קרדיט תמונה: יונתן הפנר

Daniella Gera Margaliot is the Deputy Director General of Innovation and Smart Mobility in Israel’s Ministry of Transport, specializing in cutting-edge policies to promote and adopt innovation as a tool to address social and environmental challenges. Formerly the Deputy Managing Director of the Smart Mobility Initiative in the Prime Minister’s Office, Daniella played a meaningful role in establishing Israel as one of the world’s leaders in smart mobility. Earlier, Daniella gained extensive experience in the Budget Department of the Finance Ministry, heading the team responsible for the government’s fiscal policy, and initiating structural reforms in the agriculture, environment and transport sectors. Daniella holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Economics and Political Science, and an M.A. in Financial Economics, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as well as an M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Stefan Lutz is CEO of BMW Technology Office in Israel since Oct. 2022. The Technology Office is part of the Open Innovation team and the BMW Startup Garage (BSG) of the BMW Group. The BSG was launched in 2015 In Germany, became international soon after and is established since 2019 also in Tel Aviv. We are searching for innovations and partners in the Israeli industry which could be of interest to be integrated in our products and services. Stefan Lutz has a strong background in the automotive industry and is working for more than 2 decades within BMW pursuing several positions. From 2018 until September 2022 he was working in Tokyo, Japan as Head of Technology Office in the area of Open Innovation looking for new technologies and processes. Before moving to Japan, he was Head of Center Information Display based in Munich, Germany and formerly for 2 years in Beijing, China. In this position he was many years responsible for development and release of displays components for all BMW brands (BMW, MINI, Rolls Royce). He also formerly worked in the vehicle project management being responsible for the interior appearance process. Furthermore, he was manager for interior surface materials covering all materials which come in sight or contact with customers (leather, textiles, plastics, paint, metal, wood, etc.). Stefan Lutz has great interest in searching and developing ideas and innovations in collaboration with partners in a reliable and trustful environment. Supporting or coaching young companies like startups to get on board with a big international player is one of his key focuses. Born in south Germany (close to the French city Strasbourg), but living for more than 24 years in Munich, he enjoys travelling, some golf and skiing in his leisure time. He is married and has two kids.

Ron Eifer is the Head of the Sustainable Energy Division at the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. In his role, Ron is responsible for shaping the policy and leading the ministry’s activities in the areas of electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, local governance, electric and clean transportation. Previously, he served as the Deputy Director-General of Economics and Strategy at the Natural Gas Authority. Before his involvement in the energy sector, Ron held a senior position in the Economic and Social Planning Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, where he was responsible for formulating the ministry’s policy in various core macroeconomic areas, including economic growth acceleration, cost of living reduction, budget, communications, and energy. Prior to that, Ron served as an advisor to the International Labour Organization and as a strategic advisor to the public sector. Ron holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in Philosophy, Economics, and Political Science (PPE) from the Hebrew University and a master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Cambridge.

Itamar Ben-Meir serves as CEO of NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd., the company responsible for the design and construction of the mass transit system for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Photo: NTA, Amos Luzon

Stephanie Reimann Izhak works in a management role within Volkswagen Group Innovation, where she is responsible for global venturing activities and strengthening collaboration with startups across the Volkswagen Group. In this strategic role, she fosters partnerships with startups worldwide to drive innovation across all Group brands. From 2018 to 2021, Stephanie served as the first Managing Director and a founding member of Konnect, Volkswagen Group’s innovation hub in Israel. During this time, she contributed to establishing the Group’s first fully owned entity in the country, establishing a strong presence in one of the world’s leading tech ecosystems. With over 15 years at the Volkswagen Group and more than 6 years in senior management roles, Stephanie was involved in shaping the foundation of Leitmotif, the Group’s independent venture capital fund. In previous roles she led projects focused on the Group’s digital transformation, particularly in digital marketing and innovation. Her professional experience spans different areas of the Group, including Group Marketing Communication and Group Procurement, and she has worked closely with multiple brands to help foster a collaborative innovation culture. She holds a Master’s degree in Business from the University of Osnabrück. She is a German citizen with a global outlook, Stephanie has lived and worked in the United States, Japan, and Israel, bringing a unique international perspective to her work.

