28 | DECEMBER 22 • 2022
P
artners Detroit Young
Professionals board
member Cole Levine
is gearing up to spend eight
months in Israel.
He’ll soon be joining a
Masa Israel program called
Career Israel that helps
young Jewish professionals
jumpstart their careers with
on-the-ground internships
and networking.
In addition to taking on
a business development
internship in Tel Aviv, Levine,
23, will also be studying at a
yeshivah in Jerusalem while
finishing applications to law
school.
It’s an ambitious
undertaking, but one that he’s
ready for.
“When I started looking
into these opportunities
abroad, Israel was a no-
brainer,” he says. “I’ll be
focusing on small businesses
and startups.”
Coming from a family
of three generations of
chiropractors who have
owned and operated small
businesses, Levine has
naturally gravitated toward
wanting the same.
“I like more of a family,
tight-knit organization and
team mentality,” he explains.
“That’s how I view myself
and where I fit into these
roles.”
HELPING
ORGANIZATIONS GROW
In his most recent role as
retail operations coordinator
at New Standard Cannabis,
Levine learned everything he
needed to know about small
business operations that he’ll
now take with him on his
latest journey to Israel.
During his time with the
company, he gained skills
in marketing, community
relations, retail operations
and data analysis. He also
learned how to navigate the
somewhat tricky cannabis
industry, which Levine
explains has a lot of taboo
attached to it.
Still, it’s a highly regulated
market that Levine hopes
more and more people can
learn about. “Everything is
done in a compliant manner,”
he explains. “The state
monitors everything from
seed to consumer. It’s a great
conversation to have and to
explain.”
While his adulthood
has been centered on
helping small businesses
grow, Levine has long been
passionate about supporting
organizations he cares about.
Originally from West
Bloomfield, Levine attended
Frankel Jewish Academy and
was involved in BBYO. He
was also a Tamarack camper
and counselor. His college
years, however, inspired an
even deeper connection to
building a thriving Jewish
community.
While attending Michigan
State University, where he
graduated from the Eli Broad
College of Business with a
B.B.A. focused in finance
and financial management
services, Levine took on
many roles to help support
Jewish and student life on
campus.
He served as president of
the Chabad Student Center
at MSU, an executive board
member of the Jewish
Business Association,
a member of the MSU
Residential Business
Community and a brother
and executive board member
of the Alpha Epsilon Pi
fraternity.
“I had immense pride
within that work,” he says
of his volunteer endeavors,
particularly those centered
on Jewish culture.
“Judaism has always been
a big part of my life. I’m very
openly proud to be Jewish.”
BUILDING MEANINGFUL
RELATIONSHIPS
It’s a love that carried into
his post-college years,
inspiring Levine to join the
Young Professionals board
with Partners Detroit. He
also attends Tuesday night
learning.
His first introduction to
the organization, which aims
to connect the Detroit Jewish
community with its heritage,
was through a volunteer
program that connected
community members with
Holocaust survivors in
need during the COVID-19
pandemic.
There, Levine met one of
his closest friends, a 93-year-
old Holocaust survivor
named Ayala Jedwab.
“Tragically, she lost both of
her children and her husband
when they were in America,”
Israel-Bound
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
NEXT DOR
VOICE OF A NEW GENERATION
Business professional Cole Levine
hopes to get a jumpstart on building
his career.
Cole
Levine