When you join our 3-month fully funded Incubator Program at Brandeis, you’ll start by developing your idea for a for-profit or non-profit startup. That’s right—unlike most programs, which only admit teams with ready-to-go ideas. At the OGS-Incubator, you develop your idea during the program, form a team around it (Israeli, Palestinian, or mixed), attend a world-class seminar, and benefit from our top-notch mentorship program. This program is in partnership with the Masschellenge, the world’s largest startup accelerator. The OGS-Incubator is industry-agnostic, and you can build a global, regional, or impact-driven startup (see eligibility below). A select group of startups will receive pre-seed funding to bring their vision to life, averaging $50K.
Over the course of just eight cohorts, OGS has funded over a dozen successful startups. Those startups have raised over $45 million in external funding, created opportunities, and improved the lives of thousands in the region. In other words… It’s a methodology that really, really works.
Our goal is to create an optimal place for your team to thrive. That’s why we’ve partnered with a top accelerator in Boston.
MassChallenge
You will get to work closely with our key partner, MassChallenge, who will be leading the startup creation process. Not only will you be guided by MassChallenge experts, engage in tailor-made workshops, and get access to the MassChallenge network, you will also work from the MassChallenge offices located at Boston’s Seaport for the final three weeks of the program. MassChallenge is open to all disciplines and is headquartered in the Boston. Other locations include Jerusalem, Mexico City, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and Texas. They accelerate startups with high potential across countless industries, from energy/cleantech to arts and culture, travel and tourism, agriculture, and more. Basically, whatever your field, they’re here to help.
Think you have what it takes?
Every year, we handpick a cohort of highly qualified Israelis and Palestinians in their 20s and 30s. And we aren’t slowing down. No startup idea necessary.
Founder Eligibility
Age range between mid 20s & early 30s
A minimum of 3 years of meaningful working experience
Proven experience working successfully with a team
History of demonstrated leadership and desire to lead in new ways
Working knowledge of English and strong communication skills
Ability to complete the entire program
Undergraduate degree
What are we looking for?
Candidates who have an idea but are looking for co-founders
Candidates who want to start an entrepreneurial journey but don’t have a specific idea yet
Entrepreneurial zeal & commitment to social and economic impact
Determination to co-found a startup and launch it in the region, post-fellowship
Commitment to staying involved with our alumni community for years to come
*We realize that not all candidates look alike. If you don’t meet all of the above criteria, but you still feel strongly that you’d contribute to the program (for example, maybe you didn’t complete an undergraduate degree), just send an introductory email to incubator@ogspeaks.com.
Admissions & INCUBATOR Timeline
Planning ahead? Here are the dates you need to know.
2024
October 5-6Application open
December 27Application submission deadline
2025
February 5Invitation to interview
February 12-17Virtual/Regional Interviews
February 28OGS decision notification
March 7Candidate acceptance deadline
June 4ArrivalOGS Incubator starts
August 28 DepartureOGS Incubator ends
Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
– George Addair
Our selection process.
The Fellowship selection process happens in three stages. Here’s what to expect.
All candidates start by submitting a pre-application.
Selected candidates will be invited to submit an application. Applications include:
4 essay responses, one of which will be in a video form
Undergraduate academic transcript
1-2 letters of recommendation
1 professional reference, who may be contacted via phone
CV or resume
After submitting your application, you might get a phone call from an OGS admission team member to ask clarifying questions.
Those selected to advance will participate in a series of virtual and in-person interviews in Israel/Palestine, conducted in English.
Gazan candidates will be interviewed via online video conference.
Finalists will be invited to a group dynamics session.
These sessions are usually held in Beit Jala (Area C). This is the final stage of the admissions process. Transportation to and from the location will be arranged by OGS.
So What Actually Happens During the Fellowship?
We use entrepreneurship to teach leadership—and that’s what makes our fellowship one-of-a-kind. More than just developing startups, you’ll be developing connections, new perspectives, and critical thinking skills to last a lifetime. Here’s what to expect from the moment you step off the plane.
