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I am a business development and strategic partnerships expert with 15+ years of…
Articles by Maayan
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How early in life can autism truly be detected?
How early in life can autism truly be detected?
1 in 59 babies born today will be diagnosed with autism, according to the latest CDC report (2018). One of the most…
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Maayan Shahar shared thisI’m incredibly proud of this partnership between UST and K2view. It’s a great example of what can happen when two organizations come together with a shared vision, complementary strengths, and a genuine commitment to creating value for customers. The truth is, this partnership wasn't built overnight. We've been working together for quite some time, driving customer success, creating tangible business outcomes, and building trust across our teams. This announcement is an opportunity to celebrate that journey and give the partnership the visibility it deserves. What makes partnerships successful is rarely just the technology - it’s the people behind them. It started with Koby Levy, whose "let’s keep it simple and make it work" mindset makes him a fantastic partner to work with. Ronen Schwartz and Achi Rotem both bring a truly partner-first approach with a strategic mindset, while Hod Rotem’s depth of expertise is remarkable - not only helping identify what will work, but equally important, what won’t. He’s the kind of expert who helps define the problem, even if the answer isn’t always K2View. And then there’s Scott Owen, who could easily teach a masterclass on scaling partnerships. His ability to create alignment, drive accountability, and turn a 30-minute weekly sync into meaningful progress is something special. On the UST side, this partnership has been powered by the leadership of Mobin Thomas, the close collaboration with Hardik Patel, and Abhijeet Kadam’s relentless focus on making things happen day in and day out. I’m also incredibly thankful for the success we are driving together in Spain and Latin America under the leadership of Igor Soto Abanades, Oscar Rubio Calvo, Craig Smith, and Diego Cano. As we continue to expand into additional markets, I'm excited about the opportunities ahead in Canada under the leadership of Bruce Haryott, BSc, PMP®, Daniel Fernandez-Palmieri, Australia, with Mark Otter, and across the UK and Germany with Marc Ahrens, Erika Erdos, Anoop Satheeshkumar, Reshni Kochunni, Sajith Nambiar. This is exactly what UST Spark is about - bringing together the right people, the right technologies, and the right opportunities to drive innovation, solve real customer challenges, and create growth for everyone involved. Read more about the partnership here: https://lnkd.in/d7Wmt8H8 Thank you Oren Ezra for your support! Lucas Warren, Yuval WollmanUST and K2View Partner to Accelerate AI and Automation Through High-fidelity Synthetic DataUST and K2View Partner to Accelerate AI and Automation Through High-fidelity Synthetic Data
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Maayan Shahar shared thisExcited to be joining the panel on “The Next Phase of AI” at ##AxisTelAviv this week, Thursday May 14th, alongside a great group of leaders - Rinat Yogev, Idan Blumberg and Patricia Lahy-Engel, moderated by Ed Frank. Curious to explore where AI is really heading next - beyond the hype, into real-world impact. If you’re attending, would be great to connect!Maayan Shahar shared thisMeet the panelists for Axis Exchange 3! 👥 What's next for AI? We've got the right people in the room to find out. Meet our panelists: Moderated by Ed Frank, CEO @Axis Innovation ◦ Maayan Shahar, Managing Director @UST Spark ◦ Rinat Yogev, Partner @GM Ventures ◦ Idan Blumberg, BD & Innovation @Murata ◦ Patricia Lahy-Engel, Head of Intuit for Startups @Intuit Register today to join us! ➔ https://lnkd.in/eEhAJ73j #AxisExchange #AI #Innovation #AxisInnovation #TelAviv
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Maayan Shahar shared thisGreat workshop today in Seattle with aiOla 🚀 Always inspiring to see strong collaboration, practical innovation, and shared ambition come together. Looking forward to what’s ahead. Thank you, Amir Haramaty, Meytal Fine , and @Ofir Gonen Bar, for a great session. Thank you to UST leadership Manu Gopinath, Aravind Nandanan, Yuval Wollman, Kiran Menon Vappala, Sajesh Gopinath, Eric Pilkington, Jaikrishnan (JK) MuraleedharanPrasan Vyas, Joshi Nair, and Mitesh Lashkari.
