The Journey Continues

Hello again! One year later, and once again, a group of 12 MBA students (both from Smith, as well as other top MBA programs) is primed to depart for eight weeks in Haifa, Israel as part of the Dingman Center’s Global Technology Entrepreneurship Fellowship program.

To myself and the inaugural team from summer 2010, the fact that the program has continued into a second year provides perhaps the greatest sense of satisfaction. It delivers tangible affirmation of the entrepreneurial path we blazed last summer. As the first participants in a brand new program, we knew the risks involved. Yet, without a doubt, last summer not only met, but exceeded our expectations. More importantly, we helped lay the foundation for this year's team to hit the ground running.

As I have mentioned previously on many occasions in this blog - Israel is an entrepreneur's dream. It is the quintessential Start-Up Nation. It is a land of high-tech innovation and a center of venture capital. Yet, it is also a land of many contradictions. For these and a myriad of other reasons, Israel is a fascinating laboratory for any business professional interested in studying innovation or entrepreneurship.

This post marks my final comments on the program. However, the story continues for this year's MBAs. If you are interested in reading about and following their exploits in Israel over the following two months, please head over to their page to find out more. Fellow MBA and 2011 participant Andrew Giessel has taken over blogging duties for this year's program. I wish him all the best, and hope you enjoy reading his posts this summer.