Read the profiles of the Washington DC ConnectGens Fellows featured over the last few weeks in the Washington Jewish Week:

Learning Hebrew after school

Matching investors with social entrepreneurs

Helping people with autism, lone soldiers, volunteers

ConnectGens - the final four

Set at the beautiful YMCA Jerusalem, Yazamim Jerusalem Launch Night was exceptional. 11 Yazamim Jerusalem fellows launched their ventures with a series of lightening-fast 15-second pitches. And - the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, joined them with a 15-second pitch about why Jerusalem should be the center of our social ventures.  Check out the video of the fellows’ pitches below!

Boston's CJP Fellowship started off Jewish Innovation Month with a bang. Last Thursday, the group of nine fellows pitched their ventures to a group of Boston-area Jewish leaders. Check out the amazing job the fellows did:

Originally featured on the Masa Israel Community website

Nine young social innovators will launch ventures to change the face of Boston’s Jewish community. Will you be there?

CJP’s PresenTense Boston Fellowship: Launch Night 2012
Thursday, May 31 | 7:00 p.m.
City Year Boston, 287 Columbus Avenue, Boston

We’re shining a light on Boston’s young Jewish entrepreneurs. Meet the amazing fellows and learn about their ventures — from a t-shirt company that promotes social change to an international network strengthening Jewish-Muslim relations. Celebrate at Launch Night and learn how you can lend your support and connections to help build these ventures.

To RSVP, click here

For more information or special accommodations, contact Abby: abbyg@cjp.org or 617-457-8776.

The Washington Post featured the DC Federation's commitment to innovation, with a shout out to the DC ConnectGens Fellowship and PresenTense:

"And through our ConnectGens Fellowship powered by PresenTense, we are mentoring and training some of the best and brightest social entrepreneurs so that their innovative ideas can become programs that improve our community and beyond."

Click here to read the entire article.

Read about Ariel Beery's call to establish June as Jewish Innovation Month in his blog on The Times of Israel:

"In a seemingly parallel world to the political messes of recent months, a new world is being born right before our eyes: a world born out of the visions of young Jewish social entrepreneurs around the world, over a hundred of which will be launching their ventures this June. So I hereby propose: let us declare June Jewish Innovation Month. If the upcoming events in the month of June go smoothly, the reports of a disconnected, past-tense Federation and JCC system will prove to be unfounded."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

At the 2012 Masa Building Future Leadership Conference in Jerusalem, David Kramer, the founder of NU Campaign and PTI '10 fellow, shared four vital tips for entrepreneurs to a group of eager young minds:

1. A person must listen to where their heart leads to fulfill their purpose in the world.
2. Believe in one’s abilities (according to Kramer, the biggest key to success in the world).
3. Hard work is vital to accomplish work.
4. Have fun!