Michael Granoff is founder and Managing Director of Maniv Mobility, a venture capital fund based in Tel Aviv and New York that invests globally in startup companies at the intersection of transportation and technology. Founded in 2015, Maniv manages over $300 million and has an investor base of more than 20 strategic investors, including automakers, suppliers, and others. Maniv’s active portfolio includes 38 startups spanning 11 countries. Among the corporate boards on which Mr. Granoff sits are Harbinger Motors, a US-based manufacturer of electric mid-duty vehicles; Anaphite, a UK-based battery technology company; and River, an India-based manufacturer of electric 2-wheelers. He is a founding board member of the Washington, DC-based policy and advocacy group SAFE (Securing America’s Future Energy). His past board roles have included Better Place, an electric-car network developer, and Autofleet, an Israeli startup acquired by Element Fleet Management in 2024. He was actively involved in three US Presidential campaigns and has received several awards, including Brandeis University’s Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship. Mr. Granoff holds a B.A. from Tufts University, an MBA and JD from Kellogg, Northwestern University; he has completed over 25 marathons, is a father of four, and has called Israel home since 2013.

Legal and Executive Professional with over 25 years of experience. Trans Isarel Ltd. (2011 – today) – Currently serving as General Counsel and Interim CEO; Goldfarb Seligman & Co. (2005 – 2011) – Senior Counsel. LL.M. (Cum Laude) – Fordham University School of Law NY (2004); LL.B. (Magna Cum Laude) – The College of Management (2000). Graduate of Executive and Leadership Programs (Senior Managers of Governmental Companies – 2018; Nevo Program – Zionist Leadership Fund – 2024-2025).

Alon specializes in digital and data-product management with a focus on formulating strategies, concepts, and frameworks in the digital arena—fields he has practiced in for the past 15 years. As the leading partner of the Data & Product practice at TASC, Alon uses product-management methodologies and matches technology trends to business frameworks and processes to provide clients with custom strategies. He holds a B.A. in history and an M.A. in urban studies from Tel Aviv University.

Eran Ofir is an entrepreneurial senior executive with a proven track record of driving business growth and large-scale annual turnover through innovation, relentless sales, and tenacious team building around a joint vision. During a career spanning over two decades he gained extensive cross-industry experience in the telecommunications, utilities, retail, healthcare, and automotive industries. Eran has led business units at global hi-tech companies while living on four continents, providing customers with software services and licenses, hardware, consulting, and outsourcing services. Some of the businesses that Eran built and managed were acquired by Huawei, NEC and NCR, after reaching significant commercial scale.

Orly Stern retired from the IDF six years ago after 33 years of distinguished service with the rank of Brigadier General In her most recent roles before retirement, she served as Head of the Infrastructure Department in the IDF Planning Division and as Deputy Head of the Engineering and Construction Division at the Ministry of Defense. Stern holds a BA in Architecture and Urban Planning from the Technion and an MA in Political Science and Public Administration from Bar-Ilan University. In January 2022, she was appointed CEO of Ayalon Highways by the company’s board of directors, becoming the first woman to lead one of Israel’s largest infrastructure companies. Under her leadership, Ayalon Highways manages dozens of transportation projects valued at tens of billions of shekels.

Chen Herzog is a Partner and the Chief Economist at BDO Consulting. Member of BDO’s International Global Public Sector Forum. Herzog has 25 years of professional experience in economic consulting and advisory for international corporations, government-owned entities and large companies in Israel. He has performed valuations, written economic opinions on complex issues and has advised on economic national policy. Experience Chen Herzog is one of Israel’s leading energy economists, with over 25 years of experience in economic consulting and advisory for international corporations, government-owned entities, and major infrastructure players. He has led high-impact projects across Israel and neighboring countries in the energy and electricity sectors, including strategic planning and feasibility studies for renewable energy firms, natural gas operators, pipeline companies, independent power producers, national utilities, and oil refineries. His broad expertise covers national energy policy design, economic modeling, market pricing, financial valuations, and M&A advisory. Chen is a Senior Partner at BDO, overseeing economic consulting activities across both Israel and Greece, which allows him to bring a truly regional perspective to energy strategy and policy development. His experience also includes extensive work at the intersection of energy and smart mobility, including transportation electrification, EV demand forecasting, and the economic and infrastructure implications of integrating mobility systems into national energy frameworks.

International lecturer and expert as a strategic consultant and innovation leader for Intelligent transportation infrastructure, Operation & Maintenance, PPP & BOT Mega projects.

Oren Ezer is the CEO and Co-founder of Electreon, the pioneer in wireless charging for electric vehicles. The company’s innovative technology enables EVs to charge while driving or parked, eliminating range anxiety and the need for heavy batteries. With a distinguished career in leading high-stakes multidisciplinary projects, Oren specializes in bridging the gap between ambitious R&D and large-scale commercial implementation. Before co-founding Electreon, Oren held senior leadership roles serving as Chief Electronic Engineer and Head of R&D for major international tech projects, where he spearheaded the development of advanced thermal imaging and laser systems.

