From the 2012 Global Institute: Visioning, Pitching, and Networking

My name is Evan Malach, a Global Summer Fellow at PresenTense. I am developing Second Chance Travel, a venture that aims to send survivors on adventures to engage in therapeutic experiential education while gaining insight on themselves and the world. One of the three Second Chance Travel programs is ProjectOR, which focuses on sending searching Jews to Israel. So far, PresenTense has helped me to take huge strides toward actualizing the potential of my vision.

We just finished week 2 of the PT Institute - time moves at a torrid pace in Israel, but we have maximized our days here so far with highly productive activity.

Highlights have included lectures on visioning from PT co-founders Ariel and Aharon, hot seat pitching sessions with our fellow Fellows, and moving and shaking with Israel's brightest minds at the 3 day Presidential Conference.

What I have taken most out of the Institute so far has been the incredible networking opportunities. Along with learning from some of Israel's smartest and most creative social leaders, I have been privileged to mix, mingle, and shmooze with amazing people who have inspired me to keep growing my venture in innovative ways.

Some other memorable moments:

• Scoring the business card of the founder and CEO of Indiegogo, with the goal to fund Second Chance trips through crowd sourcing and become a partner with an integrated funding platform operating through their crowd funding site.
• Catching a ride from the Israeli Presidential Conference in Jerusalem, to a cousin's wedding in Even Yehuda (near Netanya) with a successful start-up Israeli CEO who recently sold his Video Chat for Facebook APP and had some amazing stories and advice to share during our drive.
• Convincing the very generous Ariel Beery to take take time out of his busy schedule and write a reference letter for my application to Start-Up Chile, my ideal post-Summer Institute development program to continue growing Second Chance Travel in South America.
• Introducing Alan Gill, the executive director of International Relations for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC/The Joint) to the Fellows at the first Round Table of this summer's Institute and learning from the wisdom that this giant of social action had to share.
• Connecting with Avi Steinberg, the director of education for MASA, who popped into the Hub and was enthusiastic about following up about Second Chance trips to Israel and potential collaboration with MASA.
• Bonding with the other amazing Summer Fellows and encouraging one another to each think out of our respective boxes as we develop our budding social business skills.

The first two weeks have flown by and I am still processing all the fantastic progress that has been happening. Next week we will be focusing on the social business model and having a workshop with entrepreneurship maven Asher Epstein.

We look forward to keeping you in the loop as the Institute keeps on rocking toward Launch Night.