreneur Ventures A number of the 30 start-up companies that have been founded through IDC’s Zell Entrepreneurship Program have been sold to larger players. A handful of these were valued in the tens of millions of dollars.

GOGOBOT The site was founded by for- travel planning and sharing. Based in Silicon mer chief architect for Yahoo! BOSS Ori Valley, Gogobot launched its private beta in Zaltsman (Zell 1 - 2002) and ex-MySpace November 2010. The site has since been cov- exec Travis Katz. The start-up is backed by ered by TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, Battery Ventures, Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s USA Today, AllThingsD, Trendslate, the na- Innovation Endeavors, MySpace founder tionally syndicated The Nate Berkus Show, Chris DeWolfe, Square GM Keith Rabois, and WGN-TV Chicago, and was mentioned in angel investor Oren Ze’ev. Called by Michael Trendwatching’s 11 Crucial Consumer Trends Arrington “one of my favorite new startups for 2011. for 2010”, Gogobot connects friends in their www.gogobot.com

PICSCOUT & PICAPP Founded in 2003 by 2008, introduced online publishers and blog- Eyal Gura and Offi r Gutelzon (Zell 2 - 2003), gers to a single source for millions of free pre- PicScout established itself as the market leader mium quality pictures. Both were sold in 2011 in monitoring the use of images on the Web. to Getty Images and Ybrandt respectively. PicApp, a spin-off of the mother company in www.picscout.com and www.picapp.com

FUNKKIT The idea for stickers for sneakers and trendy stick-on designs to customize was developed in the program by Moran Nir, shoes. Sold in retails stores, mall stands, and Omer Faragi, Gilad Ronen, and Yonatan Raz- as promotional campaigns in Japan, Korea, Fridman (Zell 8 - 2009). FunkKit Stickers-for- Brazil, and Paraguay, FunkKit has recently Sneakers, led today by Moran Nir and Omer launched a new blog and plans to keep ex- Faragi, combines technology, community, panding globally. and art to footwear with a range of exciting www.funkkit.com

JOONGEL & WIBIYA Joongel, founded to integrate multiple services, applica- by Dror Ceder and Daniel Tal (Zell 7 - 2008), tions, and widgets into their environment is a new search method on the Internet through customized Web-based toolbars. based on the “long tail” theory. By the Wibiya was recently sold to Conduit for end of 2008, the team founded Wibiya, a $45 million. company that enables Web publishers www.joongel.com and www.wibiya.com

WIBBITZ Created in the program by Zohar Dayan was launched by Zohar Dayan and Yotam Cohen and Yotam Cohen with teammates Adi Retman and immediately after the program wrapped and has just Shmuel Rubashkin (Zell 9 - 2010), Wibbitz is a “play completed its fi rst round of fi nancing by Avichay button” for Web sites that automatically converts Nissenbaum and Yaniv Golan’s Lool Ventures and static Web content into engaging videos, so instead Elad Cohen and Roi Carthy’s Initial Capital. of reading an article you can watch it. The company www.wibbitz.com

THE GIFTS PROJECT The company was e-commerce Web sites. The company formed founded in 2009 by Ron Gura (Zell 9 - 2010), a strategic partnership with eBay during the Matan Bar, Erez Dickman, and Maya Gura. program and was sold to eBay in September The Gifts Project is a social commerce plat- 2011 marking the fourth exit for a Zell ven- form that enables users to give and re- ture for 2011. ceive group gifts on social networks and www.giftsproject.com

BIZZABO Developed in the Zell Program by Shushan, Alon Alroy, and Boaz Katz who Eran Ben Shushan, Alon Alroy, Boaz Katz, have secured their fi rst round of fi nancing. and Nir Blumberger (Zell 9 - 2010), Bizzabo They recently participated in TechCrunch enables users to discover, interact, and con- Disrupt and won the Peer Award for “most nect with business professionals around promising venture”. them. The company is led today by Eran Ben www.bizzabo.com

LABPIXIES The company was founded in quality interactive components (“Gadgets”) for 2006 by Oded Poncz (Zell 2 - 2003), Ran the personalized environment. LabPixies was Ben Yair, Ehud (Udi) Graf, and Nir Tsemah. the fi rst Israeli company acquired by Google LabPixies became a leading provider of per- in 2010. sonalized Web content and technology through www.labpixies.com

40 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2012 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3