This summer, while much of Israel grapples with fear, uncertainty, and national emergency, thousands of teens across the country are quietly – and powerfully – choosing a different path. Amid the ongoing crisis, they are building.
They’re developing start-ups, working in diverse teams, solving real-world problems, and preparing to present their ventures at Unistream’s 2025 national Ted and Hedy Orden z”l and Family Entrepreneur of the Year Competition next week. These aren’t side projects or school assignments; they’re solutions born from challenge, driven by resilience, and powered by an unshakable belief in a better future.
A sense of agency during uncertain times
In a country where daily life continues to be disrupted – by war, displacement, and deepening social divides – these teens are anchoring themselves in action. For them, entrepreneurship is more than a skill set – it’s a mindset. It gives them purpose, confidence, and a sense of agency at a time when everything else feels uncertain.
Some are living in temporary housing. Others have lost loved ones or watched their communities be turned upside down.
Yet they continue collaborating, creating, and showing up week after week to bring their ideas to life. Their ventures tackle issues that matter: emotional well-being for children, inclusion for people with disabilities, public safety, and access to education. These young people aren’t waiting for someone else to solve the problems – they’re taking responsibility themselves.
Entrepreneurship as resilience
Over the past two years, we’ve seen again and again how entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful paths to resilience. It helps teens shift from circles of concern to circles of action – leading, innovating, and creating positive change for themselves, their teams, and their communities. Entrepreneurship gives them the tools not just to cope but to shape the world around them.
And that, perhaps, is the most extraordinary part of this story. In a moment when Israeli society is strained to its core, these teens are stepping up, not just to dream but to lead. They are the new pioneers. And they’re doing it together – Jewish and Arab, religious and secular – from cities, towns, and the periphery.
But here’s what we must not overlook: their strength does not absolve us from our responsibility. On the contrary, it demands it. Right now, much of the national focus is, understandably, on the immediate crisis. But if we don’t also invest in the next generation – if we don’t give our youth the tools, the spaces, and the support to grow – we risk losing the very future we’re fighting to protect.
Next week, as these teens stand before business leaders and investors to pitch their start-ups, they’ll be offering us more than innovative ideas. They’ll be reminding us what hope looks like in action. Supporting our teens isn’t charity. It’s strategy. It’s a declaration that we believe in the future of this country. That we believe in them.
At Unistream, we see what happens when we make that choice. Over 95% of our graduates report that they believe they can achieve any goal they set. That belief, in today’s climate, is not just a personal victory – it’s a national asset.
They are already building. And if we invest in them, they will lead us forward.
The writer is CEO of Unistream.