MEET Brings Together Young Israeli and Palestinian Entrepreneurs — Now It’s Coming to Ethereal TLV

Gigi Levy Weiss, one of Israel’s most prolific investors, is building bridges with business to create a better world

Every Ethereal Summit event is a reminder that one of the core values of blockchain — and in particular Ethereum — is to connect the world while creating a more equitable economy. This mission has inspired countless individuals and organizations who share these values to get involved and incorporate decentralization and blockchain into their own plans to change the world for the better. At Ethereal Summit Tel Aviv, we’ll be hosting one such example: Israeli entrepreneur Gigi Levy-Weiss, Founding Partner of socially conscious venture capital fund NFX and also the Founder of the non-profit organization MEET — Middle Eastern Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow.

MEET’s mission is to bring together remarkable Israeli and Palestinian youths with an aptitude for technology and entrepreneurship to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, mold the next generation of leaders in the region, and bring together groups that are divided by conflict. With over 400 MEET alumni, many with high-profile jobs or startups of their own, the organization has proven a wellspring for a new generation of technologists, entrepreneurs, and sociocultural actors who are quite literally changing the world.

In advance of Gigi’s appearance at Ethereal Tel Aviv, we spoke with him about MEET, blockchain, and the future of technology in the Middle East…

How did you come up with the idea for Israeli-Palestinian nonprofit organization MEET?

MEET was established 15 years ago with the aim to create a network of young Palestinians and Israelis who will — with time — become the leaders of tomorrow who will transform our region and help resolve conflict. The core insight was that the language of technology and entrepreneurship can be the bridge bringing together these young leaders who will — by studying and working on projects together — learn to trust each other and collaborate. The sad reality of our region is that these kids have often never met anyone from the ‘other side’ and the program gives them the unique opportunity to see that we are all human.

Reaching the best young leaders in this climate is extremely tough. Today, we recruit around 130 kids a year from close to 2,000 applications. Our secret is our partnership with MIT who support us with tuition. The students come for the quality education and we ‘sneak’ on them with coexistence. That’s MEET’s secret sauce. There is a clear need to not just try to promote peace today, but also prepare the next generation of young leaders who will be able to solve the conflict in the future.

How was the decision made around including an equal amount of men and women?

From the program’s inception, it was clear that the values the program instils in the young leaders must include equality at every level. It was therefore agreed that we will always have a balanced Palestinian-Israeli number of students and that each such group will always include an equal number of boys and girls.

What are the goals of the MEET project?

MEET’s theory of change is based on the concept that leaders who will see the ‘other side’ as equal human beings, who will have a successful history of working together, and who will have a real active network in the other nation, will have a positive impact on the region. We see MEET’s impact on the kids themselves; on their families and friends (through the program the families of the kids also get to meet each other); and later on in the region through the alumni’s work in business, government and NGOs.

What kind of resistance do/did you face?

Over the years, we’ve faced resistance on many fronts and on both sides. On the Israeli side, not everyone is always happy that the program is actively promoting coexistence; on the Palestinian side, many see the program as an attempt to promote normalization, which is seen as a negative by many. Luckily the educational focus, especially in technology and entrepreneurship, makes the program more acceptable to everyone. This goal is so important — it’s essentially critical if I want my kids to have a great country to live in. We do not have the luxury to stop.

Have MEET alumni gone on to do amazing things?

The MEET alumni — now already more than 400 — are an amazing group of young leaders who are already making a difference in business, social change and some (though the oldest graduates are only 28, and the first classes were only a handful of kids) work in government. We have some business leaders at Google, Facebook etc.; social leaders who founded their own NGOs or joined others, and Forbes 30 under 30’s. This includes a few who are working with MEET now — always a great indication when alumni come back to work in the organization. We’re very proud of all of our alumni.

Are there any stories that indicate the values of MEET in practice?
There are so many amazing stories. There is a great associate working with me at NFX, Shayma Sharif, who is a MEET graduate. A few years ago, during an escalating Palestinian-Israeli military conflict, MEET alumni began debating over Facebook. As often happens in such situations, the discussion started getting more heated. At this point, one of the young leaders suggested that they meet in person to discuss ‘in line with MEET’s values.’ More than 15 young leaders met at the MEET offices, had a very meaningful discussion, and left not necessarily agreeing, but remembering that there is another truth. Understanding the narrative of the other side is the key to resolving any conflict. That was an amazing demonstration of the power of the program and the quality of the MEET graduates.

How do you see emerging tech like blockchain technology playing a role in shaping the future leaders of the world?

I truly believe that each tech revolution brought with it further democratization and opportunities to improve our world and close gaps in society. Blockchain technology is more democratic by its nature. It gives a lot more power to each node, compared to centralized systems that maintain control. This democratization of control is a powerful paradigm shift that can change our world for the better, close social gaps, and give a more equal opportunity to everyone. Leaders who will embrace decentralization could help shape a better future!

What advice do you have for people who are using tech for good/who have projects like yours?
My core insight is that tech and entrepreneurship are truly global languages today across geographies and nations; harnessing the power of tech for social good is probably the most impactful means of creating social change today — as long as you remember that it’s the people who really make the difference!

How many startups have you been a part of? What projects are you most excited about?

Over the years I’ve invested in more than 120 companies as an angel; as NFX — the Silicon Valley and Israeli leading seed fund I founded with James Currier and Pete Flint, we have already invested in over 100 companies.

I’m excited by so many projects! In the blockchain space, the two I am most passionate about are DAOstack — creating the governance layer of any blockchain project and Wave who is using blockchain to streamline the shipping and supply chain industry.

On the non-for-profit side, MEET is maybe my most impactful venture alongside other educational activities in our region. Harnessing the principles of startup entrepreneurship in social change activities has been a powerful methodology for me, and I am sure that everyone looking to use the same methodology can significantly increase their impact!

What do you intend to bring to the conversation at Ethereal, and what are you looking forward to?
I am very excited to be discussing the latest opportunities blockchain can bring to the tech ecosystem and look forward to meeting the latest Israeli blockchain projects who I feel are increasingly more mature than past years.

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