A Team of LEADERS
Nice to meet you!
Gadi Bahat
Head of Academic Programs
A entrepreneur and venture capitalist with more than 25 years’ experience in Israel’s high-tech industry, Gadi Bahat is the head of academic programs for the Yazamut 360° Center for Entrepreneurship and CEO of Bahat Ventures, a startup consultancy whose clients include EMC, Radware, Sky Vision, Opgal, Theta Ray, and more.
His previous roles include co-founder and COO of the business security-solutions company Four Dimensions, CEO and board member of the customer-experience management company Olista, and EMEA Group president of Comverse.
Keren Pollack
LEADERS program manager
Keren's diverse background bridges healthcare, business, and cutting-edge research. She holds a bachelor's degree in physical therapy, an MBA with a focus on the biomed industry, and a master's in brain sciences. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in brain sciences with a focus on stroke, Keren brings extensive experience from her business and marketing roles in medical device and cyber security startups. Dedicated to meaningful impact, she is also the founder and board member of a therapeutic center supporting post-trauma patients in the Gaza envelope region.
Noam Carney
Operations Lead
Noam Carney is the driving force behind all operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. As he puts it, he’s the one “making things happen”, bringing ideas to life and turning plans into action.
Prof. Carmel Sofer
Founder and Chairman of Yazamut 360
A seasoned venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and strategic consultant in Israel’s high-tech industry, Prof. Carmel Sofer is also chairman of the Yazamut 360° Center for Entrepreneurship and an associate professor in BGU’s Departments of Cognition and Brain Science and Industrial Engineering and Management.
Previously a general partner in Gemini Israel Ventures, one of Israel’s first early- and seed-stage investors in the information-technology space, Sofer also served as president of Comverse Europe and founder and CEO of Starhome Mach, which merged with Telarix to become the global monetization-solution company Tomia.
Alongside his research, leadership of Yazamut 360°, and startup-advisory activities, Sofer is a member of the board of Roni’s Neighbors, an Israeli nonprofit that empowers neighborhood-based communities to eradicate loneliness among their elderly members and create a more resilient society.
Dana Gavish
Founder and General Manager of Yazamut 360
A former marketing and venture manager for global high-tech companies, Dana Gavish is founder of the Yazamut 360° Center for Entrepreneurship and vice president of entrepreneurship at BGN, BGU’s tech-transfer company.
Previously the vice president of marketing for Yissum, the tech-transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Gavish has extensive experience in the commercialization of academic research. She also spent seven years in journalism, as a producer at Associated Press, Fox News, and Israel’s Channel 2.
