By Dan Epstein
During the Opening Conference, we met with a number of Startup companies, with the goal of learning about the process of creating a mission statement and what goes into building up a successful company around that vision. We learned about writing a mission statement that is relevant and attainable, how to deal with failure, and the importance of flexibility. We met with Yoni, the CEO of Snowball Studios, a successful animation and production company. It was a truly fantastic experience. Snowball Studios is a graphic design studio in Tel Aviv creating truly innovative projects for people all over the world. In just a few years, they were able to grow from a small studio with just a few artists to a large organization with connections across the globe. The projects we were able to see were visually and conceptually unique - especially a particularly memorable cartoon bear made out of a strawberry - but the truly remarkable part of the day was listening to Yoni’s story.
The dedication and passion that Yoni showed in working towards his dreams were inspirational to say the least. His faith in his future in such a risky market sent a dynamic message about the power of believing in oneself. I As we continue to learn about ourselves through the programming of the Nachshon Project and look towards our futures as Jewish professionals or professional Jews, we will be sure to keep Yoni’s story of perseverance in mind. It’s amazing to be able to think about the ways that our values as Jews and simply as people can have such a powerful impact on careers so far distanced from the typical conceptualization of a “Jewish profession.” Yoni shows us that the Israeli and Jewish lifestyle can help us in all aspects of our lives.
