1) Environment/ Initial Impressions

I arrived to the office the first day half an hour early – before anyone else had gotten there – because I was biking to work and wanted to make sure I didn’t get lost on the way.  I waited outside of the building in Ramat Gan, that looked nothing like any traditional office I had ever seen, and waited for someone to come meet me.  Quite frankly, I was a bit nervous that I ended up at the wrong place because my I had no Wifi to figure out where I was.  But, eventually, my boss arrived and greeted me with a smile, and I was very relieved

A week later, I have come to love working at VoiceItt.  All of my team members very fun, smart, and dedicated people, which makes a great atmosphere to work and learn.   Currently the VoiceItt team is very small, consisting of only 5-7 full time employees; some work in the office, and some work from home.  The company is still in its earlier stages as a start-up, and the seemingly paradoxical relaxed, yet, hardworking environment reflects that.  Some employees wear button up shirts and khakis, while others wear t-shirts and shorts.  Whatever they are wearing makes no difference – everyone puts in the same amount of effort and enthusiasm into their work.

It is a very exciting time to be interning.  In my short time here I have made incredible contacts and have had opportunities that few get in a lifetime.  My boss makes a point to bring me, and the other intern, Joseph, with him to every meeting, competition, or lecture, so that we are able to fully experience the life and culture of his start-up.  Everything I have seen and done so far has been wild; and on top of this, I have celebrated with my co-workers as, in this week alone, VoiceItt won a prestigious competitions, received two large grants, and has been invited to speak at the TEDMed conference in the coming year.

One of the most interesting aspects of my internship, so far, is that I am working one on one with a young Arab entrepreneur, to use VoiceItt’s technology to bridge the gap between Arabs and Jews within Israel/Palestine.   I appreciate VoiceItt’s effort to attempt this very difficult and deep-rooted goal, and I think their product might actually have the means to do so.

Overall I am very impressed with my experience and am excited to see what the rest of my time here holds.