3/8/08

2008 Fellows shine before a crowd of 200 of Israel and World Jewry's leadings innovators, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and social activists.

On Thursday July 31st, the PresenTense Group held the final program of it's summer 2008 institute session. The event took place at Yad Ben Zvi, the first Presidential residence, built by Israel's second president - Yitzchak Ben Zvi. Over the course of the evening, the PresenTense Fellows presented 15 new pioneering projects aimed at inspiring the Jewish people and making the world a better place. This event culminated a summer of intense entrepreneurship and development, and was widely seen as a global gathering of social entrepreneurs. The PresenTense Institute is quickly becoming a core hub of social capital for the state of Israel - bringing socially minded entrepreneurs from around the world to pursue their vision in Israel's capital. PresenTense 2008 fellows broke new ground in the fields of philanthropy, education, social business, Israel engagement, Jewish culture and the arts.

2008 Fellow Ventures:

Todd Schechter
Jewish Reconnection Project
New York City

Assael Romanelli
Potential State
Jerusalem

Becca Linden
Rivkah and Yaakov Lifchitz Family Philanthropy
Charlottesville and Jerusalem

Eitan Ingall
Tamid Israel Investment Group
Bethesda

Bradley Cohen
All for the Kids
London

Jodi Meyerowitz and Jamie Zebrak
Shomer Achi
Johannesburg, Atlanta and Eugene

Tanya Strusberg
Israel Arts Management
Hong Kong and Jerusalem

Daniel Schaffer
Invested Citizens
New Haven

JT Waldman
Tagged Tanakh
Philladelphia

Shai Davis
oorim.com
New York City and Jerusalem

Erin Kopelow
Protecxia
Winnipeg and Jerusalem

Rafi Gabbay
Odeka
Jerusalem

Chari Pere
Hey Yiddle Diddle Productions
Staten Island

Daniel Rosen
NextGen
Flagstaff

Eileen Levinson
Open-Source Haggadah
Los Angeles

The PresenTense institute is opening its year-round space this coming week, and will continue to work with the 2008 fellows along with the 2007 fellows and other innovators around the world -- members of the PresenTense community -- who are helping young Jews around the world unleash their creativity in a communal framework.

Video of the Final Presentations:

Profiles of the 2008 Fellows and Ventures:
http://www.presentense.org/institute/2008/projects

Videos of Major 2008 Speakers and Conversations:
http://www.presentense.org/institute/2008/video