Our Generation Speaks (OGS) is a fellowship program and startup incubator whose mission is to bring together young Israeli and

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

leaders through entrepreneurship. OGS works in partnership with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management (

Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

) and MassChallenge to give OGS Fellows the tools to develop businesses that generate significant social and economic value in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Structure

OGS teaches business development, financial management, marketing strategy, and conflict-resolution to young adults aged 21–30. The fellowship runs over the course of three months in

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the Technological and industrial history of the United States, American Industrial Revoluti ...

, and includes daily classes taught by Brandeis University professors, one-on-one mentoring, and workshops. During the summer, the fellows work in teams to build sustainable businesses that will benefit their home communities. The fellowship operates entirely in English and provides each group of fellows with the skills and network to enact change in their communities. Each business developed through OGS receives seed funding at the end of the fellowship to aid in their launch and operations upon return to Israel and Palestine. OGS Fellows remain connected through the OGS Alumni Organization, which plans a number of annual activities, including group trips in Israel and Palestine, meetings with local leaders, and trainings focused on career and leadership development. The organization will host an annual conference for current fellowship participants and the growing group of alumni over time. The OGS Fellows are exceptional young adults from both Israel and Palestine. OGS uses entrepreneurship to bring together people from these communities, which in turn works toward building trust and enacting social and economic change. Each year, OGS aims to maintain a 1:1 ratio of Israeli and Palestinians, as well as female and male fellows. The fellowship is fully funded for the fellows.

History

Our Gеnеrаtіоn Speaks wаѕ fоundеd by Brandeis University student Ohad Elhelo in 2014. Since its founding, OGS has received financial support and advising from оvеr fіftу independent American, Pаlеѕtіnіаn, and Iѕrаеlі dоnоrѕ whо ѕhаrе its gоаlѕ and vаluеѕ, including the Kraft Family ( the Kraft Group), former Governor of Massachusetts

Deval Patrick Deval Laurdine Patrick (born July 31, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African Americans, African-American Governor of Massachusetts and the first Democratic Pa ...

, Hаnі Alаmі, a Palestinian telecommunications еntrерrеnеur, and Aron Ain, сhіеf еxесutіvе of Kronos Incorporated. Former Governor Deval Patrick currently serves as the Chairman of the OGS Advisory Board, alongside

Robert Kraft Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainmen ...

who serves as Honorary Chairman. Our Gеnеrаtіоn Sреаkѕ has since lаunсhеd thrее ѕtаrtuрѕ in Jеruѕаlеm & Rаmаllаh as of September 2016, and expects to launch at least three to four each year. Each OGS startup receives seed funding from OGS to establish themselves in Israel and Palestine. Some of the startups have also raised funds independently of OGS. In February 2017, three OGS Fellows were featured on

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Israel's "

Forbes 30 Under 30 ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 is a set of lists published annually by ''Forbes'' magazine since 2011 consisting of 30 notable people under 30 years old in various industries. The American list consists of 600 people, with 30 selected in each of 20 sect ...

" list for their achievements. In March 2017, Richard Behar wrote a feature-length article about OGS for Forbes, featuring OGS Alumni and network members. In May 2017, OGS was one of two winners of the SBANE Innovation Awards in the Non-profit Category.

References

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External links

Official Website
Human rights organizations based in the United States Entrepreneurship organizations International development agencies Economic development organizations

Structure

History

See also

References

External links