Invested by Aleph

In this deeply personal episode, Michael Eisenberg pauses the usual cadence of Invested to deliver a powerful message about the unfolding war between Israel and Iran. Five days into a conflict triggered by Iran’s escalating aggression, Michael shares an unfiltered account of the situation on the ground, from nightly missile attacks targeting civilians to Israel’s unprecedented precision response across 2,000 kilometers. He explains the motivations behind Israel’s military strategy, the human toll on Israeli families, and the indomitable resilience of a nation innovating under fire–including the story of Shalev Hulio, the CEO of Dream and IDF reservist, who is currently saving lives by day and taking customer calls at night. This episode is more than a wartime update. It’s a call to understand the moral clarity of the moment, the sacrifices being made, and the profound implications for the future of Israel, Iran, and the broader Middle East. Listen for a rare, intimate window into a pivotal moment in history–and what it means for the world. Listen and subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested RESOURCES Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Gali Arnon, former Chief Business Officer at Fiverr, the global freelance marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. Gali joined Fiverr in 2017 as Chief Marketing Officer, helping lead the company’s transformation into a globally recognized brand and guiding its growth through a successful IPO. She later served as Chief Business Officer, overseeing Fiverr’s core marketplace operations and strategic business initiatives.           Prior to Fiverr, Gali held executive roles at Brightcom, an ad tech company, where she served as CEO, and at 888 Holdings, where she led multiple departments and business units and served as VP of Professional Services. She began her career at Wall Street Institute Israel, eventually becoming its CEO. Gali holds a BA in Communication and Psychology and an MBA, both from Tel Aviv University, and is a longtime advocate for women in tech and leadership. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] The Evolving Role of the CMO [00:03:05] Core Values and Personal Journey [00:05:58] Gali’s Competitive Drive and Leadership Style [00:09:03] Fiverr Rebranding from $5 Services  [00:12:02] How AI Is Shaping Freelancing and Work [00:15:08] Women in Tech and AI Adoption [00:17:58] The Future of Work: Humans vs. AI [00:21:08] Embracing Change in the Age of AI [00:25:50] AI FOMO and Information Overload [00:28:00] Choosing Between AI and Human Services [00:35:07] Branding as a CMO in a Changing World [00:38:59] Emotional Branding in the AI Era [00:46:55] Brand Lessons from Fiverr’s Journey [00:51:02] Personal Values and Branding Responsibility RESOURCES Follow Gali on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gali-arnon/ Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Eli Ben-Sasson, a co-founder and CEO of StarkWare, and Chairman of its Board of Directors. StarkWare is a Sequoia-backed startup whose latest fundraise was at a $8b valuation. StarkWare specializes in the productization of zero knowledge proofs via Starknet, a permissionless blockchain that scales both Ethereum and Bitcoin. Eli has been researching cryptographic and zero knowledge proofs of computational integrity ever since he received his Phd in Theoretical Computer Science from the Hebrew University in 2001. Eli is a co-inventor of the STARK, FRI and Zerocash protocols and a Founding Scientist of the Zcash Company. Over the years he held research positions at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, Harvard and MIT, and, most recently, was a Professor of CS at Technion, which he left to co-found StarkWare. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS   [00:00:00] The Core Innovation of Blockchain  [00:02:59] What Starkware Is and Why It Matters  [00:05:59] Zero-Knowledge Proofs Made Simple  [00:09:09] Building Trust and Integrity in Blockchain  [00:11:51] Foundational Principles of Blockchain  [00:15:02] Why Decentralization Matters  [00:17:52] From Academia to Blockchain  [00:21:09] Blockchain and the Future of Finance  [00:23:50] Barriers to Blockchain Adoption  [00:26:56] Israel’s Contribution to Cryptography  [00:30:08] Blockchain and the Future of Governance  [00:36:33] Rethinking Banking with Blockchain  [00:40:05] What’s Broken in Financial Systems  [00:42:13] Trust and Integrity in Transactions  [00:47:51] Making Sense of the Crypto Cycle  [00:51:05] Trust, Integrity, and What’s Next  [00:54:36] Why Math Will Always Matter  [01:01:27] Personal Reflections and Takeaways RESOURCES Follow Eli on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-ben-sasson Follow Eli on X - https://x.com/EliBenSasson Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer + Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Katie Stanton, the Founder and General Partner of Moxxie Ventures, which is an early-stage venture fund. Prior to Moxxie, Katie served in numerous executive operating roles at Twitter, Google, Yahoo, and Color. In addition to working in Silicon Valley, Katie served in the (Obama) White House and State Department and began her career as a banker at JP Morgan Chase. Katie sits on the Board of Vivendi, a French multinational media company headquartered in Paris, and previously served on the Board of Time Inc.  