Place-IL Founder: “We’ve brought hundreds of workers from Israel’s periphery into high-tech”
Place-IL Founder: “We’ve brought hundreds of workers from Israel’s periphery into high-tech”
Idan Tendler, Chairman and Founder of the organization Place-IL and an SVP at Palo Alto Networks, spoke at Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s Tech TLV conference about how the organization has integrated hundreds of employees from the social and geographical periphery into Israel’s tech industry
“Throughout most of today’s conference, we’ve talked about the achievements of Israeli high-tech. But I want to talk about its responsibility,” said Idan Tendler, Founder and Chairman of Place-IL, and SVP Code and Applications Security at Palo Alto Networks, during his remarks at Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s Tech TLV Conference.
He noted that, over the past year and in spite of the ongoing war, “We’ve seen more startups, exits, and foreign investment in Israel than ever before, and it’s clear high-tech will continue to be the engine driving the economy. High-tech is Israel’s economic safety net, but it can also be its social safety net. It can connect the center of the country to the periphery and bridge the gaps between different populations.”
“High-tech contributes significantly to the economy, but not enough is said about its potential to connect the country. What do hospitals and high-tech companies have in common? They’re places where Israeli society as a whole meets. In the elevator, you’ll see everyone - Jews, Arabs, religious and secular people, supporters of Netanyahu, and Kaplan protesters. They probably won’t agree on anything, but they’re used to working together. It’s not the melting pot we grew up with - everyone eventually returns to their family and values - but they work and create together. Studies have also shown that high-tech is a major driver of social mobility and the safest place to create genuine equal opportunities.
Tendler says, however, that Israel’s diverse society is not being reflected in the industry. “Only 33% of tech workers are women, and just 12% come from the periphery, even though 25% of the population lives there,” he said, adding that, “With great power comes great responsibility, which is why I founded Place IL: to find talent in unconventional places.
Place-IL is an organization that seeks to integrate underrepresented communities in Israel's tech industry. Tendler says that the organization has built “a talent-scouting and screening system supported by hundreds of volunteers from tech companies.”
“Hundreds of tech companies work with us today. We subsidize half of a worker’s salary during their first year in a position secured through Place IL. This way, we’ve integrated Haredis, women, and people from the periphery into the tech workforce. Candidates who were previously rejected because they studied at a college [instead of university] or for other reasons are now thriving.”
“Eight months ago, we opened a site in Sderot and recruited workers from the Negev and Gaza Envelope areas. Next, we’ll expand to the north. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can start with a vision, but you can’t accomplish it alone. Success comes from partnerships with tech companies, government bodies, and other organizations,” Tendler concluded.
