The coronavirus crisis has shaken things up and created many opportunities for new initiatives; and even when the world stopped, the creativity at Shenkar continued. The ACT Shenkar Innovation Center's Acceleration Program was launched in July 2020 with an exceptional group of young and promising entrepreneurs from various departments at Shenkar.

This year more than ever, we set out with a sense of special responsibility to create a new spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, and to understand in which critical areas we should be engaging and investing

The projects in the program give us a glimpse into the areas in which our students, alumni, and lecturers—who will be leading the industries of the future—are currently involved: offering beneficial solutions in the arenas of sustainability and environmental responsibility, mental and physical health, and the quality of our interpersonal relationships.

The final results were presented by our alumni at the festive “Demo Day” event. During the event, we also reconnected with entrepreneurs who graduated from the Entrepreneurship Program in previous years. These graduates gave us additional perspectives on the development of the projects on the timeline and told us about fascinating collaborations between design and engineering.

Meet the Acceleration Program graduates of 2020

Seam.ai:

An artificial intelligence-based platform that empowers small to medium fashion brands to produce fashion in small quantities and at fair and competitive prices. The algorithm at the core of the platform links similar fashion items that can go on the same production line, until there are enough to form a sort of large purchasing group.

This makes it possible to send the items for production in large factories, thus creating additional demand for them and lowering production costs for the small fashion brands; all while working with carefully selected factories who maintain high production quality, environmental standards, and fair treatment of factory workers.

Developer: Dudi Cohen, Student, Department of Fashion Design  

RE:make: Israeli Fashion House for Upcycled Fashion:

Creating new clothes from existing ones.

The RE:make marketplace will connect second-hand items to Israel's designer community and strengthen a consumer community that desires unique items. Using the upcycle re-designing process, the project is aimed at creating a circular economy that promotes Israeli creations, while also protecting the environment.

Developers: Shani Davidoff, 2020 Graduate, School of Industrial Engineering and Management, and Olivia Dori

MomBra:

A unique nursing bra based on smart textiles, with removable and reusable nursing pads. The bra is designed with a knitting technique that mimics the nursing mother’s breast according to the hormonal changes she undergoes, and integrates reusable, distinctively shaped nursing pads specially tailored for the bra.

Developer: Shani Uzi, Student, Department of Textile Design  

Wellibie Circles of Gratitude:

A platform for fostering gratitude and empathic communication in the hospital environment, to be used as a tool for preventing occupational burnout among healthcare teams.

The platform consists of an identification wristband for healthcare staff, an app for staff, patients, and family members, and a system for managing, collecting, and analyzing data for the hospital.

Developers: Dr. Meira Levy, Senior Lecturer, School of Industrial Engineering & Management; Michal Pauzner, Senior Lecturer, Department of Visual Communication; Ilya Sverdlov, Student, Department of Visual Communication; Karin Mstislavsky, Student, Department of Visual Communication; Noa Boykus, Student, School of Industrial Engineering and Management; Liat Waks, 2020 Graduate, Master’s in Design for Engineers; Yoav Asa; Nati Olinky, Lecturer, Department of Occupational Therapy, Tel Aviv University

TOTO:

A medical experience for children in hospitals, TOTO is a new product designed to increase children's involvement in their treatment and to make the experience more pleasant for them.

Developer: Daniel Sheila, 2020 Graduate, Department of Industrial Design

VERLO:

This smart device, equipped with two wheels and a small motor, will allow the blind and visually impaired to walk safely on the street without an escort or guide dog, with no need to plan their route in advance.

VERLO takes in its surroundings and connects to navigation apps, restaurants, shops, and more. It safely routes the blind person's trajectory, allowing them to move around the space independently.

Developer: Tehilla Ben Horin, 2020 Graduate, Department of Industrial Design

In-Vent:

A unique solution for natural air purification, In-Vent uses a vegetation-based system aimed at filtering air in internal structures.

Developer: Lilach Arik, Student, Department of Interior, Building & Environment Design

WINDRONE:

An initiative that offers a poetic solution for a technological product—WINDRONE is a kite kit for drones that allows them to harness the wind's natural energy for flying and staying airborne.

Developer: Gal Cohen, 2020 Graduate, Department of Industrial Design

Bondy:

A brand offering a series of creativity and play kits designed to strengthen the bond between parents and children.

The kits are themed for simple, everyday moments as well as for significant, joyful, or challenging events; events such as starting first grade, undergoing a separation, the birth of a brother or sister, moving house, attending doctor’s appointments, and many more.

Developed under the guidance of family counselling and child psychology professionals, the kits contain activities that parents can build with their children. The products are games that develop tools for creating positive, fun processes, which integrate feelings of control and awareness and provide both parents and children with a sense of security.

Developer: Hadas Arnon, 2019 Graduate, Master’s in Design, and 2008 Graduate, Industrial and Product Design