Find your niche in the Start-Up Nation
SRAEL ISN’T CALLED the Start-Up Nation simply because of the hitech success stories that come out of it. It is the perfect environment for entrepreneurs, risk-takers and innovators. If you’re coming to Israel midway through your career, you may not be able to find the same job in your field as you had in your native country. But if you feel comfortable exploring new terrain and grabbing opportunities when they present themselves, Israel is an energising place. I spoke to four olim who came to Israel with specific professional skill sets — and recreated themselves.
MAYER REICH RANKABOVE, CEO
“Because Israel is a small country, it’s easy to build new relationships and get in front of the people who matter.”
Before Mayer Reich made aliyah with his family in 2003, he had a promising career in construction management. Yet, in Israel he soon discovered that he could either get a degree in engineering or choose a new field. He chose the latter and decided to immerse himself in Israel’s growing tech sector. From his first position as sales manager for an internet company, Reich learned everything he possibly could about online marketing, before founding his own interactive marketing agency. Two years later, he sold the business and then launched RankAbove, which provides support in search-engine optimisation.
JOANNA SHEBSON FUN IN JERUSALEM, CEO
“In Israel, you can find a need that hasn’t been met — and if you have the right skills, you can create the right opportunities and fill those needs.”
Following successful stints in the Barnesandnoble.com marketing department and at a marketing consultancy, Kellogg Business School graduate Joanna Shebson made aliyah with her family. While showing her children Israel’s historical sites and presenting them in a child-friendly way, Shebson began a blog about their experiences. That blog — Fun in Jerusalem — soon turned into a profitable family-tourism website that shares events, activities, and attractions, perfect for Englishspeaking families in Jerusalem.
MICHAEL SKLAR M.S. U.S. TAX SERVICES, PRESIDENT
“Today the world economy is global. It doesn’t matter where you are.”
When Michael Sklar made aliyah in 2005, he decided he would work remotely as an accountant for a short time before pursuing new opportunities in Israel. Before he left, Sklar helped his clients install webcams, so that they would feel he was accessible. Not only did Sklar’s US-based clients continue to work with him, but once settled in Israel, he also discovered a new clientèle: olim who needed to file their US taxes. Sklar now has a thriving accounting firm in Bet Shemesh.
MARCI & HAROLD RAPP MARSEA MODEST SWIM & CASUALWEAR, OWNERS
“The availability of so much assistance to olim, including business consulting courses, mentoring services and loans, gave us the confidence to start our business in Israel.”
Past owners of a kosher cheese business in Toronto, Marci and Harold Rapp spent their first year of aliyah working on a new business idea. Having moved from a country where summer is only two months long to Israel, where summer weather lasts most of the year, Marci realised she couldn’t find anything suitable to wear. Existing companies that made modest swimwear didn’t offer apparel for curvier women, so the Rapps decided to start their own line. Since 2010, the company has grown to include more than 10 distributors in Israel and another 10 worldwide.