Startup Nation UnitedDov Moran, a voice of optimistic resilience
Startup Nation United
Dov Moran, a voice of optimistic resilience
Managing Partner of Grove Ventures, Dov Moran provides his insights on our tech ecosystems' road to recovery and our nation's ability to move forward
Dov Moran is one of the leading figures in Israel’s high-tech scene. Currently Managing Partner at Grove Ventures, he is a founder, investor, and inventor. However, in these past months, he has also emerged as a vocal figure of hope and optimism for the future of our nation, encouraging Israeli entrepreneurs to forge ahead with a sense of resilience and determination.
Dov’s story is part of Startup Nation United, a series showcasing how individuals and organizations in the tech industry have united under a common vision to do their part during the ongoing war. The podcast is produced and moderated by Michael Matias and Yaffa Abadi, in collaboration with CTech, as a spin-off of the popular podcast series “20 Minutes Leaders”, also published in collaboration with CTech.
Exploring the nuanced way we have experienced this tragedy as a small and close country, Dov expresses how the tragedies of October 7th feel so personal for every one of us. “Living in Israel means that even if someone didn’t experience these horrors themselves, they are close to someone who did. Their brother was there, their parents were killed, their friends friends were taken”. Like so many of us, he spent those first few weeks going from funeral to Shiva, comforting those who had lost loved ones.
Yet, amidst the unity in mourning, Dov emphasizes another defining factor—the DNA of entrepreneurship and resilience ingrained not only in Israel but also in the global Jewish nation. “We are a tiny nation that has been persecuted generation after generation, those who have survived are those who have the ability to overcome crisis, the ability to be strong, especially in tough times.”
This resilience is personified in our tech ecosystem, where business leaders have stepped up during this challenging period, a contrast to the perceived lack of leadership among politicians. “The efforts we are seeing from tech leaders, working every day to support the army, to help those whose relatives were kidnapped, to re-home the refugees, this is coming from the tech leaders, not the politicians.”
Expanding on this, Dov believes this national crisis will ultimately lead to a future of leaders who have the welfare of their people as their priority, “I do believe that this painful period will bring a change of leadership, and will attract better people to enter politics, people whose strengths do not revolve around how good their English is, but how they think about their people.”
As the partner of a fund supporting hundreds of Israeli entrepreneurs, Dov offers a unique perspective on how founders are pushing forward. Rather than becoming debilitated by the collective loss we feel, Dov sees Israeli entrepreneurs forging ahead. “It takes time, but we are going through the recovery process. Think about it like getting into an accident. First, you have to learn how to walk, then run, and then drive again. And we are beginning this process of recovery.”
In a time of uncertainty and pain, Dov’s message is of optimistic resilience, when asked what he believes the future holds for our tech ecosystem, his answer is clear,
“This ugly attack, this terrible attack, it did not destroy high tech, it didn't destroy innovation, and it did not destroy entrepreneurship. We still have great entrepreneurs and a great community of supporters and investors from all over the world.”
About:
Yaffa Abadi is the founder and CEO of Abadi Brands, a boutique consultancy specializing in personal branding and thought leadership for investors.
Michael Matias, Forbes 30 Under 30, is the CEO of Clarity, a startup that preserves trust in digital media by fighting deepfakes, and an active angel investor in the AI and Cyber domain.
