At 26, Natalie Edwards was living in Los Angeles, when she realized that she needed to make a change. She had previously worked in journalism and marketing, but she didn’t know what her next move would be. “I wanted to travel and learn a new language,” said Natalie. “Most of all, I wanted to force myself to take a fresh look at everything.”
She had recently returned from a Birthright trip to Israel, where she’d fallen in love with the country, with Israelis, and with one particular Israeli named Elad. On her group’s visit to Har Herzl, Natalie felt especially touched listening to her guide trace the history of the State of Israel through stories of Israelis who had died in war. “I had never felt such a strong connection between a people, their history, and their values.”
Natalie felt amazed by Israel’s strong sense of community too. “I had never met people with such a combined level of self-awareness, humor, and creativity, people who were able to handle their difficult history without letting it darken their souls. In fact I felt like it made their hearts larger. They’re able to look ahead with such optimism because of how highly they regard life,” she said.
Once back in LA, Natalie decided to apply to Tel Aviv University’s international MBA program, as well as a few other MBA programs in the States. Even though the programs she was accepted too in the States were prestigious, she had her heart set on TAU.
In August 2013, Natalie flew to Israel, not sure what the future held for her. She and Elad weren’t yet a couple, and she wasn’t sure which direction she was headed professionally. But she was ready to be out of her comfort zone.
One of her articles featured Enon Landenberg, a well-known Israeli entrepreneur, who came to speak at Tel Aviv University. Impressed by her work, Enon asked Natalie to be the Marketing Director of his new company, sFBI. A startup studio, sFBI’s aim is to launch ventures that create solutions for everyday problems.
Having also worked at startups in the US, Natalie says that the atmosphere in Israel is a lot more results-driven, familial, and non-hierarchical. “I really enjoy the pace and the energy of startups here. I feel much more engaged in my work because of the level of teamwork and collaboration,” said Natalie.
Living in a great North Tel Aviv apartment with her supportive boyfriend and a job that’s the “good kind of stressful,” Natalie’s life is worlds away from what it was in the States. “I really have nothing to complain about. I’m happy I made the decision to change things in a big way and take a risk,” she said.