The Fellowship is held at Brandeis University and comprises 4 main components:
Our Academic Seminar and Keynote Speaker Series will provide the structure and support you need to get started. Hosted at the Heller School at Brandeis University, the tailor-made academic seminar covers key theoretical strategies that enable the development of sustainable startups. Our non-accredited courses cover:
Financial Literacy
Business Plans and Pitches
Financing High-Impact Ventures
Marketing
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Stakeholder Alignment in Entrepreneurial Organizations
Alongside the academic portion, our Keynote Speaker Series brings in preeminent leaders to speak on the topics of strategy, leadership, work culture, communication, high-performing teams, raising capital, and more.
Right away, you’ll be paired with your own mentor for personal and professional guidance during the fellowship. OGS mentors are a highly accomplished network of leaders who represent the public and private sectors, including serial entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 company executives.
The entire fellowship is designed to help you form a team and develop a startup from scratch. You can build a non-profit, global/scalable, or regional company. The Venture Development Process has three phases:
You’ll spend the first few weeks identifying a problem you want to solve, and then connecting with a team that shares the same goal. Since early-stage ideas tend to evolve and pivot, we take a team-first approach, investing in resilient teams that play off one another’s strengths.
Once formed, teams pitch their ideas for the first time and receive an assigned Venture Coach. Our coaches are industry leaders with business, non-profit, social enterprise, venture capital, and/or startup experience in a wide range of fields. You’ll also be assigned a Team Coach to help your team establish leadership roles, achieve high performance, and navigate any challenges with your team’s dynamic.
Over the course of the fellowship, with the help of our coaches, faculty, and MC partner, your team will work on pivoting and advancing your idea into a viable business model. Throughout this journey, your team will have multiple opportunities to pitch and receive critical feedback from the Growth Committee and the wider OGS community.
In the last few weeks, you will move off of Brandeis’ campus to Boston (the city!) and start working out of MassChallenge’s offices at the seaport.
In the final week, you will submit your business plan and pitch it to the Evaluation Committee. Based on the recommendations of the Growth Committee, OGS will allocate pre-seed investments (or grants for nonprofits) to promising teams/ventures to launch in the region.
As the program goes on, the fellowship is designed to help you develop long-term relationships and trust with the other members of your cohort. Sharing classes, building a startup, serving on an Affinity Group, participating in facilitated conversations, and being in each other’s company 24/7 all contribute to the deep relationships you will forge. Right now, it may be hard to imagine, but many of our alumni leave Boston having made long-lasting connections with people they never would have expected to meet.
Your experience doesn’t end when the fellowship does. After the program is wrapped up and you’re on your return flight, OGS will continue to accelerate your personal growth. Some teams will be granted pre-seed funding to continue developing their startups back home, while others will use their new connections to launch the next phase of their careers.
Even months or years after the fellowship, if you want to start a new startup, OGS will consider supporting you. Why? Because we believe that entrepreneurs are the greatest agents of change. When you join this program, you aren’t just joining a fellowship—you’re building a community. In other words, your OGS journey isn’t ending. It’s just beginning.
OGS is gearing up to host the 2024 Summer fellowship in Boston. We consider your health and safety paramount and will follow any necessary health protocols to run a safe and healthy fellowship. Between now and the fellowship’s start date, we will continue to monitor the pandemic both globally and locally. We will also consider contingency plans for the fellowship if our plans are limited by external circumstances, such as restrictions on flights and US visas.
OGS prioritizes the privacy and safety of its fellows and takes all necessary measures to prevent and mitigate any unwanted exposure. As a general policy, OGS does not seek publicity of individuals participating in the fellowship without their permission.
During recruitment, applications are submitted through Brandeis’ secure platform and will remain confidential throughout the process.
During and post-fellowship, no images or quotes related to OGS fellows, alumni, or ventures will appear online without authorization. All fellows are briefed on OGS’s privacy requirements at the beginning of the fellowship. We encourage candidates to contact the OGS staff with any questions or concerns.
