Bringing Capitalist Zionism to the Forefront

David Siegel knows what it takes to run a successful business.

He was the CEO of Investopedia and Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local community. A UPenn alum, he teaches at Columbia University, teaching strategic planning and entrepreneurship to the next generation of business leaders.

While David may live in New York, his heart is in Israel – especially since October 7. When that tragic day happened, he came up with an idea to support the Jewish state during wartime: He founded Israel Tech Mission.

“I bring the most important tech leaders to Israel,” David told Aish. “I brought over 180 major tech executives, C-level executives, and CEOs to Israel over the last 15 months. They have invested over $3 million in Israeli startup organizations, and the same amount has been donated to Israeli causes. I now consider myself the CEO of Israel advocacy.”

Supporting Israel’s Tech Industry

According to David, over 50% of Israel’s exports are tech. However, investments in venture capital and tech in Israel decreased by 70% from 2023 to 2024. When he takes tech leaders on trips to the country, he hopes they are impressed and want to financially support Israel and make a good investment in innovation.

I want a strong economy in Israel, because it’s incredibly critical to its future.

“My goal is to drive capitalist Zionism,” David said. “I want a strong economy in Israel, because it’s incredibly critical to its future.”

Since October 7, David has flown roundtrip to Israel seven times, and he is doing more trips for tech leaders this year.

“Hopefully investments will pick back up again in 2025,” he said.

Moving Forward the Global Jewish Community

David and his family are enthusiastic Zionists. One of his sons made aliyah and moved to Tel Aviv, while another is a lone soldier who recently fought in Gaza. Now, David is running on the Aish Ha’Am slate as a delegate candidate for the World Zionist Congress.

He chose to run with Aish Ha’Am because, “They are all about the Jewish nation,” he said. “It’s about achdut (unity) and building connections between people. It’s about focusing on the youth in this country and around the world, preparing them to be future leaders.”

David has been connected to Aish for decades. When he was 18, he took a class at Aish every single week when he lived in the Old City of Jerusalem. For many years, David also taught TLi, Aish’s incubator course, and he brought the Aish Discovery Seminar to the University of Pennsylvania when he was 20 years old.

He is honored to be running on the slate not only because of his long history with Aish, but also because it includes an “incredibly broad background that spans across different ages, demographics, religious observance, and political philosophy for all the candidates. But what’s consistent is the deep love of community and the Jewish people.”

As a WZO delegate, David would work to confirm that the funding was going towards the most impactful causes.

“I’d want to ensure that there is a high return on investment for activities and dollars spent to move forward the global Jewish community,” he said. “Some organizations have massive ROI, and some do not. I want to hold accountable the many organizations being funded, especially those that have been around for a greater period of time, and drive the innovation and startup mentality to Jewish organizations that are part of the WZO Congress.”

Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders

David is passionate about funding Israel and organizations doing critical work there. He’s also invested in making sure the younger generation of Jews is actively involved.

“October 7 woke up a lot of people who took for granted their safety and security, who took for granted their religion and their community,” he said. “Apathy is the greatest danger. My hope is that we live in a far less apathetic world.”

It’ll take a strong and committed next generation of Jews to erase the apathy and replace it with advocacy instead. David’s message to young Jews is simple: Get involved.

“Judaism is so multifaceted,” he said. “If organized religion is not of interest to you, find something in our history, something related to Israel or our culture that speaks to you, and take on a leadership role. There is such a need for leadership in the community. Don’t be a follower. Find something you are passionate about and a way to connect with people and teach them about it.”

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