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Maayan Shahar shared thisתמיד תענוג להתארח בThe Ecosystem Podcast, הפרק הזה היה משותף עם Amir Haramaty שמביא כל כך הרבה ידע, תובנות וניסיון. שמחה לקחת חלק במסע הזה של aiOla וUST ולשתף על החיבור בין סטארטאפים ושותפים אסטרטגיים. תודה על ההזדמנות Alon Cinamon, Eitan Gueron שתמיד מכוונים את השיחה בחדות כדי לייצר כמה שיותר אימפקט.Maayan Shahar shared thisהנתון שכל יזם AI חייב להכיר: 95% מהפיילוטים באנטרפרייז נכשלים בהוכחת ערך. אנחנו חיים בעידן של התלהבות שיא מ-AI, אבל הכלי הוא רק ההתחלה. האתגר האמיתי הוא החיבור לביזנס, ל-ROI ולתהליכים של קונצרנים עם עשרות אלפי עובדים. בפרק החדש של הפודקאסט, אירחנו את Amir Haramaty (מנכ"ל aiOla) ו-Maayan Shahar (מנכ"לית UST Spark) לשיחה מרתקת על: *Product-Market Fit אסטרטגי: איך עוברים מ"כלי מגניב" לפתרון קריטי לארגון *עבודה מול צ'אנלים: הדרך לגשר על הפער בין סטארטאפ זריז לענקית אינטגרציה גלובלית. *אסטרטגיית צמיחה: למה דווקא ב-AIהמיקוד בוורטיקל אחד הוא לא תמיד התשובה הנכונה? שיחה חובה לכל יזם שרוצה הצצה לשותפות אמתית. 🎧 לינק לפרק המלא בתגובה הראשונה 💬 לינק לקהילת הוואטסאפ שלנו בתגובה השנייה Tal Giladi Alon Cinamon Eitan Gueron
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Maayan Shahar shared thisThe Human Factor 🤝 I work closely with VCs - strategic partnerships, and open innovation is right at the intersection of value creation. It’s that rare win–win–win: ➡️I get visibility into the best and brightest founders and emerging technologies. ➡️VCs actively create value for their portfolio companies beyond capital. ➡️Startups gain exposure that can lead to real strategic partnerships. Recently, a VC introduced me to a CEO & co-founder. I replied with a warm “nice to e-meet you,” a short intro, and suggested a 30-minute intro call. The response? Two very direct questions about our clients and products. No intro. No context. No deck. No one-pager. I get it - truly. A startup CEO’s most valuable asset is time. Still, that exchange was a good reminder: when it comes to partnerships, it’s always about people. You can be sharp, focused, and direct - and still be kind. Even when something isn’t relevant right now, keeping the door open matters. Timing changes. Products mature. Markets shift. Relationships compound. This is exactly why I recently enjoyed reading The Super Connector Playbook by Lirone Glikman. The book is a great reminder that meaningful connections don’t happen by accident - they’re built through curiosity, generosity, and how we show up for others. In a world of AI and automation, the human layer still makes the difference. Highly recommended for anyone building partnerships for the long run.
