Inbal Arieli conference at ESCP: EISP (Israel), 22 may 2014

The program EISP (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program) was launched in 2010 with the vision of harnessing the vast 8200 alumni network to promote entrepreneurs and accelerate new ventures, visions and dreams in various fields, such as internet, mobile/media, biomedical, energy and environment, social responsibility etc. The program targets entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of forming their own venture. It is open for all entrepreneurs who are graduates of either military service or civil national service in Israel, not only 8200 alumni. The program aims to:

– Expose entrepreneurs to the various components of the entrepreneurship world

– Facilitate connections with relevant professionals who help them promote their ventures

– Enhance skills through training and mentorship by successful serial entrepreneurs

2010 – present

Each year, 20 entreprneurs representing 20 start-ups are selected to participate in the program. They are presented with the different paths to success, discover which route best fits their needs, and start building the critical skills needed to promote their initiatives.

The program covers various topics, including: Entrepreneurial Mindset, Product, UX, Marketing, Fundraising, Finance, Presentation and Messaging Skills, Crisis Management, The Legal World of Start-Ups, Human Capital, and more…

5-month workshop – the core of the program

This intensive workshop is a series of 13 full-day meetings – 12 hours each day – which take place every 2-3 weeks on average between February and July. Each workshop day is dedicated to one of several key issues of building your venture.

During the workshop, the 20 hand-picked program participants meet successful serial entrepreneurs, tier-1 professionals and investors – 8200 alumni and others. Workshop guest speakers share their experience and describe the entrepreneurial journey they have been through. All in all, we bring around 80 guest spealers to our workshop meetings over 5 months, most of whom are entrepreneurs who built well-known start-ups.

The “secret suace”, however, is the creation of an elite group of 20 entreprenurs who form a true “support group”, intimately sharing ideas and experiences with each other.

The workshop ends with a festival – The 8200 EISP Demo Day, with great attendance by leading investors from Israel and overseas – private investors and VC funds. This is an opportunity to get the exposure every start-up needs, create leads for investments or other purposes.

Office Hours

Between workshop meetings, we provide a variety of individual “office hours” to the participating start-ups and entrepreneurs, with tier-1 professionals, investors, entrepreneurs and program staff.

A Shared Working Space (optional)

8200 EISP start-ups and entrepreneurs can work together at our space with their peers, and enjoy a creative environment.

Personal Mentoring Program

This stage starts after the workshop ends, usually around October of each year.

We match senior mentors, 8200 alumni who hold key positions in the start-up and/or investment scene, to select entrepreneurs who participated in the workshop. The mentors provide one-on-one guidance to entrepreneurs, for a full year.

In the year following the workshop, we meetthe 20 program participants together for a series of follow-up sessions, providing them with great content and yet another platform to exchange ideas and experiences.

Entrepreneurs’ Club : Special events intended for the entire entrepreneurs’ community