OGS is proud to support and represent a wide variety of cultures and religions in each cohort, and our staff will take all steps necessary to accommodate any religious, ethnic, cultural, or other personal observances. Holidays like Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, and Shavuot, which often fall during the fellowship period, are celebrated by the cohort and staff. OGS provides accommodations for eating preferences such as kosher, halal, and vegan/vegetarian, as well as regular religious observances such as Shabbat, Friday Prayer, etc. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns.
The fellowship is seeking Israelis and Palestinians in their 20s and early 30s, who have demonstrated leadership and/or have at least 3 years of meaningful working experience.
No, a venture idea is not a requirement of the admissions process. However, once admitted, we encourage fellows to start the ideation process and arrive with a few directions or leads. This will serve you well for the intense ideation and team formation process during the first few weeks of the fellowship.
YES – CHECK OUR ACCELERATOR PAGE – it’s exactly designed for teams. Learn more about our new program here. And Applications are now open! To Apply as a team – click here.
Generally, yes. However, we have admitted amazing fellows who have never gone to university! If you don’t have a degree but have meaningful work experience and entrepreneurial spirit, please send an introductory email to admissions@ogspeaks.com.
Unfortunately, no. OGS is unable to accommodate long-term guests, including spouses, children, relatives, friends, etc. Please contact OGS staff with any questions or concerns about this policy.
OGS probably isn’t the program for you. Commitment to return to the region is a key factor in our selection process, as ventures that receive pre-seed investments are expected to initiate their activity in Israel/Palestine after the fellowship.
Admitted OGS applicants who do not have a US B1/B2 visa (commonly called a ‘tourist visa’) will be contacted by OGS staff with instructions to apply in late April 2024.
An in-person interview is mandatory. Exceptions may occur, but these are infrequent. Applicants in or from Gaza are automatically offered an online interview.
Yes! We encourage you to re-apply, as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria. You will need to you submit a new application and go through the full interview process. You can reach out to admission@ogspeaks.com and ask for your previous application. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback on previously submitted applications.
Every day is different. Generally, though, the fellowship is a mix of academic work, venture development, mentor and coach meetings, and social events. Fellows typically have two classes per day. Afterward, fellows work with their teams to develop their ventures. The evenings hold both planned and impromptu social events. It’s very busy — be prepared!
The Academic Seminar is not academically accredited. It is rigorous and tailor-made for the OGS Fellowship program, designed to give fellows the tools to start new ventures and refine their leadership skills. Faculty from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, a top ten US social policy school, lead the program at Brandeis University. Workshops and keynote lectures by successful entrepreneurs and leaders of Fortune 500 companies complement the academic curriculum.
OGS Fellows are each assigned a personal mentor, matched during the first week of the fellowship. After a few weeks, during the venture development stage, ventures are assigned venture team and business coaches. OGS mentors and coaches come from our network of highly-accomplished community leaders, business executives, and serial entrepreneurs from the US and the region.
The OGS Fellowship is fully-funded for all participants. This includes round-trip airfare, tuition, meals, accommodation, and more. OGS also provides local transportation passes and a modest stipend for living expenses. Fellows are welcome to supplement this with their personal funds, but all OGS Fellows will be provided the funding and resources necessary to complete the fellowship comfortably.
Throughout the program, fellows participate in social gatherings with the wider OGS Network, such as group dinners and ticketed events. We also allow time for OGS Fellows to enjoy the vibrant Boston summertime, which often includes sports events, concerts, outings, etc.
The program is premised on common interests in developing startups in the region and we will discuss barriers to working together for the good of the region. While fellows may have different notions of what brought us to the current unfortunate situation, we try to provide a safe environment in which to explore the narratives and concerns on both sides. OGS is dedicated to ensuring that these conversations are productive, meaningful, safe, and respectful for all fellows.
OGS invests in promising teams that create these three types of startups, businesses, and nonprofits:
Global for-profit ventures that have significant potential to compete in international markets.