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Maayan Shahar posted thisHappy to share my two cents on CVCs, corporates, and how to collaborate with startups as we head into 2026 and new beginnings. https://lnkd.in/dETm9kEw
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Maayan Shahar shared thisLast week, I had the pleasure of recording an episode of The Ecosystem Podcast with the great hosts Alon Cinamon and Eitan Gueron. The conversation featured Amir Haramaty, President & Co-founder of aiOla, and focused on our partnership journey - diving into how to build meaningful, strategic partnerships between startups and corporates, how trust and real business value are created, and how these collaborations can naturally evolve into deeper commercial relationships and even investments. Great discussion, great people, and very relevant insights for anyone operating at the intersection of innovation, corporates, and growth. The episode will air in the coming weeks. Special thanks to the one and only Judith Ungar. #USTSpark, #OpenInnovation, #StrategicPartnerships
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Maayan Shahar reposted thisThank you to CTech by Calcalist for the opportunity to publish my op-ed: “AI killed the IT star?” Spoiler - it didn’t. It reshaped it. AI isn’t replacing enterprise IT. It’s transforming it: less repetitive coding and more architecture, integration, and domain-driven expertise. In regulated industries, customization still matters more than ever. #USTSpark, #UST, #InnovationMaayan Shahar reposted thisAI killed the IT star? "AI doesn’t signal the end of the IT industry; rather it marks the moment when it must undergo a rapid but necessary transformation," writes Maayan Shahar, Managing Director of UST Spark. #Opinion https://lnkd.in/eeD2_RhE
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Maayan Shahar shared thisThank you to CTech by Calcalist for the opportunity to publish my op-ed: “AI killed the IT star?” Spoiler - it didn’t. It reshaped it. AI isn’t replacing enterprise IT. It’s transforming it: less repetitive coding and more architecture, integration, and domain-driven expertise. In regulated industries, customization still matters more than ever. #USTSpark, #UST, #InnovationMaayan Shahar shared thisAI killed the IT star? "AI doesn’t signal the end of the IT industry; rather it marks the moment when it must undergo a rapid but necessary transformation," writes Maayan Shahar, Managing Director of UST Spark. #Opinion https://lnkd.in/eeD2_RhE
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Maayan Shahar reacted on thisMaayan Shahar reacted on thisזה לא היה בתוכנית. שבועיים אחרי ההשקה של better, מישהו שלח סרטון שהוא עשה ב-AI עם המוצר. סרטון אחד, אולי שניים. היה אפשר לעשות לייק ולהמשיך. במקום זה עצרנו הכל. כי מותג בפרופיל כזה יכול להתפוצץ בכל מדיה אפשרית. טלוויזיה, שלטי חוצות, כל מה שמתבקש. better לא שם. הוא חי בדיגיטל. וכשהדיגיטל מדבר איתך, אתה מקשיב. תוך יום זה הפך לאתגר פתוח: קחו את המותג, תעשו לו את הפרשנות שלכם. התוצאה: מאות יצירות. סרטונים ותמונות ברמת יצירתיות שלא היינו מגיעים אליה לבד, זאת האמת. ולי, ברמה האישית — פריצת דרך מחשבתית. הדבר הכי קשה במהלך הזה לא היה הביצוע. זה היה לזוז מהתוכנית, לתת לשטח לקחת את ההגה, ולא להתערב יותר מדי. זה דורש בגרות שלא תמיד יש למותג בשבוע השני שלו. הדיגיטל הגיב ביג טיים. אנחנו רק הקשבנו בזמן. https://betterr.co.il/ better by Rotem Sela AI Branding #GTM #DIGITAL #crowdsourcing#
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Maayan Shahar reacted on thisMaayan Shahar reacted on thisI’m excited to share that I’ve joined Treedom House as a Venture Partner. Treedom House is the private family office of the Kadisha family, investing in growth-stage technology companies in the United States and Israel. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Michael Kadisha for several years—and much more closely over the past few months. We share a deep passion for tech, appreciation for founders solving hard problems, and decades of experience in the venture ecosystem in both the US and Israel. If you’re a founder raising series B+ or growth-stage investor, I’d love to connect.
