Yasmin Lukatz on Investing in a Time of War, Founding ICON, How to Make a Difference, and Being on Shark Tank

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Yasmin Lukatz,  Founder & Executive Director at ICON.

Yasmin Lukatz is the executive director of the Israel Collaboration Network (ICON), a non-profit organization that aims to create a Silicon Valley-based community to harness and support Israeli startup technology and innovation. With a background in economics and law from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from Stanford, Lukatz has held significant roles in both corporate and startup environments. 

Notable for her strategic investments at Early Stages in leading startups like Tipalti, Navan, and Salt Security, Lukatz also gained recognition on Hakrishim, Israel's version of Shark Tank. 

Recently, she founded Code for Israel, the Israeli movement of high-tech volunteers, dedicated to addressing Israel's challenges through technology.

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KEY TOPICS 

• [00:00] Intro 
• [04:12] What is ICON and ICON’s Impact
• [09:05] Israeli vs. Silicon Valley Tech Ecosystems
• [13:27] Changes in Investing Behavior Since Oct. 7th
• [15:30] Code for Israel
• [20:00] Yasmin’s Why - Doing What Makes You Happy
• [23:50] Dealing With Uncertainty 
• [25:25] Israeli-Jewish-American Identity 
• [27:20] Antisemitism Before and After October 7th
• [31:06] Making the Most Impact
• [33:41] When to Invest
• [36:07] Why Shark Tank
• [38:25] Dancing With the Stars - Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone
• [41:27] Rapid Fire Questions

RESOURCES

Follow Yasmin Lukatz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-lukatz-3182251/  

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For the transcript of this episode, go to content.aleph.vc/podcast-episodes/yasmin-lukatz-episode-17

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CREDITS

Executive Producer: Erica Marom 

Producer: Sofi Levak

Video Filming: Yair Cymerman 

Editing: Ron Baranov

Music and Art: Uri Ar 

Design: Rony Karadi