LINK.IL: Linking Israeli Startups to Relevant Startup Professionals
Link.IL helps Israeli startups connect with US market experts. Founded by EFI and Prof. Mark Cohen (Justin Potter Professor of American Competitive Analysis, Emeritus, at Vanderbilt University), it pairs startups with seasoned professionals. To apply, startups submit a one-page overview including their stage, funding, website, and goals. Startups that are admitted to the program will receive weekly meetings with their mentors, for a period that will be decided by both sides.
Our US partner: Prof. Mark Cohen
Mark A. Cohen is the Justin Potter Professor of American Competitive Enterprise (Emeritus), Owen Graduate School, Vanderbilt University. Previously, he served as VP for Research at Resources for the Future and as a staff economist at the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Sentencing Commission.
Professor Cohen is an economist who has published 100+ articles on topics ranging from environmental regulation, corporate sustainability, and crime. He has served on various governmental advisory panels and was appointed an inaugural member of the Stakeholder Council of the Global Reporting Initiative. At Vanderbilt, he taught MBA and Law students courses on corporate social responsibility strategy and sustainability.
Since 2014, he began taking Vanderbilt MBA students to Israel during Spring Break, where they traveled around the country touring and meeting with business executives and VC firms. Students were matched up with and spent time with Israeli start-ups who were looking to enter US markets. Upon their return to the US, students conducted research and reported back to their Israeli clients. Cohen found this experience to be valuable both for students and the start-up clients. Along with EFI, he started Link.IL was a similar goal of linking start-ups to US mentors.
Sample of LINK.IL Mentors
Brian Lapidus
Chief Revenue and Customer Officer |Transformative SaaS Growth Leader
| Cyber and Incident Response| Blockchain Analytics | Culture Carrier
B2B Go-to-Market Strategist, Venture Investor, CMO, Advisor & Board Member with focus on revenue growth and value creation.
Jonathan Temlock
Experienced global business development leader in the consumer and enterprise technology sectors.
Shawn Glinter
Serial Entrepreneur| Mentor for startups and early stage companies
Executive Sales Leader/Individual Contributor and Strategist with a consistent record of successful
buildings.
Armando Viteri
CEO of Neubloc, a strategic consulting and implementation firm focused on AI including generative AI.
During his thirty-eight year career, with J&J, Randy was respected as an innovative leader and mentor with strong strategic insights. He has extensive experience with introducing new products, programs and procedures to his health care customers.
Brett Pentz
Brett helps leaders of healthcare and technology businesses differentiate their offerings, grow, and enter new markets.
Silvina Grad
Seasoned executive with significant experience in identifying strategic opportunities and converting them into high-growth software product. Extensive experience in SaaS, AI, and digital transformation. Mentor for startups.
David Schwartz
David is a seasoned marketer that focuses on digital transformation, helping brands to turn challenges into opportunities through technical innovation and strategic planning.
Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen is an Entreprenuer with a legal and compliance background. He has spent his career starting and building employment screening and monitoring solutions.
Dan Bauer
Marketing strategist, advisor, and mentor for founders of B2B and B2C businesses of all sizes.
Experienced operator and general counsel with a demonstrated history of securing fundraising and successfully growing startups, across fintech and digital asset industries.
Additional mentors are being added regularly. Among those we recently added include experts in SaaS, MedTech, AI, and high-performance computing. Our mentors have between 15 and 45 years of experience in VC funding, entrepreneurship, business development, legal issues, and strategy consulting.
Are you an Israeli startup eyeing the US market?
Link.IL, in collaboration with Mark Cohen, Justin Potter Professor of American Competitive Enterprise, Emeritus, Vanderbilt University, to offer comprehensive guidance to Israeli startups at every step of their journey.
Here's what Link.IL offers:
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Personalized Consulting: Get paired with expert US advisors who will mentor you weekly for 50 minutes over three months.
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Fees: This invaluable service comes at no cost; however, a non-refundable admission fee of NIS 75 will be required when we approve your participation in the program.
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Confidentiality: Your information is safe with us! We'll sign an NDA if needed before sharing any confidential details.
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How to Apply: Simply fill out the Application Form with non-confidential information, to be considered for the next round of Link.IL.
Ready to grow your Israeli startup in the US? Apply now with Link IL for expert guidance and support every step of the way!
If you wish to learn more write us: yarden@efi.org.il