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Maayan Shahar liked thisMaayan Shahar liked thisHeading to Dreamforce tomorrow! and genuinely excited to connect with customers and prospects in person. If your sales team keeps asking for voice AI tools but you're not sure how to navigate the different options - let's talk, I'm sure I can help :) At aiola, we turn sales reps' natural conversations into structured, validated Salesforce updates - no typing, no fixed commands, just talking. See you there! #Dreamforce #VoiceAI #Salesforce #Sales #aiola
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Maayan Shahar reacted on thisGreat to see this from our partner UST: when aiola's voice AI is layered into Salesforce, the customer context that used to get lost between a meeting and the CRM turns into guidance reps can actually use. One Fortune-50 team took CRM completeness from 23% to 90% in 90 days. No manual entry, just a natural voice debrief after the visit. This is what "voice to data" looks like in production, at enterprise scale, with a partner who's building it alongside us. #CRM #EnterpriseAI #VoiceAIMaayan Shahar reacted on thisWhen integrated with Salesforce, aiola helps capture the valuable customer context that used to get lost between a meeting and the CRM, turning it into guidance the rep can actually use. Swipe to see how it works. ➡️ A quick voice debrief becomes structured CRM updates to reduce administrative work for field sales teams while giving sales leaders more complete, reliable data to work from. It reads that data back overnight, flags at-risk deals, and gives reps a specific next step for every account. In practice, this has taken CRM completeness from 23% to 90% for one Fortune-50 team in 90 days. We're continuing to build with aiola and Salesforce to help teams stay focused on building stronger customer relationships. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qW17BN #CRM #EntepriseAI
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Maayan Shahar reacted on thisMaayan Shahar reacted on thisרשות החדשנות ומנהלת תקומה יוצאות במהלך חדש שנועד להצמיח אקוסיסטם טכנולוגי בחבל תקומה באמצעות ארבעה מסלולים שונים: שילוב מאות סטודנטים שסיימו תואר בחברות הייטק בחבל, גיוס עובדים לחברות המקומיות, הכשרה ושדרוג מיומנויות של מאות עובדים ומשיכת הון אנושי טכנולוגי מחו"ל בהיקף של 22 מיליון ש"ח רוצים להבין איזה מסלול מתאים לכם, מי יכול להגיש ואיך נראית ההגשה בפועל? הירשמו למפגש הדיגיטלי, שיתקיים ביום חמישי, 10 בספטמבר בשעה 10:00, של רשות החדשנות ומנהלת תקומה, בו נציג את ארבעת המסלולים, התנאים והאפשרויות להשתלב במהלך. הירשמו עכשיו: https://lnkd.in/dDRQf3-P מסלול Tkuma Internship נועד לחבר את דור העתיד של ההייטק לתעשייה בחבל כבר במהלך הלימודים. לפחות 500 סטודנטים, אקדמאים והנדסאים צפויים להשתלב בהתנסות מעשית של שישה עד תשעה חודשים בחברות באזור, לצד הכשרות קצרות ופיתוח מיומנויות הנדרשות בתעשייה, ובהן יכולות AI. המטרה היא לא רק לצבור ניסיון, אלא ליצור מסלול שיוכל להוביל בהמשך גם לקריירה בחבל. מסלול מהתפוצות לתקומה נועד למשוך לחבל עולים חדשים, תושבים חוזרים וזכאי חוק השבות בעלי רקע טכנולוגי. המסלול יתמקד באיתור מועמדים כבר בחו"ל, הכנה לשוק העבודה הישראלי, התאמה למעסיקים וראיונות עוד לפני המעבר לישראל. היעד הוא להתחיל עם לפחות 100 מועמדים ולבנות עבורם חיבור שיקל לא רק על הכניסה למשרה, אלא גם על ההשתלבות והחיים באזור. מסלול Talent Recruiting מתמקד בצד של החברות. הוא נועד לעזור לחברות הייטק ולמעסיקים טכנולוגיים בחבל למצוא את העובדים שהם צריכים באמצעות מיפוי צורכי כוח האדם, איתור אקטיבי של מועמדים, סינון, התאמה וליווי בתהליך הגיוס. לפחות 300 מועמדים צפויים לעבור תהליכי התאמה וראיונות, במטרה לאפשר לחברות קיימות להתרחב ולעודד יצירה של משרות טכנולוגיות חדשות באזור. מסלול TECH Skills BOOST מתמקד בעובדים עצמם ובשוק עבודה שמשתנה במהירות. לפחות 500 משתתפים צפויים לקחת חלק בהכשרות ובתהליכי Upskilling ו Reskilling בתחומי AI, דאטה ואוטומציה. המסלול מיועד גם לעובדי הייטק שרוצים לשדרג את היכולות שלהם וגם לעובדים מענפים אחרים שמעוניינים לרכוש מיומנויות שיאפשרו להם להתקדם לתפקידים חדשים. תאגידים, מוסדות אקדמיים וגופים עסקיים שרוצים לקחת חלק במהלך ולהפעיל תוכניות באחד מארבעת התחומים מוזמנים להגיש בקשות במסגרת הקול הקורא של קרן ההון האנושי להייטק.
