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