A place to grow.
A place to belong.
A reason to come home.

Izhar Armony in an Israeli-American who grew up on a kibbutz in northern Israel near the Lebanese border and did his military service as a combat officer during the first Israel-Lebanon war. Izhar is a managing general partner of San Francisco based Charles River Venture, an early-stage venture capital firm with $4 bn under management he has been with since 1997. Over his venture career he served as a director of over 40 public and private companies and was listed four times on Forbes’ Midas List. Currently he serves on the board of CJP Boston, and is a member of their Israel Emergency Fund task force. He is a trustee of the Boustan charitable foundation, dedicated to promoting shared society in Israel and Palestine. In early 2024, in response to the evacuees crisis in Israel following the October 7th attacks, he formed Homeward/Habaita, an Israeli nonprofit dedicated to returning citizens back to their frontier communities via improved education systems.

Sigal Moran was born in Rishon Lezion and later moved to the Negev with a Nahal (pioneering youth) group to establish a new kibbutz, Kibbutz Shomria. In her final role in the military, she served as a commander in the officers’ training course. In 2000, Sigal began working for the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, where she established and managed the Strategic Unit. In January 2009, she was elected as the head of the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, a position she held until November 2018, when she decided not to run for another term. In November 2019, Sigal became CEO of the Branco Weiss Institute, a major educational organization that includes a network of schools. She completed her tenure in July 2021 when she was appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. She held this role until January 2023, when the government changed. Following the outbreak of war in October 2023, Sigal volunteered to assist the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council after learning of the tragic death of its head, Ofir Liebstein z”l, who was also a close friend. Sha’ar HaNegev, one of the areas most severely affected during the events of October 7, received her support for six months as she helped the acting council head, CEO, and management team reorganize .Since June 2024, Sigal has served as the CEO of the Homeward Foundation, whose mission is to support communities in the Gaza envelope and the Galilee by rebuilding and advancing education systems. This initiative is aimed at making education a central factor in families’ decisions to return to the region and attracting new families in the future.

Hadas has extensive experience in organizational leadership, program development, and strategic planning. From 2022 to 2023, she served as Director of Migdal-Or, part of Ya’adim L’Tzafon Association, managing a nationwide organization with 150 employees, 190 volunteers, and a budget of 30 million NIS, serving 6,000 individuals annually. From 2016 to 2021, as Head of the Program Unit at the Branco Weiss Institute, she oversaw educational programs promoting social mobility for youth nationwide, managing a team of 350 and a 15 million NIS budget. Prior to that, she developed a new adult education initiative for the institute (2020–2021) and led excellence programs in the northern region (2011–2016). Earlier in her career, Hadas managed community development and youth-focused programs for the Haifa Municipality, leading initiatives such as “Better Together” and the 360° program. Hadas brings a proven track record in driving impactful partnerships and fostering innovation in education and community development.

Adi joined the organization after serving as CEO of the Sha’ar HaNegev Community Center, as well as holding leadership roles in other local centers. Adi holds a PhD in Literature from Ben-Gurion University, but has chosen to focus her career on community-building through informal education and cultural engagement. She has held leadership roles in organizations that strengthen connections between Israeli society and North American Jewish communities, including Young Judaea, Hadassah, and the Jewish Agency.

Tal is an accomplished educator and expert in education policy. She has led transformative initiatives, including directing the “Arava-Paran” leadership academy and heading “Albashir,” an organization focused on integrating East Jerusalem Palestinian youth into Israeli academia and the workforce. Tal holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Jewish Thought from the Shalem Academic Center, and a master’s degree in Education Policy from Harvard University. During her studies, she founded “Sala” – an organization that promotes dialogue between Arab and Israeli students on campus.

From 2009 to 2024, Yoram served as the Head of the Emek HaMa’ayanot Regional Council. In this role, he developed a strategic vision for the council and, together with his management team, led a comprehensive regional growth process. This included fostering regional and multi-sectoral collaborations, advancing education, community, economy, and employment, as well as building trust and regional solidarity among all residents, communities, and between the valley and nearby cities. During this time, he also served as Chair of the Southern Jordan Drainage Authority, Chair of the Tzva’im Industrial Park, and Chair of the Economic Development Corporation. From 2019 to 2024, he held the position of Chair of the Kinneret-Emekim Municipal Cluster, which includes 15 municipalities and serves a population of 200,000 residents. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Deputy Head of the Council. From 2001 to 2006, he established a major Tnuva facility in the Beit She’an Valley. Between 1990 and 2000, Yoram was the operation director at Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin, where he led a broad and comprehensive transformation of the kibbutz’s way of life.

Iris brings with her extensive leadership experience from the social sector. Most recently, she was CEO of the Alumni Association of Sayeret Matkal, the IDF’s elite commando unit. Iris holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Ben-Gurion University, with a focus on Business Administration and Organizational Consulting.

Previously to her role at Habaita, Liron managed the Southern Golan cluster within the Community Development Department of the Golan Regional Council. In this capacity, she guided and supported community leadership across a wide range of areas—social, organizational, and communal. She contributed to professional training programs and helped shape the leadership approach of elected councils and community directors. Liron also coordinated cross-regional initiatives at both the local and Golan-wide level, advanced public participation processes, and established regional forums.

Daniel Levy serves as the Administrative Manager of the Homeward Initiative, bringing extensive experience in office management and complex administrative operations. During her service as a Chief of Staff in the IDF, she worked closely with senior officers, managed complex schedules, coordinated logistical projects, and led end-to-end administrative processes. Subsequently, she worked as a telephone banker at The International Bank, where she strengthened her expertise in providing professional service and financial solutions. In recognition of her excellence and significant contribution during Operation “Sword of Iron,” Daniel was awarded a commendation from the brigade commander.