The next 15 days will be jam-packed with PresenTense Launch Nights; spanning two countries, five cities, 62 social ventures and 64 Fellows.

We decided to call this period the 15 Days of Innovation because there’s no better way to describe what our Fellows have accomplished. And we couldn’t be prouder. We’re unaware of any other organization that has launched so many social ventures in such a short time. It takes a lot of teamwork to lead up to this point, and we’d like to thank our over 400 active volunteers and staff from around the world for getting us to this point.

Five months ago, the Fellows started their journey with PresenTense through our Community Entrepreneur Partnership (CEP). That partnership, between their local communities and PresenTense, helps the Fellows and their ventures take root in a supportive environment where they can flourish. Throughout the program PresenTense Mentors and Coaches guide the Fellows, helping them overcome the everyday challenges involved in a new start-up, and the difficulties unique to social ventures.

We asked the Fellows about their experiences and many of them had great things to say about our program, as well as suggestions for how we can improve it in the future. (You can read more about the Fellows’ ventures and their experiences in the latest issue of PresenTense Magazine.) One of our Fellows, Brian Fox, praised his Coach, Stacy Goodman, a management consultant who has been volunteering her time with the Boston Fellowship.

The Jerusalem Secular Yeshiva (הישיבה החילונית בירושלים) held its first "learning party" on Sunday night, at the Jerusalem nightclub "17". The evening included two study sessions, one led by founder Ariel Levinson on Chanukah, Judaism, and idolatry through the work of Ahad Ha'am and Berdichevski, and the other by Dr. Ariel Hirschfeld of Hebrew University, who conducted a secular reading of Song of Songs. The sessions were followed by a dance party DJed by rock star Barry Sakharof. Over 300 people attended the party for the group’s inaugural event, which was launched at the Jerusalem Fellowship last May.

Read more about it in the Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz - and check out some photos below.

Applications for PT's local fellowships in Boston, New York, Philly, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem are due in less than a week! 

• Philly: Nov 12 Extended to Nov 15
• Tel Aviv: Nov 14
• Jerusalem: Nov 14
• Boston: Nov 15
• New York: Nov 15

Want to learn more about them or apply? Check out their websites, or read up on some of their recent press and blog coverage:

Boston 

• Will Your Venture be the Next One to Launch?
• Calling all Jewish Boston Innovators

New York

• Step Up and Make Your Pitch!
• PresenTense NYC Fellowship on InterfaithFamily.com

Philly

• Here's a 'Tribe' That Beats the Bushes, in Search of the Next Big Thing

PresenTense's Jerusalem Winter Fellowship is mentioned in an article from The Jewish Week on Jerusalem's non-haredi residents, which also features quotes by co-director Ariel Beery. Read about PT below and check out the whole article here.

PresenTense, an organization that trains innovators and entrepreneurs, just ran an intensive program that spawned some out-of-the-box initiatives. 

Ariel Beery, PresenTense’s co-director, says the organization’s fellows have proposed a range of projects “based on non-religious life in Jerusalem,” including — of all things — a secular yeshiva, “which will be an opportunity to learn about Jewish identity and values without any preaching.” 

Other projects include self-driven tours for tourists who don’t want to hire a tour guide; a youth hostel for the many people who volunteer in the city but lack accommodations; and a community garden initiative “to help create deeper community ties.”

Congratulations to the Jerusalem Winter Fellows on an amazing Launch Night! They rocked the house with their innovative ventures, and everyone was impressed by their short and pithy pitches, creative tables, and nonstop enthusiasm. Of course, now launch night is only the beginning, as they now work to continue to grow their ventures. We wish them much success!

We apologize again for the Livestream problems last night (technology is great... except for when it malfunctions) and wish you were all there live to see the pitches! 

But - we've got lots of media you can check out. View the slideshow, and watch video of our fellows' pitches!

Slideshow:

Video of pitches (only 7.5 minutes long!): 

I got in a bike accident when I was 9.  It was the first day after school of 4th grade and I was racing my friend Emily down the driveway.  I turned to wave to my neighbor and before I knew it, I was on the pavement with my and Emily's bike on top of me, and I was being rushed to the hospital for an arm cast and 50 stitches in my leg.

Needless to say I was shaken, and unfortunately it took me 15 years to get back on the bike with the confidence that I had prior to the accident.  But I have to admit that buying a bike two years ago was one of the best decisions I ever made, and riding has been an eye opening experience since (and I'm not talking about the need to pay attention on crowded Jerusalem streets to avoid Israeli Drivers and Pedestrians).  

The PT Jerusalem Winter Fellowship Launch Night is only a few short weeks away! We're excited to present the projects of our first cohort of Israel-based fellows, and hope you'll join us.

Launch night will be held at the Hebrew University Givat Ram campus, at Beit Belgia, on May 12. Check out our photos of the lovely site - and make sure you don't miss out! 

The Jerusalem Post recently had a great article on coaching:

Asked on Wednesday to explain the differences between coaching Israelis and coaching British or Australian clients, Grant responded, “Israelis are renowned for their directness, and every Israeli has strong opinions. So there are obviously some cultural differences, but the notion that we can use behavioral sciences or theoretical programs to bring positive change is a cross-cultural idea. We can all find more satisfying lives, more satisfying ways to do things; these are universal concepts, not Australian, European or Israeli.”

In it, they discuss the negative perceptions that coaching has amongst the general public. Self-titled "life coaches" and other would-be mentor types market themselves to struggling professionals and often have murky background in the fields that they are supposedly expert.

JPost highlights the work of Dr. Anthony Grant, an international leader in coaching methodology, who has been speaking to various groups across Israel in a recent tour. One interesting stat that they provided: there are between 60-80 coaching schools in Israel, or 1 for every 100,000 people. Australia, where Dr. Grant is from, has only 14 coaching schools.