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sectors. In addition, Israeli
delegates had a chance to
showcase their cutting-edge
technologies.
It was a unique opportunity,
Gruper explains, for not only
a mutual exchange of ideas
or showcase of Israeli might,
but for the Israeli delegates to
share their collaborative spirit.
The Women in Mobility
Michigan delegation included
the likes of influential Israeli
figures such as Tamara
Baksht, CEO and co-founder
of VisIC Technologies; Nirit
Grinberg, CFO and COO of
Silentium; and Viktoria Kanar,
CEO and co-founder of
Re-Fresh Global, among other
women mobility tech leaders.
Each individual, Gruper
describes, brought a “wealth
of experience,” knowledge
and commitment to fostering
innovation and collaboration
between the two hubs.
“It was our first time
hosting the Women in
Mobility delegation in
Michigan, and it set the stone
for an ongoing reciprocal
partnership between
organizations in Michigan and
Israel,” says MIBA director
of operations
Krista Siefert,
who explains
that MIBA is
already planning
to host future
annual Women
in Mobility
delegations from
Israel.
“It wasn’t all just business
meetings,” she adds. “Many
partnerships were forged.”
Widely hailed as “Startup
Nation,” Israel has quickly
emerged as a world leader in
tech, particularly in the smart
mobility field — a sector that
has invested more than $29.34
billion since 2015 and is home
to more than 600 startups
pioneering mobility solutions.
The business partnerships
forged during the Women in
Mobility Michigan delegation
focused on how to support
these innovation goals and
their corporate strategy.
“It’s exciting for Michi-
gan,” Siefert says of the
partnerships. “We’re all about
leveraging Israeli innovation
and scaling Israeli innovation
in Michigan to advance our
economic growth.”
Siefert adds that same
level of excitement was
reciprocated by the Israeli
delegates.
“They left with not only
an understanding of why
Michigan is a premier
destination to do business
with mobility, but a better
understanding of why
Michigan is a global mobility
leader.”
Similarly, a Michigan
delegation was also set to visit
Israel in October 2023, but
the trip was postponed due
to the ongoing Israel-Hamas
War. However, Siefert says a
Michigan mobility delegation
is still in the works and will
be set for a later date.
“This is part of a greater
plan to incorporate women
in mobility and to take the
programs and initiatives to
the next level,” Gruper says
of the ongoing partnerships
between Israel and Michigan,
which business leaders plan to
continue growing. “We have
a long way to go to achieve
our goals, and we are going to
take huge steps every day to
get there.”
Krista
Siefert
B I R M I N G H A M
Member FDIC
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