Photo caption: The entrepreneurs on pitch night.
By Megan E. Turner
Posted by JNF Impact at 10:24 AM
Jewish National Fund
On a balmy summer’s eve in Be’er Sheva, the excitement in the air was palpable at Jewish National Fund’s Lauder Employment Center as 19 entrepreneurs shared their concepts for social change with a crowd of more than 250. Each took the stage in what was billed as a local “pitch night.” With only 30 seconds to sell their idea, these budding business leaders summarized the past six months of hard work on their unique ideas into just a few, fleeting moments. Even more exciting, the best pitches of the evening were awarded seed money to help get their business off the ground.
With its sweeping vision to develop Southern Israel, Jewish National Fund has created myriad opportunities for residents in the Negev Desert region including finding good jobs and jumpstarting careers. The Lauder Center also helps to guide social entrepreneurs, formulate business plans, and teaches business skills to assist budding start-ups with the means to see their ideas come to fruition. As a byproduct, entrepreneurs often end up addressing unique social problems within their communities throughout the south.
“The people coming to us have the desire to make society better,” explained Maor Elkayam, director of HaMeitz in Be’er Sheva, one of the Lauder Employment Center