Katie started her venture career as a Founding Partner of #Angels and has invested in over 100 early-stage companies including Airtable, Calm, Cameo, Carta, Coinbase, Literati, Modern Fertility, and  Shape Security. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!  KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:57] The Value of Service  [00:06:01] Moving from Private to Public Sector [00:09:06] Getting into Tech and Innovation [00:11:52] Inside the Obama White House [00:14:59] Challenges of Government Work [00:18:09] Twitter and Social Media Dynamics [00:20:54] Trust and Safety on Social Platforms [00:23:59] Future of Social Media and Community [00:40:48] Today’s Role of Media Companies [00:45:33] Trust and Mistrust in the Media [00:49:07] How Media Shapes Society’s Future [00:50:23] From Operator to Investor [00:54:00] Why Katie Started Moxxie [00:57:06] Facing Challenges in Venture Capital [01:01:21] How AI Will Change Healthcare [01:06:32] Health Tech and Regulatory Hurdles [01:11:08] Reflections on Life and Loss RESOURCES Follow Katie on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiestanton/  Follow Katie on X - https://x.com/katies Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc  Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg ‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ ‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom  Producer: Yoni Mayer Video and Editing: Ron Baranov Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar  Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi

Sarah Tavel, General Partner at Benchmark, shares her journey as a pioneering female partner in venture capital and her insights from leading investments at renowned firms like Bessemer and Greylock. She discusses the critical balance between ambition and caution in tech investing and explores how AI can revolutionize business models while reducing friction in various sectors. Tavel emphasizes the evolving competitive landscape and the importance of personal branding for VCs, alongside the unique challenges faced by women in the industry.

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Omri Casspi. Omri was a trailblazing Israeli professional basketball player, becoming the first Israeli-born athlete to play in the NBA. He enjoyed a 11-year career in the league, playing for teams including the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors—where he won an NBA championship in 2018—and Memphis Grizzlies, among others.After retiring Omri immediately transitioned into venture capital, co-founding Sheva in 2022 with $36 million to invest in early-stage startups, followed by Swish Ventures in 2024, raising $60 million to focus on cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and AI. Managing $200 million in assets, he backs standout companies like Upwind, Eon, and many others.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:01:10] On Being the First Israeli NBA Player [00:03:30] Why Trailblazers Inspire Other People [00:09:02] Sports Experience Helps Omri Support Founders [00:11:15] Omri’s Pursuit of Excellence [00:14:51] Investing in Ohio Real Estate [00:19:10] Preparing for the Future [00:20:38] The Team Omri Wanted to Play For [00:22:20] Dealing With Setbacks [00:26:27] Omri’s Venture Fund & Understanding Investing [00:31:24] Founder Hesitations to Omri as an Investor [00:36:13] Different Investing Styles in VC [00:38:50] Why Do Israeli Startups Fail? [00:43:14] Omri’s Favorite Investors and Funds [00:45:02] Growing Jewish Identity in the U.S. [00:48:50] Omri’s Parenting Style [00:50:15] Admiring This Generation of Israelis [00:52:27] Bringing Elon Musk to Israel [00:54:46] Antisemitism in the NBA [00:55:27] Living in the Public Eye and Starting a Podcast [00:59:00] Parenting Children as a High-Achiever [01:01:35] Closing Questions RESOURCESFollow Omri on LinkedIn Follow Omri on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Amir Shevat. Amir is a General Partner at Darkmode Ventures, investing in early stage startups. Before joining the dark side, Amir held executive roles at Microsoft, Google, Slack, Amazon, and Twitter. Amir is the author of Designing Bot, and Building Web API both published with O'Reilly media.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:04:30] What MSFT Didn’t Get About Developers [00:07:40] Building Good Products & Dev Communities [00:12:00] Which DevRel Job Do You Wish You Had? [00:14:45] How is AI Changing the Game for Developers? [00:25:20] Personal Values Vs. Innovation [00:27:30] Twitch Controversy [00:31:20] Elon Musk’s X Takeover [00:36:40] Pivoting to Seed Investor [00:40:45] Investing Philosophy & Mentorship [00:48:45] Core Difference Between Israeli & U.S. Founders [00:53:45] What Did Oct. 7 Change for You? [00:54:40] Writing a Fantasy Book & Closing Questions RESOURCESFollow Amir on LinkedInFollow Amir on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Dan Davidi, a distinguished scientist and entrepreneur known for his groundbreaking work in computational and synthetic biology. Davidi earned his Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, where he developed expertise in systems biology and metabolism. Following his doctoral studies, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and then joined as faculty to establish the Synthetic Biology Center, advancing research at the intersection of biology and technology. After Harvard, Dan worked as a strategy and design lead at the Amazon Moonshot Factory, where he applied his scientific insights to real-world challenges. Dan currently serves on the steering committee of the National Israeli Synthetic Biology program.In 2023, he joined Aleph, a venture capital fund, as an Entrepreneur in Residence, focusing on the convergence of artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and physical sciences to address pressing global issues like climate change and manufacturing security. Dan is currently the Founder and CEO of OHR, a company which uses primordial chemistry and synthetic biology to fashion rocket fuel and other strategic chemicals.