2014 Launch Book
This evening is dedicated to the memory of Phil Lindy, founding Board President of Tribe 12, who brought the Tribe 12 Fellowship to Philadelphia and was always a champion of innovation and challenging the status quo.
PresenTense welcome
Dear friends,
Thank you for joining us on this incredible night. Every spring across the globe we open our doors to engage the wider community around the energy, passion and creativity exhibited by our fellows and volunteers. Launch Night is an interactive community expo where PresenTense Fellows share their ventures and visions for a more vibrant Jewish future. Under the skillful stewardship of our partner, Tribe12, 12 Jewish social innovators have developed and tested their vision, leveraged local resources and connected with relevant institutions to drive change. It takes a village to support a social innovator, and we are endlessly grateful to the wonderful coaches, mentors, trainers, experts and partners who have lent their support. Our partnership with the Tribe 12 Fellowship is part of PresenTense’s signature Community Entrepreneurship Partnership platform. Since 2007, PresenTense has collaborated with organizations in 16 cities worldwide to develop this intensive accelerator, training 630 innovators in business skills and equipping them with entrepreneurial tools and frameworks to carry out their visions for social change. Together with the volunteers supporting the fellows, PresenTense has directly engaged over 1,500 change-
makers in Jewish social entrepreneurship, creating an ecosystem of inspired leaders and innovative organizations working to build a reinvigorated Jewish community. Our change-makers, in turn, have touched their networks with their ventures, creating exponential engagement. This year our PresenTense network charted new territory, more deeply engaging intrapreneurs – professionals within our institutions, broadening our reach to the greater social entrepreneurship market, reverse-engineering applications to address communal needs, and adding open community roundtables, Shark Tanks, and master classes. Thank you for taking part in the inspiring work Tribe12 and PresenTense are pursuing to create vibrant Jewish life. We are thrilled that you have come to show support to our fellows and to experience their incredible ventures firsthand. We look forward to together transforming the Philadelphia Jewish community, Jewish communities worldwide, and society at large. Naomi Korb Weiss CEO, PresenTense Group
Introduction This evening is nothing short of a celebration, a culmination of six months of hard work by our twelve 2014 Fellows. I am inspired every day by the unbelievable commitment these Fellows have to their businesses, the community and to each other. What sets this class apart is their incredible diversity. You would be hard-pressed to find another initiative where the secular and religious communities are brought together seamlessly, with a quarter of our Fellows identifying as Orthodox Jews. Three-fourths of the ventures are for-profit initiatives while a quarter are non-profit. And this year, for the first time, fully half of the ventures are not Jewish initiatives, but rather share the commonality of having missions which reflect Jewish values. Morgan Berman’s sustainability app MilkCrate will connect people to local businesses which reflect the values of shmirat ha’adamah, guarding the environment. Yali Szulanski’s student empowerment initiative, The I Am Project, is a study in the practice of cheshbon ha’nefesh, self-reflection and personal
improvement. In every Tribe 12 Fellowship venture, you’ll find a Jewish value at the core. Tonight, the 2014 Fellows become alumni, joining 33 other past Fellows. We’re incredibly proud of the success of our alumni, from Chef Sara Glassman of Vine Dining (class of ‘13) who had her business featured in a national Subaru commercial this year to Randy Schulz of the American Israeli Business Lab (class of ‘11), who traveled to Israel as part of Mayor Michael Nutter’s delegation. What will this year’s Fellows accomplish? We wish to thank the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, all our incredible volunteers, and YOU for being here tonight to cheer on our Fellows. Let’s celebrate! Danielle Selber, Tribe 12 Fellowship Coordinator
Launch Book Key VENTURE STAGES Part of the Tribe 12 experience is having a diverse cohort of entrepreneurs and “intrapreneurs� who are at varying stages of their venture development. We believe having this type of diversity leads to greater creativity and enriched learning.
Idea Stage
Using PresenTense tools and methodologies, fellows identify communal and social problems, refine their visions, and explore potential solutions by creating business models and prototypes.
Early Stage
Fellows secure initial stakeholders, revise draft budgets and operations plans, and work to secure funding with a goal of launching within a year.
Growth Stage
Fellows secure enhanced funding, evaluate earlier prototypes and business models, and look to replicate their ventures in untapped markets.
