Zell Entrepreneurship Program at Reichman University

19/02/2026

What do Ann Arbor, Evanston, and Herzliya have in common?

One word: Zell

Last week we visited our sister programs, the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurship and the Kellogg Zell Fellows Program, coming together as one global community driven by our shared entrepreneurial ambitions and leadership goals.

A few highlights:
• Touring Kellogg and the Ross School of Business, and visiting Urban Tech Exchange and Newlab in Detroit to see firsthand where building happens
• An inspiring visit to Equity Group Investments office with Scott Peppet, Ellen Havdala, and Aaron Zell
• Lectures from Steven Franconeri, Gina Fong, and Kevin McTigue at Kellogg
• Hearing from Jon Oberheide and Pete Martin about building and scaling in Michigan
• A candid VC panel on the Michigan ecosystem featuring Lindsey Kilbride, Turner Novak, Diana Callaghan, paul brown, and Brandon Schram

What makes Zell so powerful is the people and the lifelong, international network behind it. Grateful to everyone who made this trip possible and continues to strengthen this community.

Scott Peppet, Ellen Havdala, Aaron Zell, David Schonthal, Gregg Latterman, Steve Janssens, Drea Shipp-Caldwell, Mike Golas, Jennifer Herold, Liat Aaronson, Ori Schnitzer, Tali Pais, Naomi Scheinman

21/12/2025

People often glorify what it means to be a CEO, but the full picture looks very different up close.

We were lucky to host three incredible Zell alumni: Dan Benjamin (former CEO of Dig Security, acquired by Palo Alto Networks), Raz Ronen (CEO of Wisor), and Yarden Gross (CEO of Orca AI). They spoke honestly about what the role actually feels like day to day.

In short, what we heard is that being a CEO is simultaneously the best and worst job. Their advice and real stories helped our fellows understand the reality behind the title and connect it to the journey they are on today.

17/09/2025

We are proud to introduce the Zell Fellows of 2025!

Following a nine-month screening and selection process, this exceptional group has been selected to join the Zell Entrepreneurship Program. Their backgrounds span venture capital, software development, product management, defense technology, and global marketing.

What unites them is a shared ambition to build, lead, and redefine what is possible.

Congratulations to the new Zell Fellows.

08/07/2025

And just like that, the Zell cohort of 2025 is coming to an end

In just under 10 months, this group transformed bold ideas into real ventures with calculated speed and pure determination. The road was far from easy, but these founders faced every up and down with grace and grit.

We are deeply proud of what they've achieved and even more excited for what comes next. As they step forward as Zell alumni, we’ll be cheering them on and watching as they continue to be contrarians, lead with purpose, and shape the future.

A heartfelt thank you to the mentors, lecturers, and the entire Zell community for the role you played in bringing this cohort to where they are today.

04/06/2025

Last week, we launched our new event series starting with Inspiring Women in Leadership, and what a kickoff it was.

Maayan Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Hello Heart, opened the evening with a candid look at her journey, from seed stage to Series D and $138M raised. She shared the realities of building a company and scaling it through each stage of growth.

Next was our founder panel with Sandy Hefftz, Orly Shoavi, Yael Peled Adam, and Eliana Barbel, moderated by Naomi Scheinman. They spoke openly about the harder parts of entrepreneurship, including tough choices, uncertainty, and what it really takes to build something from scratch. Their honesty gave the audience a grounded view of startup life.

We closed with a VC panel moderated by Arielle Evan, featuring Roni Bonjack, Sarai Bronfeld, Lia Cromwell, and Nofar Amikam. They talked through how they evaluate startups, how the VC landscape is shifting, and what that means for early-stage founders.

The atmosphere in the room was full of momentum. It was an evening of honest discussion and genuine connection. A huge thank you to all the speakers for bringing that energy to life and making the evening a success.

We're just getting started. Stay tuned for more events like this to come.

06/05/2025

Sam Zell always preached to “go for greatness.” After traveling to Chicago with the Zell programs, surrounded by the people and places that embody that ethos, we’re leaving more inspired than ever to rise to that call.

From the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business to The Zell Scholars Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, this trip marked the beginning of something important. Building relationships across our sister programs is essential, as strengthening these connections now lays the foundation for a strong and unified Zell community.

We were especially honored to be hosted by the team at Equity Group Investments. Ellen Havadala, Managing Director at EGI and Aaron Zell, Senior Associate at Zell Family Office, not only welcomed us, but offered a powerful glimpse into what it looks like to carry Sam Zell’s legacy forward—thoughtfully, ambitiously, and with a clear sense of purpose.