Impact ventures that are mission-driven, whether for- or non-profit. They deliver a product or service that has a beneficial social or environmental impact.
Regional for-profits that tackle a specific challenge within the region (Palestine and/or Israel) in an innovative way.
OGS will provide pre-seed investments to for-profits through Convertible Note / SAFE agreements. Nonprofit entities will be funded through a grant. The average investment/grant is $50,000.
SAFE and Convertible Loans are instruments used by OGS to invest funds in the for-profit ventures created during the summer program. It is also the way for the for-profit ventures* of giving back to OGS. *Non-Profit ventures will give back through volunteering time.
SAFE stands for a “simple agreement for future equity.” SAFE is an agreement that can be used between a venture (created by fellows) and OGS (the investor). The method: OGS infuses money in the venture, and in exchange, the investor will revive stock in a future equity round (when one occurs), subject to specific parameters set in advance in the agreement, such as a Valuation Cap and a Discount.
A Convertible Loan is short-term debt, loaned to the venture by OGS, which is convertible into equity. Unlike a SAFE, the loan needs to be paid back if it doesn’t convert into equity. Depending on the nature of a venture the loan may have either or both of mandatory and optional conversion features. If it has mandatory conversion, like a SAFE, such conversion may be subject to parameters such as a Valuation Cap and a Discount.
It’s NOT mandatory for a team to be mixed. OGS invests in Palestinian, Israeli and mixed companies. OGS encourages joint Palestinian-Israeli ventures when it makes sense business-wise. This means that OGS will strongly support a mixed team where operating in Israel and Palestine is an advantageous business strategy. OGS usually encourages fellows to start mixed ventures in team sizes of four (two on each side). Mixed ventures can also be built as two separate companies/entities with exclusive partnerships agreements. Therefore, OGS might even provide extra funding to increase the venture’s opportunity for success.
OGS Affinity Groups are comprised of alumni who have common skill sets. For example, different groups focus on tech, marketing, design, legal, finance, etc. Each Affinity Group advises their fellow venture teams in their area of expertise during the fellowship and beyond, as alumni.
The Growth Committee is comprised of individuals with decades of combined experience in business development, finance, law, and management. During the fellowship, the Growth Committee guides and advises the venture teams regarding strategy, execution, and barriers to success. At the end of the fellowship, the Growth Committee takes part in the evaluation process and advises on the allocation of pre-seed funding. Post-fellowship, the Growth Committee meets with each OGS Venture on a quarterly basis to analyze its business plan and progress report.
Business viability (a must!) is determined through a rigorous evaluation process that answers such questions as: (1) Is there a real problem the venture is trying to solve? (2) Can the venture ‘win,’ e.g. does it have the ability to differentiate itself amongst competitors? (3) Can the venture make or raise investments independently (outside of the initial investment from OGS)?
Full-time Commitment Post Fellowship (a must!) – The commitment of at least two co-founders to the venture in a full-time capacity.
Social impact (a plus!) is demonstrated through the amount of positive change the venture aims to create, ranging from environmental conservation to job creation. While some ventures will be funded purely on the strength of business viability, the OGS seeks to ensure funding to a critical mass of companies that have the promise for meaningful social impact.
Team diversity within a venture (a plus!) is determined by the profiles of the founders. OGS will encourage joint Israeli-Palestinian ventures when it positively impacts the business model and also supports ventures that are better off when their team is only Palestinian or only Israeli.
OGS Next is our dynamic, cross-border alumni network. It integrates 100+ alumni together and helps them further develop their relationships back home. OGS Next provides peer support, leadership and professional training workshops, facilitated conversations, and social events. Our alumni, as agents of change, continue to build trust, create new opportunities, and support each others’ success.
Got Your Attention Yet?
Our advice: Dive in head first. Leap without looking. Speak up. Make your voice heard. Consider everything. Reject nothing.
Applications are currently closed and will reopen in October 2024. Click the link below for further details and to stay updated. Rest assured, your information is secure and will be kept confidential. OGS maintains strict privacy standards and will not share your information with any third party.
