Business experts and start-ups showcased the latest in Israeli technological and entrepreneurial achievements at The Start-Up Nation Technology Fair co-sponsored by 17 student organizations on Wednesday night in Willard Straight Hall.
Adam Shapiro ’20, who helped organize the fair, characterized its mission as “showing the campus all the remarkable things Israel does in the field of innovation and technology.”
“Israel is an economic engine in the world economy,” Shapiro said to the crowd. “Let’s all enjoy its products today and in our everyday lives.”
Attendees interacted with innovators from a wide diversity of firms including media company Vikki Academy and shopping app Zeekit at booths set out around the room. A few lucky students even landed internships.
At one of the booths, tech company Virtually Israel transported Cornellians to the beaches of Tel Aviv and the Old City of Jerusalem using a virtual reality headset.
At a panel featuring Doron Nadivi, chief marketing officer of hotel reservation site Pruvo, and Itzik Yushuvaev, founder of marketing agency Ybooster, entrepreneurs shared business advice and lessons for developing start-ups or pursuing careers in venture capital.
“Your approach to developing a start-up should be that the customer is always right,” Nadivi advised. “Therefore, don’t fall in love with your product.”
Israel is an “island economy” imbued with an unique entrepreneurial spirit, Yushuvaev said.
“[Israel] has limited resources and is largely self-sufficient. Despite this, the country has a whopping 93 companies listed on the NASDAQ,” Yushuvaev said.
Members of the many student organizations involved described their eagerness to showcase a side of Israel that is often overlooked at Cornell and on other college campuses nationwide.
“This celebration of Israel’s ingenuity would not be possible without the cross-pollination of so many student groups,” Shapiro said.