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Maayan Shahar reacted on thisMaayan Shahar reacted on thisWhen integrated with Salesforce, aiola helps capture the valuable customer context that used to get lost between a meeting and the CRM, turning it into guidance the rep can actually use. Swipe to see how it works. ➡️ A quick voice debrief becomes structured CRM updates to reduce administrative work for field sales teams while giving sales leaders more complete, reliable data to work from. It reads that data back overnight, flags at-risk deals, and gives reps a specific next step for every account. In practice, this has taken CRM completeness from 23% to 90% for one Fortune-50 team in 90 days. We're continuing to build with aiola and Salesforce to help teams stay focused on building stronger customer relationships. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qW17BN #CRM #EntepriseAI
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170M NIS Initiative Expands Access to Israeli Tech A new partnership between the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the Council for Higher Education will help young people from communities with limited representation in academia pursue STEM careers. The Tech Leaders program plans to support as many as 1,500 students during its first five years. Each participant will receive financial assistance for the academic journey, from preparatory coursework through completion of a degree. The package also includes living support, a computer, mentorship, career preparation, and opportunities to connect with employers. The program will serve members of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox, Arab, and Ethiopian communities, as well as young people from the country’s social periphery. Its selection process is intended to recognize potential before candidates enter university and provide the additional preparation they may need to qualify for STEM programs. The 170 NIS million budget will be divided equally between the Dell Foundation and the Council’s Planning and Budgeting Committee. Tali Barash Bouskila, the foundation’s director in Israel, explained that the initiative is designed to address the obstacles that can prevent talented candidates from reaching engineering and science programs. This update is brought to you by Rhydlwood ( Rhydl ), an exclusive hub for business owners and CEOs focused on clarity and sustainable growth.
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Aviva Steinberger
This past year has been the most significant period of organizational change I’ve ever led. At Startup Nation Central, we made difficult decisions about what the organization should focus on and how it needs to operate for the future. We challenged assumptions, changed things we had been doing for years and made some genuinely hard calls. One of the harder parts has been doing that with a real awareness and appreciation of what came before. Many of the relationships, capabilities and areas of expertise SNC draws on today were built over years by many people who contributed to the organization's journey. Their work is part of the foundation we are building from, even as we make different choices about where we go next. Over the past year, we have focused SNC around where Israel’s innovation ecosystem needs us most and where we can make a distinctive contribution. For an organization entrusted with philanthropic capital, that choice matters. Our resources should go where they can fill important gaps and enable work that might otherwise not happen. Today, that means tackling some consequential questions: How does Israel compete in AI? How do we translate extraordinary defense innovation into long-term strategic advantage? Where will the next engines of growth come from? And how can technology strengthen Israel’s relationships with partners around the world? The agenda has grown, and we are busier than ever. I’m grateful to the team carrying this work forward with so much commitment and thoughtfulness. This year has also changed how I think about leadership. Making difficult decisions is part of the job. So is understanding what those decisions ask of people, respecting what came before and knowing when the organization still needs to move. There is a great deal left to build, but the direction is clear. I’m energized by where we’re going.
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