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:10] - How Dan became the EIR at Aleph [00:05:10] - Harvard vs. Weizmann [00:09:20] - What is Synthetic Biology? [00:13:25] - Core Values [00:14:20] - Returning to Israel and the Experience of an EIR [00:18:30] - Dan’s Company: OHR [00:25:00] - Reverse Engineering Chemistry, or Anti-Darwinism? [00:28:30] - Israel Needs to Learn How to Scale [00:34:30] - Research Happens Outside of Academia Nowadays [00:38:50] - Making Israel the Silicon Valley of Biotech [00:40:23] - What’s the Next Big Area For Scientific Development? [00:43:47] - How is Science Improved by AI? [00:46:00] - Trusting Data to Accelerate Life Science Development [00:50:45] - Why Do Some Ideas Fail as an Entrepreneur? [00:54:00] - What Should Students Study? [00:58:30] - Closing Questions  RESOURCESFollow Dan on LinkedInFollow Dan on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Art: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Noam Bardin, an Israeli entrepreneur and high-tech executive. He is best known as the CEO of Waze, leading the company from its early days in Israel in 2009, through its acquisition by Google for $1.15 billion, and later serving as a Vice President at Google until 2021. Under his leadership, Waze grew to 150 million monthly users and became a globally beloved brand.Since leaving Waze, Bardin has returned to Israel, and is active in technology entrepreneurship, mentoring young entrepreneurs and startup investments.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:02:50] Founding Waze [00:08:00] Reacting to Google Maps: Waze Mistakes [00:10:45] Competition in the Startup World [00:12:15] Fitting in to Google’s Culture [00:14:30] Building Community-Based Business Models [00:24:40] UX/UI Of Waze [00:28:45] Waze Vs. Google Maps [00:31:50] Do You Regret Selling to Google? [00:34:50] What Could Have Been Improved in the Beginning of Waze? [00:38:15] Founding in a Small Country [00:40:00] Noam’s Controversial Letter About Google Culture [00:45:00] Should Companies Have OKRs and KPIs? [00:49:20] An Insider’s Critique of Google [00:58:25] Impact of Oct. 7th [01:05:22] Reimagining Government Structures [01:11:45] Tension Between Transparency and Security in Government [01:14:00] Israel Needs to Double Down on Tech [01:16:00] How to Bring Talent to Israel [01:17:45] Closing Questions RESOURCESFollow Noam on LinkedInFollow Noam on XSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Art: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Sender Cohen. Sender was previously the Chief Investment Officer at Schusterman Family Investments where he managed a multi-billion dollar portfolio including the assets of the Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. Sender's prior roles include President of Soros Capital, Director of Research and Head of External Allocations at Soros Fund Management where he also co-headed SFM’s Venture portfolio, and Managing Director at Duquesne Capital Management. Sender currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Fulbright Israel, and as a trustee of the Harlem Children's Zone and the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA). He is a trustee emeritus of Yeshiva University, a founding board member of the Birthright Israel Foundation, and the founder of the Natan Fund. Sender is also the Co-Managing Partner of ExB Group, KH2's strategic affiliate in New York.Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS  [00:00:00] Intro [00:04:15] Core Personal Value [00:05:05] Learnings from Stan Druckenmiller [00:09:20] Learnings from George Soros [00:11:45] Personal Investing Style [00:12:18] Investing in 2nd Waves of Tech Innovation [00:20:20] Motivating Investors to Fund Tech Underpinnings [00:23:20] Bubble Bursts Can be Great for Innovation [00:28:44] Nevo Labs and the Future of Israel [00:35:18] Investing for Longer Durations [00:37:15] Bell Labs and the Investing Mindset [00:40:30] Why Researchers Should Move to Israel [00:44:00] Why Leave Schusterman and Focus on Israel [00:48:20] Advancements in Saudi Arabia [00:52:15] Tel Aviv Needs an Asset Management Industry [01:00:00] Increasing Israel’s Tax Base [01:02:12] Sender’s Sliding Door Moment [01:04:35] International Reactions to Oct. 7 [01:07:35] College Campuses [01:09:10] Business Professionals in Trump’s Administration RESOURCESFollow Sender on LinkedInSubscribe to InvestedLearn more about AlephSubscribe to our YouTube channelFollow Michael on TwitterFollow Michael on LinkedInFollow Aleph on Twitter‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn‍Follow Aleph on InstagramCREDITSExecutive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Yoni MayerVideo and Editing: Ron BaranovMusic and Art: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira GoldringDesign: Rony Karadi