TAMID GROUP

History of TAMID

2007 Throughout their freshman and sophomore years at the University of Michigan, Sasha Gribov and Eitan Ingall saw that many of their classmates had no interest in Israel-focused campus programming. Political and cultural events were unappealing to many students. So they hatched the idea of TAMID Israel Investment Group, a club that would enable business-minded students to connect with Israel’s economy.
2008 Gribov and Ingall were soon joined by Garrett Levenbrook, and the three worked together to build an executive board and recruit their first membership class (aleph). Ingall spent the summer of 2008 developing the organization as a Fellow at PresenTense, a social venture incubator in Jerusalem.
2009 Student leaders worked on fundraising and publicity, and the first-ever TAMID consulting projects kicked off.
2010 The first group of TAMID Fellows stepped foot in Israel, enjoying the inaugural summer of our flagship internship program. Michigan student Brett Siegal assumed the volunteer position of Executive Director.
2011 TAMID began expansion, welcoming its first new chapters. Michigan students Allison Berman and Max Heller assumed the volunteer positions of co-Executive Directors.
2012 As the organization expanded, the student executive board transitioned from a local to a national governing body.
2013 A group of philanthropists, TAMID alumni, and student leaders formed an advisory board, now TAMID’s governing body. The board successfully completed a search for our first full-time staff, with an office in Washington DC. Meanwhile, our student leadership split into two bodies. A National Operating Board, involved in organizational development, was chaired by Jared Fleitman (USC). The National Council of Presidents, involved in on-campus programming, was chaired by Dan Smith (Michigan).
2014 TAMID hosted our first ever national leadership conference in College Park, Maryland. The organization rebranded, shortening its name from TAMID Israel Investment Group to TAMID Group. Daniel Silvermintz (USC) assumed chairmanship of the National Council of Presidents.
2015 With a growing organization, the need for more national student leadership grew too. Operating Board chair Joseph Tuchman (Maryland) created a committee system and Council of Presidents Chair Tiana Pidgeon (Barnard) created regional director positions. The staff expanded, with Yoni Heilman assuming the position of Executive Director.
2016 In 2016, Shira Ben-Shushan and Jordan Banafsheha stepped into the student Chair roles. Under their leadership, the TAMID Fund launched — enabling students to manage a live, Israel-focused stock portfolio — and the consulting program made tremendous quality improvements — narrowing its focus to a set of distinct service areas.
2017 In the spring semester of 2017, Talia Laifer assumed the position of Chair of the Operating Board and Saul Feit assumed the position of Chair of the Council of Presidents. The TAMID Pro board officially launched, with initiatives to engage TAMID members beyond graduation.
2018 In the spring semester of 2018, Melissa Kaplan assumed the position of Chair of the Operating Board and David Iken assumed the position of Chair of the Council of Presidents. TAMID transitioned its legal status from being fiscally sponsored to operating as an independent entity. The occasion coincided with the opening of a new headquarters in Washington DC.
2019 In the spring semester of 2019, Ryan Bichoupan assumed the position of Chair of the Global Operating Board and Michael Levin assumed the position of Chair of the Global Council of Presidents. Benjamin Zeitz and Amanda Nessel became chairs of TAMID’s Pro Board. TAMID restructured our student leadership body, making a more efficient leadership structure. Additionally, TAMID added a Tech Consulting Track, allowing students to build websites, applications, and more tech solutions for Israeli companies.
2020 In the spring semester of 2020, Jamie Cohen assumed the position of Chair of the Global Operating Board and Hannah Laifer assumed the position of Chair of the Global Council of Presidents. TAMID seamlessly switched on-campus programming to virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic – completing 145 consulting projects remotely. TAMID’s 2020 Fellowship welcomed 155 remote Fellows.
2021 In the spring semester of 2021, Gila Schein assumed the position of Chair of the Global Operating Board and Gaea Leemon assumed the position of Chair of the Global Council of Presidents. TAMID’s 2021 Summer Fellowship resumed in-person, welcoming 94 Fellows to Israel for an 8-week program.

TAMID Group Leadership

TAMID Group is an apolitical and non-religious nonprofit organization. Our work attracts students from a range of different backgrounds and experiences – Jewish students from across the religious spectrum, non-Jewish students from different backgrounds, students who love Israel, students who join unable to point to Israel on a map, and everything in between. But what do they all have in common? Aside from being the top students on their campus, their involvement with TAMID provides them with an appreciation for Israel and a close relationship with Israelis and their peers.

Our Leadership is made up of several groups including student Co-Chairs, a student-led Global Operating Board, a Pro Board, a Board of Directors, and staff.

Neel Dhavale headshot

Neel Dhavale

Student Chair of Operating Board

Link to bio.

Adam Rosen headshot

Adam Rosen

Student Chair of Presidents’ Council

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Erica Singerman

Erica Singerman

TAMID Group’s Pro Board President

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Diana Tapper

Diana Tapper

Board Chair

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Yoni Heilman

Yoni Heilman

Chief Executive Officer

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