Advanced Stage
With fully-operational ventures, fellows focus on developing new partnerships and market opportunities that expand and strengthen their core mission.
meet the fellows
Yali Szulanski The “I Am” Project iamproject.co | FB: IAMMYVOICE | @yaliszulanski Coach: Shelby Zitelman Yali is a writer, speaker, teacher, and creative consultant with a passion to uncover strength and healing within herself and others. The “I Am” Project emerged from tools she learned and developed through healing from abuse, illness and struggle along with the work she did with her students and groups of survivors of violence. The goal of The “I Am” Project is to foster stronger and more confident students by teaching them tools that access their strengths, talents, and abilities. Each lesson teaches students to develop their self-awareness through a combination of breathing and meditation, mindful movements, and creative expression. Market Opportunity: Middle school and high school students; teachers, therapists, guidance counselors, parents, administrators Venture Achievements: Workshops in seven schools in Philly and NYC, running two full-length curriculums, two non-profit partners Upcoming Milestones: Strategic partners for growth, creation of “I Am” Dance workshops, Funding for “train the trainer” module
“The Fellowship program has been helpful in getting me to think beyond what I thought was possible, and in getting me to consider other ways in which my venture could benefit the community Growth at large.”
Carly Zimmerman Challah for Hunger Alumni Network challahforhunger.org | FB: challahforhunger | @challllah Coach: Kevin Werbach Carly is the CEO of Challah for Hunger. Passionate about social justice and student empowerment, Carly is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Spertus Institute of Jewish Leadership and Learning. Challah for Hunger, originally created through the PresenTense Global Fellowship in Jerusalem, is now re-connecting with our thousands of alumni by developing a Challah for Hunger Alumni Network, creating online and in person opportunities for CfH alumni to continue to engage with social justice work, Jewish community and philanthropy. For many participants, CfH is an entry point to Jewish social justice work, and we want to support the continuation of their journey. Market Opportunity: Challah for Hunger alumni, ages 22-28, and other young Jewish adults Venture Achievements: Recruited an alumni committee of 5 volunteers to support growth, reconnected with over 100 alumni
Advanced
“We want to develop the next generation of Jewish philanthropists, activists, and social entrepreneurs.�
Upcoming Milestones: Events in major cities and an online platform to connect alumni with jobs, friends, and service
2014 NYC Fellows
Elana Baurer PALY (Pennsylvania Lawyers for Youth) palawyersforyouth.org Coach: Michelle Eisenberg
A native of Wynnewood, Elana developed an interest in the failures of the criminal justice system in college at Wesleyan University. She pursued this interest, focusing on juvenile justice specifically, in law school through a range of projects, internships, and clinical experiences working with system-involved youth and juvenile justice policy. PALY is an opportunity for Elana to address some of these issues in her own home community. PALY will provide advocates for youth before they are released from detention. Advocates will work with youth upon reentry to help navigate complicated educational and legal systems through consistent and informed mentorship and case management, intervention into the schoolto-prison pipeline trajectory, and advocacy-driven, client-centered direct service. Market Opportunity: Young men ages 16+ who are currently incarcerated but returning home soon Venture Achievements: PALY has incorporated and gained a summer intern Upcoming Milestones: Working with the first class of advocates and youth in 2015
“I hope to spread the idea that education is a basic human right afforded to each of us, and one that should be accessible regardless of class, race, or prior involvement with Early any criminal or juvenile justice system.�
Steven Auerbach Law Office of Steven Auerbach theauerbachfirm.com | FB: TheAuerbachFirm Coach: Michael Adler Steven is a Main Line attorney, father, son, and husband. At 27, Steven opened his own employment law practice, secured a six-figure civil rights settlement, and has authored the world’s first English table of contents for the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law). Steven is best characterized by his strong sense of determinism and appreciation of nuance. He is excited by trend-setters, ground-breakers, and by those who maximize their potential. The pro bono division of The Law Office of Steven Auerbach provides free legal forms to Jewish-minded attorneys as a means of ending the Agunah crisis. Literally meaning “Chained Women,” this refers to individuals who were granted a civil divorce, but whose ex-husbands refuse to give a bill of Jewish divorce (a “Get”).
“Through free dissemination of forms and information, Pennsylvania women will be able to protect their legal and ritual rights by any competent Early attorney of their choosing.”
