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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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