Spring Break
Gov encourages clean technology
by Alana Abramson
Staff writer
News | 10/28/08
Posted online at 4:24 AM EST on 11/4/08
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick spoke on campus at the culminating event of the Israel Cleantech Investor Conference, which praised the Israeli companies present for starting and stressing the importance of the clean technology industry last Tuesday.
"This industry, in its various permutations, helps to meet a need for solving climate change and finding alternatives to foreign oil," Patrick said. He also praised Brandeis, calling the University a "wonderful citizen in helping build partnership in a new world," referring to the fact that Brandeis is very environmentally friendly.
The Brandeis International Business School sponsored the Israel Cleantech Investor Conference, which ran all day and ended with a dinner with the investors, the Israeli entrepeneurs and Patrick. Michael Appel, the executive director of development and external affairs at IBS, said in an interview with the Justice that 16 Israeli entrepreneurs who are involved in start-up companies with clean water and alternative energy attended the conference.
Appel said some of the entrepreneurs merely had ideas for the companies, some had start-up companies and some had products on the markets. All the entrepreneurs, he said, need more capital to take their companies to the next level. The purpose of the conference was to introduce these Israeli companies to a group of "angel investors," who, according to Appel, are American venture capitalists who invest in start-up companies. The venture capitalists are mainly from the Boston area and see valuable business opportunities with these Israeli companies.
Tami Durst, the executive director of the New England-Israel Business Council, one of the sponsors of the conference, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that "The New England-Israel Business Council's goal is to increase economic development and promote business partnership between Israeli entrepreneurs and New England firms. We do this by creating opportunities for companies and business executives from both countries to get educated about each other's innovative technologies and business opportunities, matching businesses with strategic partners and investors, and partnering with organizations that have similar goals."
"This industry, in its various permutations, helps to meet a need for solving climate change and finding alternatives to foreign oil," Patrick said. He also praised Brandeis, calling the University a "wonderful citizen in helping build partnership in a new world," referring to the fact that Brandeis is very environmentally friendly.
The Brandeis International Business School sponsored the Israel Cleantech Investor Conference, which ran all day and ended with a dinner with the investors, the Israeli entrepeneurs and Patrick. Michael Appel, the executive director of development and external affairs at IBS, said in an interview with the Justice that 16 Israeli entrepreneurs who are involved in start-up companies with clean water and alternative energy attended the conference.
Appel said some of the entrepreneurs merely had ideas for the companies, some had start-up companies and some had products on the markets. All the entrepreneurs, he said, need more capital to take their companies to the next level. The purpose of the conference was to introduce these Israeli companies to a group of "angel investors," who, according to Appel, are American venture capitalists who invest in start-up companies. The venture capitalists are mainly from the Boston area and see valuable business opportunities with these Israeli companies.
Tami Durst, the executive director of the New England-Israel Business Council, one of the sponsors of the conference, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that "The New England-Israel Business Council's goal is to increase economic development and promote business partnership between Israeli entrepreneurs and New England firms. We do this by creating opportunities for companies and business executives from both countries to get educated about each other's innovative technologies and business opportunities, matching businesses with strategic partners and investors, and partnering with organizations that have similar goals."
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