Market Opportunity: Jewish-minded family law attorneys and engaged Jewish couples Venture Achievements: Created and distributed forms that are enforceable under both Pennsylvania precedent and Jewish law Upcoming Milestones: The forms will be in the possession and use of thirty attorneys in the Greater Philadelphia area
Rachel Channah Zeldin I’m Sorry to Hear imsorrytohear.com | FB: ImSorryToHear | @ImSorryToHear1 Coach: Michael Slutsky Rachel is a longtime consumer advocate with a passion for giving a collective voice to the consumer in funeral planning. Since 2012 she has provided funeral planning tools and resources via the Internet to help families find funeral service providers faster and make the funeral planning process simpler, clearer, and more autonomous. I’m Sorry to Hear is an online community which provides funeral planning and educational tools to consumers researching funeral establishments and related services and products. It has been touted as the “TripAdvisor” of funeral planning. As much as it is a business, it is also a consumer advocacy tool aimed at breaking down the barriers between the industry and consumers, empowering consumers to make decisions based on their own timeline and knowledge. Market Opportunity: North Americans who are pre-planning funerals or funeral planning for the loss of a loved one Venture Achievements: After starting in the tri-state area, I’m Sorry To Hear is now in 17 states and growing Upcoming Milestones: Finishing US coverage while piloting an expanded platform for other funeral vendors to join
“I hope to put knowledge and power back in the hands of the consumer so they make better decisions for Growth their families.”
Lauren Somers SHINE Dance Studio dancetoshine.com | FB: shinedancepa Coach: Scott Aronow Lauren Somers is a lifelong dancer, wife, and mother of four. She founded SHINE Dance Studio as a way to bring her passion for dance to the girls and women in the Orthodox community in which she lives. SHINE Dance Studio teaches girls to love who they are and express their best self through dance. The focus of SHINE Dance Studio is on the importance of developing a healthy sense of self esteem and body image while being modest and dignified. Walk in, learn to dance, and let your true self shine. SHINE operates with the Jewish calendar and families’ busy lives in mind and offers classes on a convenient schedule. Market Opportunity: Women and girls who seek a modest environment in which to take dance classes Venture Achievements: Thirty students enrolled, six classes being offered, happy customers
Early
“I hope to provide a creative outlet for the girls in my community and to fill a great need for the families here.”
Upcoming Milestones: SHINE will have its own space with many classes and at least 100 students
Morgan Berman MilkCrate milkcratephilly.com | FB: milkcratephilly | @milkcratephilly Coach: Shaw Levin Morgan is a multidisciplinary designer who creates opportunities for collaborative sustainable development on the community level. The common themes of her work are a love of community-oriented design and promoting healthy beautiful cities. MilkCrate is an app that makes it easy to ‘go green’ by connecting you with local sustainable businesses in your neighborhood. MilkCrate’s mission is to make it easy for people to live more sustainably. By gathering, and organizing the important information about local resources and businesses, MilkCrate is the hub for residents, visitors and business owners to connect with Philadelphia’s vibrant local sustainable economy. Market Opportunity: Urban, well-educated young adults with progressive values, conscientious about purchasing and diet Venture Achievements: Database of 1600+ businesses, MVP in production, team of 5, local press & partnerships, 1,000+ fans Upcoming Milestones: Generating profit through sales and partnerships with advanced version features and full time staff
“MilkCrate has the potential to radically simplify and expand participation with the local sustainable economy.” Early
Amy Zitelman Soom Foods soomfoods.com | FB: SoomFoods | @soomfoods; @amyz419 Coach: Stu Maleeff Amy is the youngest of three, now dubbed the Soom Sisters. Amy loves traveling, her dog TAZ, food and talking to people, the last two being the perfect combination for her role in getting Soom Foods off the ground. Soom Foods is the entrepreneurial passion of the Soom Sisters, who share a love for delicious food and healthy lifestyles. Soom Foods is creating and filling a market for quality tahini; all the while showing their commitment to health, honesty, sustainability and philanthropy through their business practices and their membership to One Percent for the Planet. Market Opportunity: Chefs, both professional and at-home Venture Achievements: Soom Foods sold 20,000 pounds of tahini in the first 11 months Upcoming Milestones: Further distribution, both retail and food service
“I am inspired by Philadlephia’s commitment to good food and good people, working to make the Growth world better than we found it.“
Ronit Polin FlyingSparks Productions flyingsparksproductions.com | FB: FlyingSparks-Productions Coach: Phil Katz Ronit is a pioneering writer, director, and producer. She has written and directed over a dozen popular plays, subsequently re-performed worldwide, and two feature length indie films for Orthodox women which have been shown in over 70 cities, grossing over a quarter of a million dollars and marking the first time this community has embraced film. FlyingSparks Productions aims to create high quality entertainment with substance, featuring well-rounded, non-stereotypical Jewish characters, to promote a postive media portrayal of Jews. FlyingSparks is also virtually alone in serving the Orthodox Jewish market with culturally sensitive entertainment which allows for the creative expression of Orthodox actors, singers and dancers. Market Opportunity: Adults appreciating entertainment with substance, portraying Jews realistically; Orthodox women and girls Venture Achievements: 15 plays whose scripts have been translated into three languages and two feature-length films shown worldwide Upcoming Milestones: An off-Broadway play; remaking first film for general audiences; a new film for Orthodox women; a reality TV show
“Many people don’t understand what being Jewish is or why it is beautiful or relevent. FlyingSparks Productions aims at helping to combat this by showing both Jews and nonJews realistic, well rounded portrayals of Jewish people with rich emotional Growth lives.”
