ProMontreal Entrepreneurs Hub and Yazamut 360° successfully complete "Startup Nation Mindset Challenge"
Thirteen Montreal entrepreneurs participated in a 10-day “Startup Nation Mindset Challenge” at the Yazamut 360° Center at BGU in Beer-Sheva.
Federation CJA’s ProMontreal Entrepreneurs Hub recently returned home from a 10-day intensive leadership opportunity designed to infuse Montreal’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with the bold, problem-solving spirit of Israel’s startup culture.
The “Startup Nation Mindset Challenge,” held at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, brought together 13 entrepreneurs representing nine businesses, six of which are PME funded businesses. This unique experience was made possible through a three-way partnership between Ben-Gurion University, Federation CJA, and Partnership2Gether.
“The program encouraged them to question assumptions, take calculated risks, and see challenges as opportunities for growth,” said PME’S Manager, Entrepreneurship, Katherine Korakakis. “Just as importantly, it fostered a strong sense of connection and collaboration, which will help them grow long after they return home."
“Partnership2Gether is always trying to build better bridges between Montreal and Israel,” said Matthew Cutler, Federation CJA’s Director, Entrepreneur and Business Development. “While we did visit the Nova music festival site, this wasn’t a touring trip. It was about bringing back an Israeli mindset to entrepreneurs and businesses in Montreal.”
“This exchange showed how meaningful international collaboration can be. Together with the PME team and Federation CJA, we built a space where founders could learn, experiment, and grow, while forming bonds that will continue to strengthen both ecosystems. Our goal was not just to teach entrepreneurship, but to let the founders experience it firsthand. Seeing them adopt fast-execution habits, challenge their assumptions, and rethink their strategies in real time was the clearest proof of the program’s impact,” said Gadi Bahat, head of academic programs at Yazamut 360°.
The entrepreneurs attended immersive sessions at Ben-Gurion University’s Yazamut 360° Centre in Beer-Sheva, a hub that serves thousands of students through leadership and entrepreneurship programs. They explored how Israelis approach challenges with resilience and creativity, gaining insights from local ventures supported by Federation CJA.
The initiative was also about strengthening ties between local entrepreneurs and Federation CJA’s sister city of Beer-Sheva, all the while equipping founders with global perspectives and practical tools for growth.
“The goal is for them to come back more connected to Israel, to Beer-Sheva and to Federation CJA,” Matthew said. “It’s to build stronger connections to community and about giving back to the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Beyond classroom learning, informal networking over coffee and dinners fostered collaboration and peer-to-peer support, an equally vital component of the experience.
“We felt that giving our founders this Israeli mindset of how to look at ideas and problem-solve would help them develop better skills moving forward,” Matthew said. “These are valuable tools to add to their toolkit.”
“The entrepreneurial landscape of Israel is different than what you’ll traditionally see in North America,” said Jonathan Abitbol, a participant in the program and founder of the mobile pet-grooming service Mobispaw. “It’s very scrappy. I’ve always been that type of entrepreneur, so it was great to see like-minded individuals and sharpen my skills in that environment.”
Jonathan also highlighted the value of learning from seasoned Israeli program managers:
“They’ve led companies, been CEOs, done startup consulting. They challenge you. We tend to focus on positives, but Israelis flip the script and ask: how do you limit the risk of failing?”
As part of that particular exercise, participants imagined their business failing in five years—due to scaling too quickly, taking on too much funding, or ignoring competition—and then used AI to model that failure.
“It got you thinking: how do we cover our areas of weakness?” said Jonathan. “If you do that exercise every few quarters, it sharpens your edges and helps you grow responsibly. Instead of asking ‘How will I succeed?’ you ask, ‘How can I fail? And how do I prevent it?’”
The program emphasized leadership development, mental toughness, and commercialization strategies, skills that participants can immediately apply to their ventures. By thinking globally and connecting deeply with Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Montreal’s founders are now better prepared to innovate and lead.
“We want them to think globally and not just locally,” Matthew said. “They’re not just part of an ecosystem in Montreal; they’re a part of this much wider cohort and network.”
