Goldman Sachs Names Selina, Venn Co-Founders Among ‘100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs’

Goldman Sachs held its yearly Builders + Innovators Summit in Santa Barbara, California earlier this month, honoring 100 “most intriguing” entrepreneurs from across the world.

Among the honorees were the co-founders of Israeli hospitality startup Selina and Israel social urban planning startup Venn, Rafael Museri and Or Bokobza, respectively. The annual three-day summit also consists of general sessions and discussions led by seasoned executives, academics, and business leaders.

“True innovation is built from a diversity of perspectives and experiences,” said David M. Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, in a statement. “Our Builders + Innovators Summit brings together a collective of impressive future leaders who are striving to drive meaningful change. For 150 years, Goldman Sachs has supported entrepreneurs as they launch and grow their businesses.”

The 100 entrepreneurs recognized by Goldman Sachs were from multiple industries including software, data, beauty, health, and agriculture tech.

Museri said in a statement that he was “honored to be recognized by Goldman Sachs alongside such a distinguished group of entrepreneurs.” Museri founded Selina in 2015 alongside Daniel Rudasevski. Selina combines affordable accommodation, co-working spaces, fine dining, wellness, volunteering initiatives, entertainment, travel and adventure in 54 locations in 13 countries in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean with expansion plans into Europe and Asia.

“Daniel and I are having an amazing adventure growing the Selina concept across the globe, from opening our very first property in Panama just five years ago to being present in so many places around the world today. It wouldn’t be possible without the passion and creativity of our team who create new adventures and experiences for our guests, every day,” said Museri.

Selina raised $100 million in a Series C financing round in April.

Bokobza too said he was honored by the recognition. He co-founded Venn in 2016 with friends David Sherez and Chen Avni to transform developing neighborhoods into friendly communities.

Venn says it creates urban revitalization by managing homes, creating shared spaces, and supporting local businesses and initiatives for community engagement on a neighborhood-wide level. It also facilitates resident-led events through a digital platform and ‘personal assistant’ app

“Urban living needs more heart. People need more opportunities to meet their neighbors and participate in their neighborhood. We think technology can power not just a smart city but also a warmer community,” he said in a statement.

To date, there are Venn neighborhoods operating in New York (Bushwick), Berlin (Friedrichshain) and Tel Aviv (Shapira).

In June, Venn announced the completion of its Series A round with total funding of $40 million to help it fuel its mission. Investors included Pitango Venture Capital, Hamilton Lane, on behalf of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, and Bridges Israel.

Venn said the goal was it bring its model to 100 cities by 2030.