Nir Ben-Aharon, Head of the Research and Policy Unit, Small and Medium Business Agency,
Ministry of Economy and Industry.

PhD in Economics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Leads comprehensive data collection and analysis initiatives for entrepreneurs and small and
medium businesses (SMEs), conducting reconomic evaluation research on the effectiveness and impact
of support programs and policy interventions. Develops policy reports aimed at strengthening the SME ecosystem,
participates in international benchmarking studies, and implements best practices from leading countries.
Serves as
the agency's knowledge center, providing strategic insights that inform decision-making and program
development while ensuring alignment with national economic objectives.

Prof. Benjamin Bental, who holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Minnesota,
is a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Haifa. He has been a visiting professor
at several universities around the world, including: the University of California San Diego,
Humboldt University in Berlin, the New Economic School in Moscow, the Tongji University in Shanghai,

and Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú.

His research interests include macroeconomics and economic growth.
In recent years his research has focused on the impact of contractual frictions stemming from
asymmetric information, especially in the labor market, on macroeconomic policies.

Gil S. Epstein is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Statistics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and
completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on labor economics,
migration, public economics, public choice, and public policy.

Currently, Professor Epstein serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Population Economics.
He is also a Research Fellow at several prominent institutions, including IZA (Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn),
CReAM (Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration, London), GLO (Global Labor Organization, Germany),
and Ld’A (Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano, Milan). Additionally, he is an active member of the Taub Center for
Social Policy Studies and serves on the advisory committee of the Mosaic Institute for AI Policy Research.
Professor Epstein has contributed extensively to the field, publishing over 100 peer-reviewed articles,
and is involved in two government committees focusing on artificial intelligence.

Dr. Israel Rachevski serves as the Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and is a senior faculty
member at the School of Management at the Western Galilee College. His research interests focus on organizational
innovation and entrepreneurship, 21st century skills, and behavioral economics.

Dr. Rachevski is a lecturer and project leader at highly ranked academic
institutions in the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, project management, and financial management.

Dr. Rachevski brings extensive experience in consulting and accompanying
national public and private organizations, as well as in managing and leading multi-system projects.
His expertise encompasses strategic and business counseling, accompanying control systems and budgetary supervision,
as well as administrative and financial consulting for projects.

Labib Shami is a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics at Western Galilee College,
a senior researcher at the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel,
and a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Haifa.

He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Haifa and is
a Research Fellow at GLO (Global Labor Organization, Germany).

His research interests include macroeconomics, monetary policy,
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), informal employment, non-observed economies, and tax evasion.

Dr. Shami has also authored two guidebooks: Fundamentals of Economics for finance students
(2019, in Hebrew) and Introduction to Statistics for finance students (2017, in Hebrew).

Professor Mosi Rosenboim serves as Full Professor at Ben-Gurion University's Business and Management
Faculty, where he leads the Executive Education Unit and Bengis Center for Impact Entrepreneurship.
With previous roles as Vice Dean and Department Chair, he brings extensive academic leadership experience.
His research in behavioral finance, risk management, innovation, and economic growth has produced
over 65 peer-reviewed publications. A respected economics Ph.D., Professor Rosenboim has secured
grants from the Chief Scientist, OECD, and Japan's KAKENHI program while mentoring numerous
graduate students and serving as Associate Editor for two journals.