Andrew Spector Adam R Spector Foundation for Hodgkin’s Research FB: AdamRSpectorFoundation Coach: Ross Berkowitz Andy grew up outside of Philadelphia. He graduated from Penn State and has been working in IT business consulting for the past six years. He has volunteered for Renaissance Group events and was a Fellowship coach last year. Andy is proud of his Jewish heritage. The Adam R Spector Foundation, established in 2010, raises money and awareness for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and recurrent Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Funds are allocated to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The foundation is in honor of Andy’s brother, Adam, who passed away from Hodgkin’s. Adam’s last request was to set up a foundation to fund Hodgkin’s research. Market Opportunity: People who know somebody close to them who has had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
“I am inspired by my brother, Adam, who passed away from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Adam’s last request was to set up a fund for Hodgkin’s Advanced research.”
Venture Achievements: Raised $400,000 over the past seven years through six walks, two happy hours and one winetasting Upcoming Milestones: Expand the local presence by having events in Philadelphia and on campuses across the region
Rachel Sakofs The Gut Bus
FB: gutbus Coach: Lora Rosenblum Rachel Sakofs always loved creating new recipes in the kitchen and then yearned to find out how foods can heal our bodies, leading her to became a Registered Dietitian. With a brain full of knowledge and creativity, she is ready to provide the community with a new way of looking at health! Protein, carbohydrates, and Knishes, oh my! There’s a classic saying that goes, “We are what we eat.” What do the foods we eat really do for our bodies? The Gut Bus will be a traveling exhibition, letting children explore the workings of their digestive system through an interactive and educational labyrinth filled with engaging facts appealing to all the senses. From the chomping of your teeth to the flush of toilet, participants will understand the importance of the food choices they make. Market Opportunity: School aged children in Philadelphia Venture Achievements: Created a prototype of the small intestines and designed a business plan Upcoming Milestones: To have a bus, exhibit in place, and be booking locations for participants in school year 2015
“I hope to spread awareness about nutrition education. Teach people how their bodies use the foods they eat. Create a positive transition to encourage a decrease in Idea childhood obesity.“
Heather Schmerman Sign of the Times Coach: Rachel Dukeman Heather is full of energy, ambitious, and willing to learn about anything with an open mind and eyes! As a teacher, her passion for travelling, food, culture, acting and adventure is passed on to her students through American Sign Language. Sign of the Times aims to educate Jewish parents on how to communicate with their children using storytelling in American Sign Language (ASL). Schmerman, a deaf professional ASL teacher, designed a personalized course that will educate parents on ASL storytelling and conversation basics. Market Opportunity: Parents who desire to learn sign language to communicate and educate their children Venture Achievements: Rallying stakeholders who are excited about Sign of the Times Upcoming Milestones: Teaching multiple classes to different groups of families through varied media
Idea
“My husband and friends inspire me because they believe that I can offer an excellent service by using my skills.�
SUBJECT MATTER EXPerts Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are volunteers who help Fellows on an asneeded basis with specific subject areas or present on a specific topic. This year, SMEs have helped our Fellows with things like social media, creating and updating budgets, legal questions, volunteer management and identifying venture valuation. 2014 Subject Matter Experts: Andrew Turner, Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase; Richard Fox, Managing Director at Cross Atlantic Capital Partners; Rob Weber, CEO of AgileSwitch; Rachel Dukeman, Cultural Marketer and Strategist at R&R Creative, LLC; Eric Berger, Staff Writer at the Jewish Exponent; Warren Hoffman, Associate Director of Community Programming at the Center for Jewish Life and Learning at Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia; Shaw Levin, Senior Software Developer at Brandywine Global Investment Management; Michael Slutsky, Senior Associate in Risk Assurance for PricewaterhouseCoopers; Jonathan Meyers, Independent Internet Marketing Consultant; Jaime Bassman, Founder of Azar; Dave Gloss, CEO of Here’s My Chance; Ariel Ben-Amos, Strategic Planner at Philadelphia Water Department; Jason Conn, Assistant Deputy General Counsel at Comcast Corporation; Mike Tannenbaum, Director of Business Development at CloudMine
