Ten Days in Israel
To say that ATX KIT’s founding story was scary is an understatement. But partnerships who encouraged our idea and financially supported our work really made all the difference and amplified the impact.
This story of support actually started two years ago when an international program by the Schusterman Foundation called “REALITY”, reached out to me and recommended I apply to their exclusive program for young leaders.
From their website:
“REALITY is a week-long leadership journey in Israel that gathers highly influential thinkers and trailblazers. Participants engage in an intensive, thoughtfully curated itinerary designed to elevate their leadership and ignite their ambition to change the world. They develop deep friendships and partnerships with peers from across the globe, while exploring Israeli culture, history and society as a platform for understanding complexities in their own communities and industries.”
Leadership workshop and team building on the beach
REALITY has many curated programs they call “journeys” focused on sports, food, music, etc, and I ended up joining the Emerging Tech journey with other early-stage tech investors and entrepreneurs.
It was a life-changing experience and I grew and learned more than I ever thought I could in one week. It deepened my knowledge in what I value in life: spirituality, inclusion, identifying my personal leadership style as well as others’, team building, tough conversations, culture, friendships, critical thinking, looking inward, and of course new applications and implications of technology.
We toured Israel for what was probably the most incredibly dynamic trip of my life, led by the world-class and renowned guide, Michael Bauer. We had the opportunity to visit the ancient and sacred place of prayer and pilgrimage, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, while just a few days before connected with local professionals working in a variety of emerging tech sectors in the “Startup Nation” in Tel Aviv. We learned about and tested our leadership styles while competitively building rafts for a race on the beach. We visited a hospital and learned about new medical innovation with sensors that can rehabilitate people to walk. On the last evening, we bused out to the desert and spent time engaged in personal conversation with the stars, followed by a private dinner and intimate concert inside the Ramon Crater.
But what I really love about REALITY is that they emphasize that they don’t just host week-long journeys— the friendships, work, and purpose continues far beyond what we accomplish during the tour.
Beresheet Hotel during our last night in Israel
They really meant it too. As soon as COVID-19 related closures started occurring around the world in March 2020, they rapidly deployed a new program to fund REALITY Alumni and our social impact endeavors addressing the immediate and seemingly insurmountable health and economic challenges. They encouraged us to reach out to them with solutions and share our ideas, actions, financials, and plans— and I did so wanting to quickly support Austin’s crashing local economy.
So I submitted our story of bundling up and selling local entrepreneurs’ food products and supporting our heroes, the frontline healthcare workers. Schusterman Foundation responded that they loved what we were doing and approved us for a $2,500 grant. Yay!
I have now been able to reflect on our efforts, and upon review want to share our experience and more of our story about the donations and collaborating with ATX Hospital Workers. Linking that story here.
What does this mean to me?
I think the moral to this story is that you are never alone. Even in the most trying times when nothing makes sense to anyone, like what we all experienced at the onset of the pandemic. Speaking from my own experience and still being in the middle of this tumultuous era, I’d “challenge” us all to remember that we can ask for help sometimes. To draw from what we learned on the REALITY trip when we visited and spoke with an Israeli kibbutz leader, community is important and we are stronger together. I realize this is not a newsflash, but I’m writing about it to serve as a reminder.
It’s personally hard for me to ask for help. But only in doing so can we open the door and attract the energy needed in order to really become a positive force we want to be and have to be in this world. As you can see especially now more than ever we can never give too much, and therefore it will always be my life’s work.
Again, thank you so much to REALITY for their encouragement, especially in a time of desperate need. I really wanted to highlight their quick action and involvement in communities everywhere, as well as their impact here in my home, Austin, Texas. Read more about their continued commitment supporting partners working on the frontlines of the global pandemic.
Be well & snack well!
CS