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LEADERSHIP

Meet the team behind our growth

US BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ISRAEL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

MANAGEMENT

US Board of Directors

Israel Board of Directors

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DANIELLE ABRAHAM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Danielle has spent her career in Israel dedicated to connecting Israeli expertise to needs in developing countries. She has previously served as a senior policy advisor in MASHAV, Israel’s agency for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and represented Israel as a guest speaker at the UN, OECD and the German Development Bank.

DAVID CHAPOT

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

David’s life was changed by the book Man’s Search for Meaning which pushed him to pursue a career dedicated to tackling key challenges close to his heart. David has worked with Volcani International Partnerships (VIP) since September 2020, first as Director of Programs and more recently as Chief Operating Officer.

DR. SHMUEL GROSS

CHIEF AGRONOMY AND EXTENSION ADVISOR

Over the course of his career, Prof. Glazer has served as the Volcani Institute’s Director of R&D, Head of the Plant Sciences Institute and Director of the Technology Transfer Unit. Prof. Glazer is also an affiliated Professor at the Hebrew University in the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Prof. Glazer is renowned in the field of biological pest control where he developed new microbial control agents. He holds four patents, has published over 200 peer reviewed articles and has edited two books. Prof. Glazer holds a PhD in Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

DR. SHMUEL GROSS

CHIEF AGRONOMY AND EXTENSION ADVISOR

Over the course of his career, Prof. Glazer has served as the Volcani Institute’s Director of R&D, Head of the Plant Sciences Institute and Director of the Technology Transfer Unit. Prof. Glazer is also an affiliated Professor at the Hebrew University in the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Prof. Glazer is renowned in the field of biological pest control where he developed new microbial control agents. He holds four patents, has published over 200 peer reviewed articles and has edited two books. Prof. Glazer holds a PhD in Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

U.S. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Volcani International Partnerships – US, Inc. is an independent Delaware nonprofit organization, which shares a similar mission and similar values with the Israeli organization Volcani International Partnerships.

ADAM LURIE

Head of Linklaters' Dispute Resolution Practice in the United States and the Americas, and Linklaters’ Washington D.C. office, Adam is recognized internationally as among the best lawyers in his field. He is lead counsel for multinational companies, financial institutions, foreign governments and leaders, and is also active in the realm of non-profit organizations.

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MALCOLM HOENLEIN

Malcolm is the Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the coordinating body for 53 national Jewish organizations. He appears regularly on the media, and has lectured and met leading officials throughout the world. He also serves on the boards of many communal, educational and civic organizations.

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SANDRA HOFFEN

Sandra is a former Partner at First New York, Managing Director at Deltec Asset Management, and Principle at American Industrial Partners. She is a trustee of the Riverdale Country School, an Emeritus Member of Columbia's Board of Visitors, former trustee of the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens, and is on the Chairman's Council at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

LORD STUART POLAK

Appointed in 2015 as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for political service, Lord Polak previously served as the Education Director of Board of Deputies of British Jews (1984 1989), and as the Director of the Conservative Friends of Israel. Today he remains its honorary president, and serves as chairman of TWC Associates and as a senior consultant to Marsh & McLennan.

ISRAEL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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DR. ZOHARA YANIV

Dr. Yaniv is internationally acclaimed for her research on the use of plants for medicinal purposes, and is one of the founders of EILAM, the Israeli Association of Medicinal Plants. She previously served as head of the Unit for International Cooperation at the Volcani center, and in this capacity has led agricultural research collaboration between Israeli scientists and their counterpart in countries . . .

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PROF. URI MINGELGRIN

Prof. Mingelgrin is an active emeritus scientist at the Institute of Soils, Water and Environmental Sciences of the Volcani Center. He has previously held the position of Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Environment, and was the Director of Scientific Affairs of the Volcani Center. Prof. Mingelgrin chaired and is a member of a number of important committees that deal with environmental issues, and . . .

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DANIEL BEN YEHUDA

A business development expert with an emphasis on renewable energy and Fintech sectors, Daniel is the CEO of OM2, a venture builder which invests and helps grow new companies in the Fintech space. He previously served as Deputy Director of the Pears Global Innovation Program at Tel Aviv University, and co-founded the IsraelDev Network and the DevTechHub in the purpose . . .

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AVINOAM BROG

Avinoam is one of the most respected market analysts and political advisors in Israel. He has served as a researcher and advisor for his brother, former Prime Minister Mr. Ehud Barak, as well as many other political parties and candidates. He sits on numerous boards, is the Chairman of the Board of Ipsos Israel, and founder and chairman of the board of ‘Brainster’ an artificial intelligence . . .

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DR. EDO CHALUTZ

A scientist of the Volcani Center’s Department of Postharvest Science of Fresh Produce, Dr. Chalutz also served as its Scientific and Academic Director. His main scientific research centers on the biological control of postharvest diseases, and the induction of resistance to postharvest diseases of fresh fruits and vegetables. Dr. Chalutz held the position of Executive Director of BARD, the US-Israel . . .

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JOANNE MOORE

Joanne is an international development assistance professional with more than 25 years of project management and business development experience in Africa, Asia, and Haiti. Her consulting company, JoMoConsult LLC., provides consulting service to USAID's implementing partners, and she is active in many different programs targeting issues of public health across Africa through novel solutions.

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PROF. DOV PRUSKY

Prof. Prusky is active as an emeritus scientist at the Volcani Center, Institute of Food Science, Department of Postharvest Science, where he serves as a scientific advisor on the subject of Mycotoxin. He has been named Scientist of the Year in 2002, and in 2012 was awarded the Life Achievement prize. In addition, he has been elected an Honorary Fellow by the International Society of Plant Pathology.

Special Advisors

STRATEGIC ADVISORY BOARD

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PROF. YORAM KAPULNIK

Prof. Kapulnik served as the head of numerous Institutes within the Volcani Center and was its Director General between 2011 and 2016. A scientist of plant physiology and biotechnology, he holds 16 patents, has published extensively, and has trained more than 65 graduate and post-graduate students. Over the years he has served on numerous national and . . .

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DR. SHAUL MANOR

An expert in irrigation management, Dr. Manor has vast field experience, accumulated from working in many different countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, in agricultural extension, training, monitoring and evaluating irrigation-related research and development programs. He previously . . .

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DR. THOMAS ZVI RON

Dr. Ron specializes in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, and has held positions in the University of Pennsylvania, and in Tahal Consulting Engineers Group. He has a record of more than 30 years of consultancy in the areas of agricultural development and water resource management, and was engaged in planning, . . .

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PROF. ADA RAPHAELI

With an academic background in the University of British Columbia and the Imperial College London, Prof. Rafaeli’s research centers on the discovery of new substances to control pest populations without the use of toxins. She believes that a thorough understanding of the endogenous regulatory mechanisms of key processes, which are . . .

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