YADIN KAUFMANN
Founder and Chairman of the Board
Yadin Kaufmann founded the Palestinian Internship Program in 2014. Yadin has been involved in venture capital since 1987, and he is the founder of Veritas Venture Partners, an early-stage venture fund management company in Israel and the US. He co-founded Sadara Ventures, the first fund investing in early-stage Palestinian technology companies, in 2011. Yadin founded and is Chairman of Tmura, a leading non-profit organization in the Israel high-tech sector. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). He is a native of New York and a member of both the New York and Israel bars. Yadin received his B.A. from Princeton University, M.A. from Harvard University, and J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review.
ABED NASHEF
Member of the Board
Abed is the Managing Partner of NAS & Co. law firm and has 15 years of experience as a corporate attorney providing legal counseling to local and foreign companies in a wide range of industries in cross-border transactions, joint ventures, M&As, financing, commercialization of technologies and other general corporate work. Mr. Nashef has specific expertise in the areas of tech and venture capital.
Abed was previously a partner at the Hi-Tech Group of the law firm of Pearl Cohen, and before that a Senior Associate in the Venture & International Practice Group of GKH law firm. In 2013, he was as Senior Legal Advisor for the UNCTAD, and earlier, an in-house counsel at a multi-disciplinary investment company which operates in countries across the MENA region.
Abed is active in several non-profit organizations in the areas of entrepreneurship and technology and often mentors and advises entrepreneurs and startups in the region in various forums. He also lectures before various audiences on entrepreneurship, venture capital financing and the legal aspects of tech ventures.
HANI ALAMI
Member of the Board
Hani Alami, CEO of Coolnet, has more than twenty years of national and regional experience in telecommunications and business development. He is attuned to all aspects of technology and entrepreneurship and supports a wide range of endeavors. Since 2009, with Hani at the helm, Coolnet Group has become one of the largest telco companies in Palestine and a leading telecom solutions provider in the field of broadband and communication technologies.
An experienced enthusiast, Hani excels at creating blue oceans and the kind of added value that triggers markets. With multiple acquisitions and mergers in the telecom sector, he leverages his experience and network to mentor and support emerging entrepreneurs and promising ideas. Hani also routinely contributes his time and experience as a philanthropist and mentor to multiple initiatives across the region. He recently established JEST (Jerusalem Entrepreneurs for Society and Technology), the first entrepreneurship center and hub for startups in East Jerusalem. JEST promotes and supports technology and the culture of innovation, with special emphasis on programs for women and youth.
TALLY ZINGHER
Member of the Board
Tally, an attorney and technology consultant, is CEO of Dawsat, a weight loss and wellness solution based on the traditional Middle Eastern diet. Prior to co-founding Dawsat, Tally was Managing Director at Blue Laurel and the co-founding managing director of the MENA Investment Network. She also practiced corporate law in the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, including a secondment with Istithmar, the sovereign wealth fund of Dubai. Tally started her career as a technology investment banker for BroadviewInternational (now part of Jefferies LLC).
With expertise in Middle East economic development, Zingher is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a formerfellow at the Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs. Zingher also was a clerk forLuis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. AFulbright scholar, she holds an A.B. in economics and Middle Eastern studies from HarvardCollege, an M.P.A. in development economics from the Harvard Kennedy School and a J.D.from Harvard Law School.
MAYSA BARANSI
Member of the Board
Maysa, a human rights and a peace activist, co-founded of All for Peace radio, the first Palestinian Israeli Peace radio station and served as its Executive Director for over ten years. She is currently a board member, as well as serving on the board of a number of other organizations, including JEST Hub in Jerusalem, ALLMEP (Alliance for Middle East Peace), The Palestinian Israeli Peace NGO Forum, and Kids 4 Peace. Maysa since worked in the fields of CSR, PR and entrepreneurship at BCI Group, a leading telecommunication company in Palestine, Jordan and UAE.
JESSE DIVON
Member of the Board
Jesse is an independent consultant on projects relating to economic development and international cooperation in the Middle East.
Born and bred in the UK, Jesse holds a B.A. from Cambridge University, where he studied Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies with Arabic, and is soon to complete his Master's in Business Administration at Tel Aviv University.
Jesse served as the Palestinian Internship Program's Program Director until January 2018.
RON AVIV
Member of Board
Ron is a multidisciplinary manager with particular focus on impact, diversity and inclusion. As Managing Director of Hybrid, an Israel-based accelerator for Arab-led startups, Ron advised dozens of early-stage entrepreneurs who went on to raise $5M to date. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Robus, a marketing and consulting firm focused primarily on law firms.
Ron holds an MBA from INSEAD, as well as an LLB an BA in Law and Government from Reichman University. He is fluent in Hebrew, English and Arabic.