February 2016
 
Dear Members,
 
At 50, the Chamber is still going strong.  We can look forward to another productive year with numerous commercial and networking opportunities. We began the year by hosting Texas Governor Greg Abbott's delegation as well as Dorit Salinger, Director of Capital Markets, Insurance and Savings Department at the Ministry of Finance, as guest speakers at the "Chamber  Breakfast Club" meeting. 
 
We are preparing for the SelectUSA  conference, and for the visit of a business delegation from New York.  Undoubtedly, we will conclude the year with analyzing the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections.
 
Stay tuned for further information on the many conferences, seminars, B2B  and networking events covering a wide range of topics that we will be scheduling  throughout the year.

Yours,
Chamber Team
 
.
Multi-Disciplinary Business Delegation from New York

Chamber members are invited to meet with a multidisciplinary delegation from Brooklyn, New York, organized in collaboration with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.The delegation will include companies in the area of 
food and beverages, jewelry, industrial equipment, military equipment, and Internet services.

The visit  is being organized by the New York trade representative in Israel, the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and our Chamber. During the visit, the delegation will meet with  Israeli companies looking to create dual projects and partnerships. On February 15th the delegation will take part in a B2B event with Israeli companies,
you are welcome to sign up and meet with them. 
 
For the invitation and further information on the companies
Registration  to the 2016 Summit is Now Open

We are thrilled to announce that registration for the third Investment Summit is now open! It will be held June 19-21, 2016, in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme is “The Innovation Advantage” and will feature investment opportunities from every corner of the United States for global investors. High-profile business and government leaders will share their insights on the latest innovations and trends.

For More Details Click Here
Breakfast Q&A with Dorit Salinger

Director of Capital Markets, Insurance and Savings Department at the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Dorit Salinger, was the guest speaker at the first meeting in 2016 of "The Chamber Breakfast Club". The meeting, organized jointly by the Chamber and Herzog Fox & Neeman Law Office, took place on February 4th.
 
In a Q&A discussion on "The Trends in Retirement Savings”, in front of a packed room, Ms. Salinger related to many topics and aspects regarding pension savings, emphasizing the importance her office ascribes to the interests of the savers, including reducing the administration fees, providing quality services  and ensuring  them a proper pension when the time comes.
Governor of Texas Shows Interest in Israeli Innovation 

The Chamber, together with the Israeli Ministries of Economy and Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hosted the Governor of Texas, Hon. Greg Abbott and his delegation at a round-table meeting attended by the Chamber Chairperson Ofra Strauss and senior representatives of Israeli water and alternative energy technology companies.
Read More
Meeting with the U.S. Ambassador 

Chamber representatives led by the Chairperson of the Chamber Ofra Strauss met recently with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Honorary Chairperson of the Chamber Daniel Shapiro, Counselor for Economic Affairs Jonathan Shrier and Greg Briscoe Senior Commercial Officer.

With the goal of strengthening and developing the connection between the Chamber and the U.S. Embassy, the meeting included talks on a joint work plan and preparation for the SelectUSA delegation scheduled for
June 19-21, 2016. 
South Carolina Business Delegation Visited Israel

A business delegation from South Carolina (SC) headed by the Chairman of the South Carolina-Israel Collaboration were guests at a meeting with representatives of Israeli companies from different sectors.

Amy Love, Director of Innovation for South Carolina gave an overview of the development and growth that South Carolina achieved during the last five years and emphasized the potential business opportunities for Israeli companies in the state. The meeting was followed by a series of B2B meetings.

The meeting was jointly organized by Conexx: America Israel Business Connector, which was responsible for the organization of the visit,  the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and our Chamber. 
U.S Senators Delegation to Israel

Chairperson of the Chamber Ofra Strauss and Chamber Board Member Gerry Stoch, Director of the New York State Trade Office in Israel, represented the Chamber at a breakfast meeting hosted by AIPAC. The meeting was in honor of a delegation of eight United States Democratic Senators led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), together with Senators Chris Coons (Delaware), Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin), Mazie Hiron (Hawaii), Tim Kaine (Virginia), Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota), Cory Booker (New Jersey) and Gary Peters (Michigan).
 
In attendance were U.S. Ambassador and Honorary Chairperson of the Chamber Daniel Shapiro, the former president of AIPAC Robert Cohen and AIPAC President-Elect Lillian Pincus. At the meeting, which was focused on "Israel Beyond the Conflict,” Ms. Strauss spoke about the importance of mutually beneficial business ties between the United States and Israel and the contribution made by Israeli investments in the U.S., providing jobs to thousands of Americans. Gerry Stoch described the strong economic ties between New York State and Israel indicating that last year, Israel was New York’s third largest trading partner worldwide.
 
Select USA Event 

The American State Offices Association in  cooperation  with the U.S. Commercial Service and the Chamber hosted a SelectUSA event in Tel Aviv on  January 20th for Israeli companies considering opening a facility in the U.S. 
 
The event, a series of  one-on-one meetings with the 14 state representatives who reside in Israel was coordinated by the American State Offices Association.  During the day, 60 Israeli companies held more than 250 one-on-one meetings with the state representatives present.  The U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Israel, William Grant, brought greetings to the participants on behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. 

The Chamber’s VP, Dr. Ariella Hezi-Ashkenazi represented the Chamber at the event which was held at the Center for a Beautiful Israel in Tel Aviv. 
 2016 Membership Renewal

Members who have yet to renew their membership for 2016 are invited to do so at their earliest convenience. Furthermore, you are invited to join the leading companies in Israel that already take part in our exclusive programs – Diamond, Platinum and Gold.
To join our exclusive programs,  please contact the chamber.
Accelerating Growth Through U.S. - Israel Strategic Partnerships

 
The Next Opportunity to Submit U.S.- Israel
Joint Proposals to the BIRD Foundation

Israeli and American companies are invited to apply! 

The deadline for submission of Executive Summaries for the NextGen First Responder Technologies program is March 9, 2016

To be considered, a project proposal should include:
 
 
  • R&D cooperation between two, unrelated companies, one registered in the U.S. and the other in Israel. The companies should jointly apply for BIRD support
 
  • Research and development topics within the scope of this call include but are not limited to: Agrotechnology, Cleantech and Environment, Communications, Electronics, FinTech, Gas, Homeland Security and Cyber Security, Life Sciences, Software,etc.
 
  • The jointly developed technology or product(s) must have considerable innovation
 
  • Significant commercial potential

BIRD funds up to 50% of the R&D costs associated with the joint project. The maximum conditional grant per project is up to $1 million. 

 Approval of projects will take place in June, 2016.
Further information on the program can be found at www.birdf.com or call BIRD Foundation at: 03-698-8300
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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