CO FOUNDER & CEO

Rachel leads the strategy, fundraising, partnerships and general management of the organization. In addition to her work at FemForward, Rachel is a Board Member at Made in JLM, the organization that builds the Jerusalem tech ecosystem. Her experience with the tech industry and community is expansive with co-founding the CTO Club of Jerusalem, leading Jerusalem’s biggest monthly tech networking event “HappyHourJLM”, leading delegations from all over the world in order to connect them to the Jerusalem tech ecosystem and founding Fem JLM - Jerusalem’s women in tech community. Prior to this, Rachel worked in various startups in business development and community management.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR | HAIFA

Rebekah leads the FemForward Leaders programming in Haifa. Originally from Montreal, Rebekah began her career in the nonprofit sector before transitioning into high-tech, where she was one of the first 35 employees at Moovit, the pioneering transportation app. She later held roles at Comeet and Guesty, where she served as a Customer Success Manager and the company’s first Account Manager.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR | GALILEE

Hadas leads the FemForward Leaders programming in the Galilee region. Hadas brings extensive experience from her 13 years at Microsoft, where she worked at the Advanced Technology Labs and also served as director of an internal employee community. In this dual capacity, she led initiatives that strengthened collaboration, engagement, and professional development across teams. Prior to this, Hadas built a diverse career in production, marketing, and community management - both online and offline - after beginning her professional journey as a Theater Designer.

PROGRAM MANAGER | NORTH

Wesal Awida leads the North branch of FemForward Leaders, running partnerships and development. A FemForward graduate herself, Wesal is a Machine Learning Engineer with expertise in AI, NLP, and software development. She holds a B.Sc. Information Systems Engineering with Data Science from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. She currently is a mentor through the Kav Zinuk program, supporting her mentee’s personal and professional development. She also served as judge in the StartCup AI initiative by the Ministry of Education, guiding high school students in entrepreneurship and innovation. During her university studies, Wesal volunteered at She-Codes; as a program manager, helping women across Israel gain practical coding skills and integrate into the tech industry.

PROGRAM FACILITATOR

Gila manages the facilitation of the FemForward Leaders program, guiding participants on their individual journeys, whilst assessing their progress and satisfaction of the program. With 20 years of experience in strategy consulting and growth advisory, Gila help leaders across various industries achieve their strategic, operational, and organizational goals. As a former Partner at McKinsey & Company, she brings a wealth of insights, best practices, and analytical skills to her work. Moreover, Gila is Co-Founder and Executive Director at ICAR Collective.

CO FOUNDER | FemForward YoungLeaders

Ella Friel leads the media strategy and content creation of FemForward YoungLeaders. She also serves as the Deputy Editor in Chief at The Standard ASL, guiding a team of student writers across diverse topics, from politics to sports. Ella's journalism skills were honed through prestigious summer programs at Harvard and The School of The New York Times, complemented by a political reporting internship at Headliners in Education. As a student at the American School in London, she combines leadership as the President of the Community Action Council and President of the Government and Society Club.

CO FOUNDER | FemForward YoungLeaders

Sahar is a Co Founder of FemForward YoungLeaders. Hailing from the Druze village of Daliat al-Carmel, Sahar has long embraced her identity as a Druze Israeli woman and has been recognized through the Jerusalem Prize for the Unity of Israel for her unifying leadership and participation in a wide array of initiatives. Sahar has also been recognized for her excellence in her two years of national service, in the Young Ambassadors persuasive speech competition, and in the world of sports, as a medaling triple jumper in the Israeli Youth Championships and the Israeli team at the 21st Maccabi Games.