Building an ecosystem in the Western Negev

Shahar, a co-founder of the incubator, is a serial entrepreneur with rich management experience in high-tech who works extensively to promote entrepreneurship in the Western Negev. He serves as Chief Evangelist at the high-tech company ZutaCore, which operates in the Western Negev. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Ben-Gurion University and lives in Kibbutz Bror Hayil in the Western Negev.

Gil brings extensive experience in entrepreneurship and diverse management roles at high-tech and defense companies, alongside a deep understanding of entrepreneurship and startup growth. He holds a senior reserve position in the Southern Command at the rank of Brigadier General. He holds an MBA and lives in Kibbutz Gvim in the Western Negev.

Former Director of Disruptive venture at the Israeli Innovation Authority, leading large-scale programs that drive systemic innovation across Israel’s ecosystem. With deep technology understanding and vast knowledge of how to disrupt the ecosystem And With prior experience in the Ministry of Defense, I lead the establish the defense innovation ecosystem and have worked closely with hundreds of startups. Combining my background in engineering, innovation and strategy, and leadership as a Tier-1 reserve officer, I specialize in embracing uncertainty and turning disruptive technology into impac

Yarit brings some 20 years of experience in AgTech and FoodTech across research, development, and advancing business initiatives and fundraising. She actively drives entrepreneurship and growth, combining scientific expertise with business strategy. She holds a Ph.D. in plant sciences from the Hebrew University and an MBA from the College of Management. She lives in Kibbutz Negba.

Ron was appointed Director of the D.Tech incubator, which operates within SouthUp and supports startups in Defense Tech alongside the ProTechT acceleration program. He has extensive experience in the defense industries — he held management and business-development roles at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, including Vice President of the M&A division, and led several startups. He served as CEO of Trion Israel. He holds a degree in computer engineering from the Technion and an MBA from Reichman University.

Experienced professional with extensive expertise in managing complex workflows and cross-functional processes. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Psychology, she possesses a deep understanding of end-to-end project execution and performance management in high-pressure environments

Keren manages the day-to-day operations and activities of the accelerator, alongside supporting the accelerator's role in the growth processes of startup companies. As part of her role, she guides entrepreneurs through the stages of establishment and growth, and helps build organizational and operational infrastructure both within the accelerator and beyond it — from recruiting employees from the region to creating connections with local figures, from pilot sites to establishing partnerships with authorities and the regional ecosystem.