Rady School's U.S. - Israel Center for Innovation and Economic Sustainability Receives a $1.25 Million Grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego

Center Announces New Executive Director

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. - Israel Center for Innovation and Economic Sustainability at the Rady School of Management today announced it has received a $1.25 million grant from the Leichtag Foundation through the Israel Studies Field of Interest Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego. The grant will support core program components of the U.S. – Israel Center including the Immersion Program, Venture Program, Internship Program, Innovation in the Classroom Program and Visiting Scholars Program.

"This generous support will enable the U.S. – Israel Center for Innovation and Economic Sustainability to accomplish many of its objectives in strengthening the connections between the vibrant startup community in Israel and the science and technology industries of San Diego," said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan.

"San Diego and Israel have much in common. The center will bring together San Diego's local strength and talent in communications technology, biotech and life sciences with Israel's powerhouse high-tech sector. Through strong relationships, research and program development, we can look collaboratively not only at the success factors of each of these ecosystems but also the threats. Together, we can learn, innovate and improve," said Charlene Seidle, Jewish Community Foundation senior vice president.

The goal of the center is to connect industry leaders, entrepreneurs and community supporters from around the world to work collaboratively on issues of innovation and growth. These connections foster discourse on both how to innovate and how to translate innovation into economic growth.

The Rady School's U.S. – Israel Center has also named its first Executive Director, Jeri L. Rubin (Rady MBA '06), who joins the center after a successful software career at Qualcomm as an engineer. Rubin has also been active in the San Diego community, serving on the Board of Directors of Jewish Family Service. Rubin earned her MBA with an emphasis on Technology at the Rady School of Management and has a B.S. in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan.

"Through the center, we will cultivate a collaborative global network of Rady School students, entrepreneurs, researchers, business and community leaders and academic and industry partners in Israel," said Rubin. "The continued support of the San Diego and Israel communities will enable the center to foster cross-cultural knowledge and business exchange, ultimately expanding opportunities to improve startup success, scalability and sustainability."

For more information about the Rady School's U.S. – Israel Center on Innovation and Economic Sustainability, go to: http://rady.ucsd.edu/usic/

About the Rady School of Management
The Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego offers one of the best MBA programs in California and the country, offering both full-time and part-time study options for an Innovation-based MBA.  The collaborative education environment helps students to learn from each other as well as from their professors, and local business executives benefit from Rady's Center for Executive Development.

SOURCE Rady School of Management