A few highlights from our time in Chicago:
• A full tour of the EGI offices, including a rare look inside Sam Zell’s personal office
• Incredible lectures from Zell Kellogg faculty members
• Networking session connecting fellows across programs
• A classic steakhouse dinner with the EGI team
• Countless opportunities to pitch ventures, exchange ideas, and deepen our sense of community

Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible and amazing!

06/12/2022

Really proud to partner with Startup Snapshot and shed light on founder mental health and wellbeing, a super important topic that is unfortunately not discussed enough in the ecosystem.

Join us as we collect data from founders around the world. Our goal is to better understand the true price of success, analyzing the mental, emotional and physical toll of the entrepreneurial journey.

We want to hear from you! If you’re a founder of a startup that raised up to $30M in Israel, Europe or the US , we want to hear about your experiences.Take 2 minutes to fill out this quick survey. The conclusions will be shared with the entire ecosystem, helping guide founders on their quest for success. Link here: https://surveys.segmanta.com/5b357v

In partnership with LeumiTech, Intel Ignite, Yigal Arnon Azrieli Tower Tel Aviv, American Express Yael Benjamin Liat Aaronson Tzahi Zack Weisfeld Alon Leibovich Ni**od Vromen Timor Arbel-Sadras Ido Almany

09/10/2022

Are local startups prepared for the crisis? The latest Startup Snapshot research highlighted that early-stage startups are entering the crisis well-capitalized and with reasonable spend, with 62% of companies having more than 12 months of runway left. These founders are not stressed for cash, they have the breathing room and flexibility necessary to avoid a harsh repricing and weather the storm.

To view all the data collected from 750+ startup founders and employees, check out: www.startup-snapshot.com

06/10/2022

Belief in company vision takes first place!

The latest Startup Snapshot research identified that employee motivations for staying in their current position shifted dramatically over the past few months. “Belief in the company vision” became the top reason that employees chose to stay in their current job, with 45% of employees in August stating this as their top reason. The risky hiring market was not a motivating factor, with only 13% of employees in August stating it as their reason for staying.

In times of uncertainty, employees want to work in a company where they really believe in the vision and the ability of management to execute it. It is up to the founder to clearly communicate with employees, connecting them to the company strategy and steps to reaching the vision.

To view all the data collected from 750+ startup founders and employees, check out: www.startup-snapshot.com

22/09/2022

The Zell Entrepreneurship Program at Reichman University is thrilled to take part in the latest Startup Snapshot research “Winds of Change”, illustrating how innovators are adapting to today’s uncertain market dynamics. The report is based on data collected from 750+ startup founders and employees over the past 5 months.

The data is very reassuring and points to the good health of the Israeli innovation ecosystem. Local founders have demonstrated an impressive ability to rapidly adapt to shifting market dynamics and investor demands. We see a situation in which many companies are coming into the downturn well-capitalized and with reasonable spend, giving them the breathing room necessary to weather the storm.

Check out all the data at www.startup-snapshot.com

Yael Benjamin LeumiTech Intel Ignite Yigal Arnon & Co. - יגאל ארנון ושות' American Express Astrella

30/08/2022

Please welcome ZELL 22! 👏🏻
17 students, 7 female students (41%) ⚡
9 of which are in their extra year.

Students represent almost all of the faculties at Reichman University:
10 students are from the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship - 5 of them are in the joint degree of Computer Science and Entrepreneurship, 2 are in the joint degree of Business and Entrepreneurship, and 2 are in the joint degree of Economics and Entrepreneurship: 4 Computer Science, 1 Economics and Business,
1 Psychology and Business, and 1 Business and Data Science.

We have 2 RRIS students.

9 students are already working in hi-tech companies, 3 previously co-founded a venture, and 1 worked at a Zellot company!

We wish them and all of us good luck and health in this year to come! 🤩

17/07/2022

https://www.calcalist.co.il/article/rj05m9yiq

Congratulations to Cervello, funded by Nadav Avidan, Roie Onn & Shaked Kaftzan from Zell 17. Cervello has recently announced a partnership with Fincons group and will provide cyber security to important players in the railway industry such as SBB.

חברת Cervello, המפתחת מערכות אבטחת סייבר ייעודיות לרכבות, תספק לחברת הרכבות הלאומית השוויצרית SBB מערכת הגנת סייבר לניטור וניהול נכסי תשתית הרכבות ברחבי שוויץ. כמו כן, קב....