our mission
Our mission is to cultivate business connections, collaboration, and community between Chicago, the broader Midwest, and Israel.
We are building a community of businesses and individuals interested in networking, cross-border business collaboration between the U.S. and Israel, and potential investment opportunities.
Above: Our founder, Marty Sandler, second from left, with (left to right) Paula Ben-Gurion, David Ben-Gurion, Sam Neeman, and Moshe Sharett.
Since the signing of the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement in 1985, the Israeli economy has undergone a dramatic transformation from low-end manufacturing and agriculture to a cutting-edge high-tech environment. The time is now to participate – and we are building a community of businesses and individuals to do just that.
- Israeli firms represent the second-largest source of foreign listings on the NASDAQ.
- Two-way trade in goods reached $31.5 billion USD in 2021.
- Extensive commercial ties, particularly in high-tech and R&D.
- $41.3 billion USA foreign direct investment (FDI) in Israel in 2021.
- $40.4 billion Israel FDI in USA in 2020.
We are a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit business association, founded in 1958, that connects its members into a global network that provides vital information and facilitates business contacts.