Esti Peshin is a globally recognized leader in cybersecurity, AI, and aviation technologies. From 2017 until 2025, she served as Vice President and General Manager of the Cyber Division at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), where she built and led one of the world’s most sophisticated national-grade cyber capabilities. Under her leadership, IAI’s cyber activity grew from a directorate into a strategic corporate division, driving innovation, global partnerships, and mission-critical defense and enterprise security programs worldwide. Previously, Esti served (pro bono) as Director General of the Israeli Hi-Tech Caucus at the Knesset, advancing national innovation policy and strengthening Israel’s technology ecosystem. She has held senior leadership roles across strategic consulting, private equity, and technology ventures, including serving as CEO of Waterfall Security Solutions, a pioneering provider of critical-infrastructure cyber protection. Earlier in her career, Esti held a senior position in Verint Systems’ Lawful Interception division and served 11 years in an elite IDF technology unit, where she became Deputy Director. A respected voice in global cyber strategy, national resilience, and responsible AI development, Esti frequently speaks at leading international forums and advises governments, multinational corporations, investors and industry leaders on securing the digital future. She is also a licensed General Aviation and ULM/LSA pilot, and flight instructor.

Kobi Ben-Aharon is a cybersecurity professional with over 24 years of experience in information security, business continuity, and physical security. After serving in the Israeli Air Force (Lt. Col. Res.), he transitioned into the public sector, where he now leads cybersecurity initiatives in the transportation sector. As Head of the Cyber Unit at the Ministry of Transport, Ben-Aharon has spent the past five years strengthening the cybersecurity resilience of Israel’s transportation systems. Ben-Aharon holds a BSc in Computer Science, an MA in Law, and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) as well as a Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE).

For the past 13 years, Mark On has served as Global COO of Gett and as CEO of its Israel operations, leading the company’s activities in Israel and the United Kingdom. Under his leadership, Gett has solidified its position as a leading transportation technology company and become a key player in the development of advanced on-demand solutions based on data, product innovation, and a breakthrough operational approach. Gett connects tens of thousands of drivers to millions of rides across the markets in which it operates, with a strong focus on advanced B2B solutions for organizations and enterprises. Mark leads a strategy that integrates operational excellence, global thinking, and accelerated growth, while creating value for customers, partners, and investors. Alongside his business activities, Mark is committed to social impact and works to empower youth from peripheral communities by providing knowledge, tools, and inspiration for integration into the business world. He serves as a board member of Access Israel and actively promotes accessibility and equal opportunity. In his professional vision, Mark emphasizes leveraging technology, data, and innovation to improve public and private transportation, reduce traffic congestion in Israel, and generate meaningful social and economic impact. Photo: Shooka Cohen

Dror Bin is the CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, an independent public entity that operates for the benefit of the Israeli innovation ecosystem and Israeli economy as a whole. Its role is to nurture and develop Israeli innovation resources, while creating and strengthening the infrastructure and framework needed to support the entire knowledge industry. Prior to his role at the Authority, Dror served as President and CEO of RAD Data Communications, a leading global telecom network solutions company with hundreds of employees at the company’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, a manufacturing center in Jerusalem and development center in Beer Sheva as well as dozens of corporate branches around the world. Dror also served in a series of positions for close to a decade at Comverse Technology, the last one as a member of the management team and VP of Global Sales. Following this, Dror served as a venture partner at Carmel Ventures and a chairman at several of its portfolio companies. In addition, Dror served as a partner at Shaldor, a leading management consulting firm in Israel, where he led the development and implementation of business and marketing strategies for major organizations in the financial, consumer, retail, high-tech, banking and other industries. Dror holds two bachelor’s degrees from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology: one in systems information engineering and the other in industrial management, as well as an MBA from Tel Aviv University.

Erez oversees the product, business, and strategy for delivering Wayve’s embodied AI applications. A seasoned automated driving industry leader, Erez understands the challenges and the opportunities for end-to-end AI in this space. At Wayve, he is leading the introduction of Wayve’s first Embodied AI products for production vehicles, leveraging his deep expertise in machine learning technologies to deliver cutting-edge automotive products as a trusted partner to OEMs. Erez brings to Wayve a distinguished career of 20 years at Mobileye, holding senior positions, including Executive Vice President of Product and Strategy and Vice President of Intel Group. During his tenure, he led the deployment of ADAS in over 120 million vehicles, pioneered L2+ solutions with OEM partners and paved the way for its L4 mobility-as-a-service business unit. Now, at Wayve, Erez continues to lead the development of automated driving and ADAS systems harnessing the power of embodied AI. Erez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an MBA from IDC, Herzliya.