Working with the Fellows is a great experience as it not only allows me to share my own real-life knowledge and skills in the field of nonprofit programming and management, but it’s also exciting to be able to contribute to the development of someone’s project from the ground up. - Warren Hoffman, Associate Director of Community Programming at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Center for Jewish Life and Learning
COACHES Coaches provide hands-on, tactical support to fellows to help develop their ventures. Fellows meet regularly with their coaches to workshop their Venture Milestone assignments and discuss vision and strategy. As young professionals from a variety of sectors, coaches lend their expertise and skills to fellows and the program at large, creating a learning community that leverages diverse talent and knowledge in service of social innovation. 2014 Coaches: Scott Aronow, Owner of E. Scott Aronow Coaching and Consulting; Stu Maleeff, Former Owner of Huntington Learning Center; Michelle Eisenberg, Consultant at Schultz & Williams; Lora Rosenblum, Financial Analyst at Wells Fargo; Shaw Levin, Senior Software Developer at Brandywine Global Investment Management; Michael Slutsky, Senior Associate in Risk Assurance for PricewaterhouseCoopers; Shelby Zitelman, Vice President at the Zitelman Group; Michael Adler, Managing Partner at the Law Office of Michael E. Adler; Phil Katz, Partner at MK Media; Rachel Dukeman, Cultural Marketer and Strategist at R&R Creative, LLC; Kevin Werbach, Associate Professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania; Ross Berkowitz, Founder and Executive Director of Tribe 12
I love that being a coach gives me the opportunity to work one-on-one helping an amazing Jewish social entrepreneur, while also participating in a dynamic community. It’s an exciting and fun way to make a difference. - Kevin Werbach, Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The Tribe12 Fellowship is currently one of 18 PresenTense Fellowships in 16 cities around the world in 2014.
This network spans across three continents. 6 COUNTRIES
UNITED STATES
ISRAEL
RUSSIA
CANADA
LATVIA
UKRAINE
16 Communities
Boston Chicago Los angeles New york city Philadelphia Washington DC
Jerusalem Raanana Nazareth Haifa Tel Aviv
Moscow St. Petersburg
TORONTO
RIGA
KIEV
The Tribe12 Fellows are part of an international network of 176 Fellows working on 155 ventures in the following areas this year:
Environment 6%
The first PresenTense Fellowship was launched in 2007. Since then:
Women 2%
Tech 9%
Community Building 24%
579 ventures 630 Fellows
Arts 11%
Venture Topic Areas
3,000+ volunteers 500,000+ people impacted globally
Other 12% Social Action 13%
Education 17%
The Tribe 12 Fellowship inspires a community of passionate people invested in the ideals of entrepreneurship and Jewish values to rally around emerging leaders – our Fellows -- and help them succeed. Our Fellows seek to create or jumpstart businesses and non-profits which in some way leverage, affect, or relate to the Jewish community at large. @T12Fellowship | facebook.com/tribe12fellowship | danielle@tribe12.org
tribe12fellowship.org
PresenTense strengthens communities through social entrepreneurship and innovation. Through our CEP Fellowships, PTSchool Seminars, and local innovation Hubs, PresenTense fosters local involvement, empowers confident leaders, and positions communities as relevant places for social change. @presentense | facebook.com/presentense | contact@presentense.org
presentense.org This Fellowship is made possible through the generous support of:
For more information, please contact Tribe 12 Fellowship Coordinator Danielle Selber at danielle@tribe12.org or 610-212-5756. 201 S. Camac Street, Philadelphia PA 19107 @T12Fellowship | facebook.com/tribe12fellowship | tribe12.org | danielle@tribe12.org