{
  "id": 9603396,
  "title": "The start-up is just the excuse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/the-start-up-is-just-the-excuse",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-24T18:34:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post Tech & Start-Ups",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post-tech-start-ups",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-909629"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gadi Bahat, the founding director of the Leaders program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, emphasizes that the purpose of the program is not to create start-ups, but to cultivate people. Unlike other academic entrepreneurship initiatives, the Leaders program focuses on developing leadership skills and personal resilience, rather than merely teaching business concepts. This approach has been instrumental in producing graduates who excel in various fields, including industry, research, and the public sector. One notable success story from the program is ANNIE, a start-up founded by graduates Ofek Eliasko, Idan Mizrahi, and Tal Ben-Lulu. ANNIE aims to improve the treatment of trauma casualties by providing real-time monitoring of critical vital signs through a wearable hardware and software system. The idea for ANNIE originated during the Leaders program, as the founders witnessed the shortcomings in medical evacuation during a mass-casualty event. They recognized the gaps in the current system and sought to develop a technology-driven solution. The Leaders program's practical, hands-on approach, which emphasizes learning through experience and overcoming obstacles, has played a significant role in shaping both the graduates' professional careers and their social ventures like ANNIE.",
  "summary": "From the university classroom to real-world crises: How BGU’s Yazamut 360 Leaders Program prepares the problem-solvers of tomorrow for extreme uncertainty.",
  "key_points": [
    "Leaders program focuses on leadership skills, not start-ups",
    "ANNIE start-up developed by program graduates",
    "Program's hands-on approach shaped graduates' careers"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "The start-up is just the excuse",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/the-start-up-is-just-the-excuse-9605163",
        "published": "2026-09-24T18:44:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}