TAU Ventures Launches Program To Empower First-Time Managers

TAU Ventures, the investment arm of Tel Aviv University, announced the launch of a new management development program designed to impart the necessary leadership skills and business mindsets to new managers in hyper-growth portfolio companies. 

While early-stage startup founders understand the importance of fostering mid-management personnel, insufficient resources and capital often bars companies from investing in human capital. The program was created in response to rising instances of startup growth outpacing the capabilities of employee teams, according to TAU Ventures. 

TAU Ventures tapped consulting agency, MileStone, to facilitate its associated startups build strong managerial infrastructures. The duration of the program runs 11 weeks and provides participating managers with the skills and tools to successfully manage their companies in hyper-growth phases. 

“The program’s impact is two-fold,” explained Inbal Perlman, VP of Business Development at TAU Ventures. “First, it enables managers to develop strong leadership skills through top-notch training; and second, it brings together a diverse group of managers ranging from engineering, product, customer success, SDR (sales development representatives), all the way to human resources. This forms a peer-to-peer network within TAU Ventures’ ecosystem, on which managers can later rely on in their professional growth journey.”

“There are a number of common challenges managers in startups are faced with,” said Michal Malka-Perry, senior consultant at Milestone. “They need to outshine the ocean of existing companies by highlighting their own uniqueness to attract talent, and they are responsible for building a development path for their employees in very competitive markets. For these reasons, investing in building managers who are aware of the bigger picture and have the mindset, toolset, and skillset to perform their roles is critical.” 

Alex Komarovsky, CTO of fintech startup, Gaviti, applauded the program for the skills it provided some of its employees who participated in the program. “This program has been a real game-changer for us, and it came at perfect timing,” he said, pointing out Gaviti’s now doubled staff employees. “Being able to offer this professional development opportunity to our managers has already made an impact internally, reflected in both the business result and personal growth of our employees”.