The Jerusalem Business Conference and ImpactIL™ – Building a Stronger Israel

Sometimes, the most inspiring stories begin when people you’ve known for years turn vision into action.

This Wednesday, November 19th, I’m looking forward to attending the Jerusalem Business Conference 2025 (now in its 4^th year), founded and led by my longtime friend Lesley Kaplan — a remarkable woman whose life embodies impact in motion.

Lesley and I go back more than forty years, to our student days in Cape Town, and it has been remarkable to watch her transform her career and mission into what she does today—sharing big ideas about purpose, people, and community. This is a great example of how a person can achieve; she continues to live those ideals, transforming inspiration into empowerment.

Her Jerusalem Business Conference is not just another networking event — it’s a gathering of leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who believe that business can be a force for good. This year’s conference promises to be especially meaningful, as it also marks the launch of  ImpactIL™   — a dynamic new platform connecting professionals, volunteers, and innovators across Israel.

ImpactIL™ is designed to do what Lesley does best — build bridges between people, ideas, and opportunities. It’s about creating real human connections that lead to long-term impact.

ImpactIL – Empowerment in Action

I want to give a shout-out to ImpactIL™, a grassroots movement where I volunteer on the Leadership & Steering Team.

ImpactIL™  mission is simple yet profound:

Building Stronger Generations → An Empowered Society → A Stronger Israel

Through mentorship, education, and business partnerships, ImpactIL™ empowers youth, adults, and soldiers to develop skills, confidence, and a sense of shared responsibility.

It’s a perfect reflection of what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks called “The Good Society” — one where we don’t walk past responsibility but walk toward it.

As Rabbi Sacks wrote:

“A good society is one in which we share a moral vision and take collective responsibility for one another.”

Serving on the steering committee has allowed me to witness firsthand how this movement strives to transform lives — not through policy, but through people. Every mentor, every volunteer, every partnership helps strengthen Israel’s social and moral fabric.

The ImpactIL™ Model

At ImpactIL™, the mission is to effect change, and impact happens when action and interaction occur on a personal level. It’s more than simply raising funds. There are already six active projects.

Their model unites Israel’s solopreneurs, skilled professionals, the wider business community, and volunteers with schools, nonprofits, the IDF, and social initiatives – turning knowledge, mentorship, and real-life learning into lasting transformation – while also providing a platform to create impact, gain exposure, and build brand.

Through hands-on workshops, collaborative programs, and shared experiences, they enhance growth, confidence, and connection – empowering individuals and groups.

 Together, we’re building a stronger, thriving Israel!

From ImpactIL™ to Persofi – Empowerment Through Knowledge

My volunteering with ImpactIL™ reinforces my professional mission as a CFO at Persofi.com — helping SMEs and businesses integrate AI-powered accounting automation.

This may sound like technology, but at its heart it’s about empowerment — giving entrepreneurs confidence, control, and freedom.

When businesses thrive, communities thrive.

Whether it’s through mentoring a young adult or guiding a CEO/Business Owner/CFO to bring financial clarity to their business or adopt automation, the principle is the same:

Use what you know to help others grow.

The Covenant of Responsibility

From Lesley Kaplan’s leadership to the countless volunteers across Israel. ImpactIL™and the Israel Networking Hub embody the covenant Rabbi Sacks spoke of — a sacred commitment to take responsibility for one another.

Every act of kindness and mentorship, every shared insight or introduction, is a step toward the Good Society — one that measures success not in wealth or status, but in the lives it uplifts.

ImpactIL’s mission embodies a truth that feels especially powerful in today’s world:
Impact doesn’t begin with government — it begins with people.

When professionals, volunteers, and communities come together — when we share what we’ve learned and lift others — we create a ripple effect of hope and renewal.

That’s what the Jerusalem Business Conference and ImpactIL™represent: not separate efforts, but parts of the same moral vision — that business, community, and compassion can coexist and strengthen one another.

I’m grateful to be part of these circles of purpose and impact — to witness what happens when passion meets perseverance, and when good people unite around a higher calling.

If this vision inspires you, I invite you to learn more – ImpactIL

Together, these initiatives remind us that the Soul of Israel is not only in its history or its faith — but in its people, continually finding new ways to build, connect, and care.

Images – Provided by and used with the permission of ImpactIL™