Lilly Shefi, Entrepreneurship Course
Lilly Shefi is an enterprise, business development and organizational consultant with extensive experience working both in the private and public sector.
Lilly is the current CEO and owner of the Top Enoshi Company a leading business consultancy firm in Israel. She is an approved business consultant for the European Union's Economic Department’s "Open for Business” training program and the Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade & Commerce. Lilly holds a BSC in Food Engineering and Biotechnology & MA in Business Administration from Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology.
Lilly specializes in human resource development. Her expertise includes building strategic plans and economic strategies, developing and implementing training programs in management, business development and entrepreneurship. She offers individual guidance to entrepreneurs by assisting them in developing a business plan and providing empowerment and personal guidance. She has extensive experience in both the Israeli market & International Markets.

Shlomit Cohen: Ayalim Entrepreneurs Program Director
Shlomit is one of the founders of Ayalim and was responsible for building the educational foundation and framework for the organization. Her tasks included managing student recruitment, training coordinators, assessing the relevant needs of the organization and providing on-going support to staff and students
After playing her role in the establishment of Ayalim, Shlomit left the organisation to begin a business in Jerusalem. Shlomit established Galeria, an art gallery intended to give young Israeli artists a platform for exhibiting their designs. She successfully ran Galeria for 2 years before moving back to the Negev to work for Ayalim and run the Ayalim Entrepreneurs program.

In the IDF, Shlomit served as the national training director for army educators. This position included building training programs, recruitment, training and supporting the staff, and maintaining a constant connection between the relevant IDF agents and the Ministry of Education. Shlomit holds an MA in communications and business, a BA in education and Israel studies, and is a certified tour guide.

Matan Dahan: Executive Director, Ayalim Association
Matan was born in Jerusalem. From an early age he was taught the importance of giving back to his country and his people, and had witnessed his father participating in the underground missions of bringing the Jewish community of Morocco to Israel. Matan graduated high school in the Israeli school in Paris, where his family was on a mission from the Jewish Agency. He then joined the I.D.F and served 3 years in a special unit in the infantry.

While serving in the army, Matan saw the desolated areas of the Negev and started to formulate the idea of creating a framework that will bring young people to these areas. After finishing his army service Matan worked in London and then travelled in the Far East where he started to spread the idea of student villages in the Negev and the Galilee among young Israeli travellers. In September 2002, Matan put these ideas into action and together with a group of friends founded the Ayalim Association.

In addition to his role as executive director of Ayalim, Matan currently serves as Vice chairperson of Mayan Ventures, a leading Israeli venture capital investment group and technology incubator. He is also part of President Shimon Peres’s Young Leadership Forum among other leadership roles in Israel.

Dany Gliksberg: Deputy Director, Ayalim Association
Dany was born in Jerusalem. He is the grandson of Zvi Caspi who was one of the founders of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dany served in the I.D.F in the air force Special Forces. After his army service Dany travelled in South America for a year and then began studying Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew university in Jerusalem. However, he soon decided to postpone his studies to co-found the Ayalim Association which he felt was a greater calling. He then moved to the Negev in order to promote the ideas of the Ayalim Association. Today, Dany is a student of international studies at the Open University while at the same time being responsible for the daily running of the Ayalim Association.