SMILE venture takes over the country
"Or, Tal and all the wonderful SMILE people, I congratulate you on the important initiative that you lead in promoting small businesses." That's what President Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin wrote in a letter he sent to the SMILE venture team - a project that was set up during the COVID-19 outbreak which aims to help small businesses during the crisis.
The members of the project are Tal Givati - a graduate of the School of Industrial Engineering and Management, Or Amir - a third-year student in Industrial Engineering and Management, Tom Gurevitz - a first-year student in the Department of Industrial Design, Yuval Toker - a first-year student in the Department of Industrial Design, "The Technion"), Adi Dimant ("The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya"), Omar Hermoni, Asaf Gonen and Itay Moelem, as well as the many volunteers who are involved with the project.
"Anyone who wants and can help – buy our products while the business is closed." When Or Amir, a third-year student in Industrial Engineering and Management, heard this sentence from a father , and business owner of a toy company for the past 35 years - she felt there was an opportunity here to do something significant. She contacted her colleague at Google DSC Tal Givati Club - an industrial and management engineer who graduated a year ago from Shenkar. Together they thought about how to generate cash flow during the Corona lockdown. After formulating a general idea, they contacted members of the Google DSC Club , designers Yuval Tucker and Tom Gurevich freshman in industrial design, and following a great deal of motivation and determination, the venture was founded.
Members of SMILE (top row clockwise and clockwise): Tal Givati, Or Amir, Tom Gurevitz and Yuval Toker
SMILE is a non-profit project based on socio-economic values, through the creation of a strategic plan that is simple and effective, which aims to connect all the small businesses in Israel through a digital interface that will provide them with immediate cashflow.
Check out how it works on the website of SMILE. Any business owner can advertise their services for free, through the enabling of vouchers to be redeemed immediately after the crisis.
The letter from state President Rivlin
At SMILE, we believe in a "chain of good deeds" as well as the company's power to unite in times of crisis for the people we love. We have faced quite a few challenges along the way, including the difficultly for people to contribute. "But in the end, there is a sense that if we were able to volunteer for a nonprofit venture, anyone could take a small step as big as this one." Following the venture, collaborations between engineering and design departments of various colleges and universities throughout the country were established.
SMILE works with the support of many other partners involved in the venture such as Public Trust, AWS, EasyCount, and many more.