76 | SEPTEMBER 14 • 2023
L
ike many 30-somethings,
West Bloomfield native
and current Tel Aviv
resident Stephanie Horwitz was
faced with a common, yet sel-
dom talked about dilemma.
What exactly was she doing
with her life?
The host of the podcast
“What Should I Do With
My Life?” — which explores
this widespread issue — had
majored in organization-
al behavior studies at the
University of Michigan.
Initially, she wanted to com-
plete a program abroad where
she lived and learned with a
Jewish community, such as in
Mumbai or Ethiopia. Yet after
a semester in Israel during her
junior year of college, Horwitz’s
plans changed.
“I realized I had to move
to Israel and make aliyah,
”
Horwitz, 32, recalls.
Just after graduation, Horwitz
packed up, left for Israel and
served as a tank instructor in
the IDF for two years. Like
many Israelis, Horwitz spent
the next few months figuring
out her next move. She traveled
to India, moved to Jerusalem to
join the professional world and
steadily built a career in non-
profit management.
Eventually, drawn by the
Israeli startup nation, Horwitz
moved to Tel Aviv, the heart
and soul of the country’s rap-
idly growing industry. After
searching for several months,
she got a foot in the door at HP
Tech Ventures, her first foray
into tech and the corporate
world.
Then, she worked at SAP
.
iO Foundries in value creation.
Horwitz still felt puzzled. What
was she doing with her life?
NORMALIZING NOT
HAVING IT ALL
FIGURED OUT
As she mulled over the issue,
Horwitz, a natural storyteller,
realized she wanted to talk
about it. While she could easily
start a podcast on startups in
Tel Aviv, the market was satu-
rated with similar shows, and
Horwitz wanted to do some-
thing different.
One day, while standing in
her kitchen during COVID-19
as the world was shut down,
Horwitz started thinking about
the future of her career. Should
Michigan native and Tel Aviv resident Stephanie Horwitz
explores the age-old dilemma with humor.
Podcast Addresses:
What Should I Do
With My Life?
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
NEXT DOR
VOICE OF A NEW GENERATION
DANI SARUSI