Kobi Eisenberg is the President of Mobility and Autofleet at Element. He leads Element’s technology roadmap and product suite to deliver best-in-class digital solutions for its clients. Kobi also oversees Autofleet, Element’s subsidiary, driving its mission to provide a leading fleet optimization platform that enhances efficiency and innovation in the mobility sector. Kobi co-founded Autofleet, the leading optimization platform for fleets and mobility operators, that today serves clients in a wide variety of mobility verticals, in over 20 countries and across 5 continents. Before co-founding Autofleet, Kobi led product tech teams in other fast-growing startups as well as established corporations. Kobi holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and an MBA from Ben-Gurion University.

Alon Abelson is the founder and CEO of High Lander. With more than twenty five years of experience as a military air traffic controller and over a decade of C-level experience in the B2B software sector, Alon created High Lander to guide the evolution of aviation and enable drones and aircraft to coexist in harmony and safety.

Yoely is a serial entrepreneur in diverse sectors and a pioneer in integrating innovative technologies. Yoely is an Army Reserve General who served as the military attach? and the ministry of Defense attach? in LATAM and served in a series of high-ranking roles in the Israeli Army, including service in the Marines. He has rich experience in managing large and complex multidisciplinary projects. Yoely has a BA in history and economics and an MBA from the University of Tel Aviv.

Roy Even is Head of National Smart Mobility Testing Centers at Ayalon Highways’s Technology & Innovation Division, where he leads national-scale smart mobility and advanced air-mobility initiatives on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Transport. He manages the National Smart Transportation Testing Center, the National UAV and Advanced Air Mobility Test Center, Israel National Drone Initiative and several additional technology integration programs, overseeing the full lifecycle from concept and planning to deployment, operations, and international collaborations. With a decade of experience in large-scale project management, ecosystem building, and technology demonstration programs, Roy works at the intersection of government, industry, startups, academia, and global partners. He regularly leads high-profile pilot projects, international delegations, and live demonstration events that showcase cutting-edge solutions in autonomous vehicles, V2X, drones, and smart infrastructure. Roy is passionate about accelerating innovation in transportation and infrastructure, creating real-world testing environments, and building partnerships that turn emerging technologies into deployable, safe, and scalable solutions.

Yoav is leading Upstream’s strategic direction, culture and business execution, with over 17 years of experience in multi-national high-tech companies and start-ups. He brings rich leadership experience in management, marketing and business development of IT and security products spanning over a dozen years of experience in category leading vendors such as Check Point, Juniper Networks and Broadcom. Yoav is an avid kite boarder and surfer.

Omer Keilaf has spent the majority of his career driving cutting edge technologies from inception to commercialization. As the founder and CEO of Innoviz Technologies, a global leader in high-performance LiDAR technology for automotive and smart applications, Mr. Keilaf is helping enable the mass commercialization of autonomous vehicles, in addition to delivering the same performance to additional smart applications, by providing high-performance, automotive-grade LiDAR at mass market prices. Mr. Keilaf spearheaded the company’s rapid growth as it raised $371 million and expanded to over 400 employees to date. With his leadership, the company signed agreements with leading car manufacturers such as BMW, VW, Mobileye and Daimler Truck. The first BMW featuring L3 autonomous driving was launched in 2024, while the ID Buzz AD L4 autonomous driving is expected to launch in early 2027. Prior to founding Innoviz, Omer served as an officer in an elite technological unit of the Intelligence Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Thereafter, he held senior leadership roles at companies including Consumer Physics, STMicroelectronics and IDF, where he served as the System and Product Team Manager, R&D manager, and Project Manager and System Architecture Manager, respectively. He holds a BSc and MSc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA, all from Tel Aviv University, where he has also served as a lecturer.

Amos Haggiag is the CEO and co-founder of Optibus, a cutting-edge software platform that powers complex public transportation operations in more than 7,000 cities worldwide. Before co-founding Optibus in 2014, Amos led the development of large-scale personalization engines as a senior software development engineer at Microsoft and designed machine learning algorithms at Siemens. He is the recipient of several prestigious math and technology awards, including the Intel Prize (for software engineering), the Elkin Prize (for information technology) and the Wolf Prize (for mathematics).

Nir Bezalel is the CEO of Moovit, a leading Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) provider, and the world’s #1 urban mobility app. Nir joined Moovit 13 years ago and has previously served as the company’s VP of R&D and CTO. Prior to Moovit, Nir held several key roles in additional technology companies, including VP of R&D at OptimalTest and Director of R&D at NOVA.