Women’s Leadership Conference – The Road to Equality

The conference was held at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University and hosted panels on promoting gender equality in the business and digital worlds community and networking, current trends in combining academia and community, and multi-sector female leadership, with the participation of leading women in the Israeli economy, all alumnae of Tel Aviv University: Dafna Meitar-Nechmad, Hana Rado, Adi Soffer Teeni, Yasmin Lukatz, Hila Rom, Amalya Duek, Prof. Daphna Hacker, Col. (res.) Attorney Pnina Sharvit Baruch, Inbal Kreiss, Yifat Oron and many more.

Participating in the panels:

Opening session: Dafna Meitar-Nechmad, Chairwoman of the Tel Aviv University Board of Governors, an alumna of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tel Aviv University, and Shir Siegel, born in Kfar Aza, daughter of Aviva and Keith Siegel, who were released from Hamas captivity.

The first session was about gender equality in the business and digital world – community and networking TED talk, which was held by Prof. Daphna Hacker, the Chairwoman of the Israeli Women’s Network, a Full Professor at the Law Faculty and the Women and Gender Studies Program at the Faculty of Humanities at TAU, and a panel with Yasmin Lukatz, a Businesswoman, Social Entrepreneur and Angel Investor, CEO of ICON and Chairwoman of Code for Israel, an alumna of the Faculty of Law, Faculty of Social Sciences and Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, Adi Soffer Teeni, the CEO of Meta in Israel and EMEA Board Member, an alumna of the Coller School of Management and the Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University, and Hila Rom, an Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, Founder and Managing Partner of RUNI Ventures and an alumna of the Faculty of Law at TAU. The moderator was Amalya Duek, Channel 12 Reporter, an alumna of the Coller School of Management and Faculty of Law at Tel Aviv University.

The second session was about multi-sectoral female leadership (a TED Talk) with Col. (res.) Attorney Pnina Sharvit Baruch, Chairwoman of Forum Dvorah – Women in Foreign Policy and National Security, Director of the research program ‘Israel and the Global Powers’, an alumna of the Faculty of Law in TAU, Yifat Oron – CEO of Blackstone Israel, President of the Israeli Friends of Tel Aviv University and an alumna of the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, Inbal Kreiss – Head of Innovation at System Missiles and Space Group at IAI, an alumna of the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, and Kalela Lancaster, a Representative in Israel of the National Council of Jewish Women.

The last session – “Academia and Community” with Prof. Drorit Neumann, Dean of Students, alumna of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University, Prof. Architect Eran Neuman, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Tel Aviv University, Prof. Liat Kishon Rabin, Dean of Innovation in Teaching and Learning, alumna of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at TAU, with the moderator Hana Rado – Social Business Entrepreneur, Founder and President of Supersonas Israel, Group Nineteen and 710 West, an alumna of the School of Education, Faculty of Life Sciences and Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University.

Dafna Meitar-Nechmad, Chairwoman of the Tel Aviv University Board of Governors: “This conference is a statement about female leadership and the fundamental change that we’re leading. In Israel of 2025, the road to equality continues, but true freedom is also the ability to lead and take a place. When we invest in women, we invest in society as a whole. Women who receive an education ensure that their children are also educated. Women who lead businesses create jobs for other women. Women who lead policies bring a different language with them. Women who control capital influence investment decisions, policies, education systems, innovation, and social justice. This is our time to act, for every one of us, to promote equality as well as to promote other women. The issue is on the university’s agenda, and we’re in the advanced stages of significantly upgrading the issue of female students, female faculty, gender studies, and the advancement of women at the university, and connecting with the community of women’s organizations and civil society as a whole”.

From right to left: Anat Ramaty Shashua, Yasmin Lukatz and Dafna Meitar-Nechmad

Shir Siegel shared: “I remember the signs I wrote a few days after October 7th, black and red gouache on white Bristol boards with the words I never believed I’d ever have to write- ‘My parents are kidnapped in Gaza’. In a year and a half, I went to every possible place, told my personal story, and insisted everywhere I went that they understand that this is the story of all of us. I stand here today, unable to believe that I am the daughter of two survivors of captivity. Both my mother and I could’ve easily chosen to remain silent, decide that we’re incapable, be too afraid, or simply tell ourselves that it won’t help. But we chose to find the same leadership that exists in every one of us and fight for the values we believe in. Leadership that does not compromise, that does not apologize, one that is filled with faith that change will come and justice will be done here”. More of her words in our Facebook post >

Among the participants were Amos Elad -VP Development and Alumni Affairs at Tel Aviv University, Anat Ramaty Shashua President of the Shashua Family Foundation and Chairwoman of “Or Shalom” Organization and many more Prof. Tova Milo -Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences at Tel Aviv University, Yael Regev -Director of Development and Public Affairs, Sigalit Ben Hayoun -Head of the Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization, Adva Oren - NextGen Leadership Global Community Manager, and many more.

From right to left: Shir Siegel, Adi Soffer Teeni and Yifat Oron

The Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization and the NextGen Leadership Global Community – a community that changes the world