JBNF (the Jerusalem Business Network Forum) is focused on developing Jerusalem business. Our vision is to make Jerusalem rival Tel Aviv and Herzliya!

We now have our own expanded website. See:

http://jbnf.org

In the last five years since we started, we have succeeded beyond our wildest imagination. We have over 2000 members , members have made $25 million of deals between between themselves through networking and found over 150 people jobs. Most important is that many JBNFers have reported that their first business deal was made through our JBNF networking activities.

For BioMed and BioTech professionals, we have a JBNF subgroup (please join both groups):

http://www.meetup.com/JBNF-BioMed/

We meet approximately once a month and have four types of activities:
(1) Meeting with important contacts in Israeli business or government
(2) Tutorials and talks on marketing and business development
(3) Meetings with foreign businesspeople or delegations
(4) Mega-networking events where using speed-dating techniques gets every participant to meet 20-30 new JBNFers - these serendipitous events create surprisingly a lot of opportunities for our members. During such events, business development experts give presentations on elevator pitches, first contact strategies and meetings followup.

The formal presentations at the JBNF events are kept short and we always offer ample time for plenty of networking among the event participants.

Our target is that in the next 4-5 years, JBNF will grow to 5000 members and create $500 million of new business for JBNFers. We welcome all the help and support we can get to achieve these goals.

The JBNF promotes business networking among primarily English speaking professionals in business, high tech and investment fields in Jerusalem. Each meeting features a speaker or panel of speakers on a different topic relating to business in Jerusalem. Even if you don't live in Jerusalem (or even Israel) or never come to the lectures- it is still worthwhile to join our membership and post your profile up. Joining JBNF is free of charge. Meetups are free of charge unless announced (depending on the venue.)

Speakers at our events have included:

Dr Orna Be'eri, vp, EMC & Gemini Capital

Prof Yakov Zerem, CEO and founder, Ophir,

Yochi Slonim, FFWD.me

Jonathan Medved, founder of Israseed and CEO of Vringo

Dr Eyal Shekel, CEO, Civan

Jack Katz, Managing Partner - Grant Thornton

Nir Barakat, Jerusalem City Council and now mayor, founder of BRM

Simon Eckhouse, founder and CEO, Syneron and founder, Lumenis

Michael Oran, GTU (Global Technology Unit) leader, IBM

Barbara Shaw, CEO, the Women's Business Development Network

Shai Tsur - Microsoft

Libbie Affen, COO of Matrix Global

Menachem Shoval - Intel TME EMEA, Strategic Ptograms Office (TSPO), Intel

Former Minister and MK Michael Eithan,

Boaz Dolev, www.gov.il

Paula Stein, CEO, Writepoint

Shmaya Reichman, CEO, BH comm

Dahlia Meggido from 7 Health ventures

Pinchas Lachover, CEO of Verisense

Julie Rouzaud from the Glazier group in France

Miriam Schwab CEO, Illuminea

Brian Bloom, CEO, Bloggerce

Ben Goldfarb, owner, PSC

Ayala Matalon, the MIT Forum

Eli Feldblum, CEO, Rankabove

Hillel Porath, www.iyazam.com

Daniel Farb, CEO, Leviathan Energy

Yossi Fisher, Solaris

David Wayman, CEO, Cequesta

Rabbi Izzy Ginzberg

Debbi Zylberstein

and others - Click the Past Meetups link on the left

See our page, Networking Effectively at JBNF Events FAQ for tips on networking.

Networking groups near Jerusalem, IL