Our mission
Our mission is to create an entrepreneurial community of leaders committed to shaping a peaceful Israeli-Palestinian future built on trust.
An ongoing divide.
Today, the majority of Palestinians and Israelis in their 20s and 30s have rarely met outside of a militarized context. An absence of interaction seeds fear and ignorance and leads each group with little opportunity to understand and appreciate the humanity of the other. Extreme voices and opinions dominate the public discourse, while reason and substance are ignored and marginalized.
Over the prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reconciliation has come to mean weakness. The future of the region’s youth is being determined by a generation weary from past failed negotiations.
At OGS, we identify Israeli and Palestinian women and men who desire to build an infrastructure of hope for the region – together. Our generation can’t look back. It can only look forward.
A bright future starts with bright ideas.
OGS was founded at Brandeis University in 2014 by Ohad Elhelo, a then Brandeis undergraduate, and Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts (2007-2015) as Chairman of the Advisory Board. We were the first startup incubator to use entrepreneurship as a neutral vehicle to unite emerging leaders from Israel and the Palestinian Territories (the West Bank and Gaza). In 2016, we flew our first cohort to Boston.
Since that first year, we’ve completed seven cohorts, graduated over 180+ alumni, and incubated dozens of startups that have generated jobs and improved the lives of thousands in the region. Today, OGS is led by Heidi Rosbe as CEO and Sari Rapkin, as Chair of the Board.
Our work would not be possible without our affiliation with our hosting institution, Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, ranked as a top ten social policy school by US News & World Report. Additionally, OGS is honored to have partnered from the very start with MassChallenge, the world’s largest startup accelerator, and has since expanded its partnerships with MIT’s designX and Game Lab accelerators and MISTI’s programs. Our vast network of world-class institutions, Board and Advisory Board members, philanthropists, leaders, mentors, coaches, and friends around the world is what powers Our Generation Speaks.
Founding companies, finding trust.
Each year, we handpick a group of exceptional individuals and teams who leave their home countries, families, friends, and work environments to be immersed in one of the most innovative cities in the world. With the support of cutting-edge mentorship and seminar programs, our fellows build and accelerate their startups, creating jobs and changing lives in the region. And long after graduation, fellows stay involved with our robust alumni community, OGS Next, through a series of workshops and gatherings—building a powerful network of change agents that stretches across borders.
Since our inception, we’ve nurtured dozens of successful startups, which in turn have raised over $45 million in external funding. And we’re still growing.
Our secret to success.
Our approach is built on 3 sturdy pillars: the fellowship, the startups, and the alumni. It’s simple. We power up exciting, mission-driven startups that unite emerging leaders and have a lasting impact on the region.
Our guiding principles
Mission and Core Purpose
The mission of Our Generation Speaks (OGS) is to create an entrepreneurial community of leaders committed to shaping a peaceful Israeli-Palestinian future built on trust.
OGS was started out of the urgent need to build a human infrastructure that will promote a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will ensure equality, security, freedom, and statehood for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples in the region. Entrepreneurship is the main vehicle to achieve this inspirational goal and connect the next generation of leaders across the emotional and physical divides.
The Community’s Values and Code of Conduct
In order to accomplish our mission and purpose, all members of the OGS community, including Board members, staff, mentors, coaches, fellows, and alumni are expected to demonstrate and live into the spirit of these values:
Embrace innovative thinking and a growth mindset to shape the future, encourage creative solutions to common challenges and promote entrepreneurship that addresses the needs of both communities.
Display the capacity to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges, foster a culture of perseverance and optimism, demonstrate, despite discomfort, openness to different perspectives to enable better outcomes.
Uphold the dignity of all people and provide equal support to all members of our community, treating all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.
Look out for and support each other, foster partnerships, cooperate to build trust and mutual respect, cultivate understanding and compassion for the experiences and perspectives of both Israelis and Palestinians, while holding all members of the community responsible for doing so.
Think carefully before speaking so as to demonstrate our values not only with each other but also in our communications with the public and post ideas and other items that consistently reflect the values of the OGS community and its members.
Embrace responsibility for our actions and words as they affect other members of the community and reflect our shared goals of equality, freedom, security and statehood.
Commitments to a Code of Conduct
All newly-applying Fellows will be required to sign an affirmative commitment to uphold these values as a condition of acceptance into the OGS Fellowship Program and joining the OGS Community. We look forward to welcoming you!
