Our Focus
Gandyr Foundation works to promote the optimal integration of underrepresented populations into Israel’s high-tech industry, with an emphasis on employees from Arab and ultra-Orthodox society.
Israel has a thriving high-tech industry that serves as a major engine of economic growth. Yet despite the industry’s impressive achievements, many population groups face barriers to integration, and their representation remains very low relative to their share of Israeli society.
The Foundation sees the integration of underrepresented populations into the high-tech industry as an opportunity on three complementary levels:
For individuals – an opportunity to advance social mobility, access quality employment, and realize their potential.
For the high-tech industry – an opportunity to strengthen innovation, creativity, and resilience through workforce diversity.
For Israeli society and the economy – an opportunity to reduce socioeconomic gaps and strengthen national resilience.
Research shows that the challenge of integration does not end with entering the industry. Employees from underrepresented populations also face distinct challenges in retention and advancement into management roles.
Accordingly, Gandyr Foundation works with nonprofit and social organizations and participates in cross-sector partnerships to promote the optimal integration of underrepresented populations into the high-tech industry. In this field, the Foundation combines innovative philanthropic and impact approaches and promotes outcome-based funding.
Action Channels
- Supporting effective placement organizations—to improve the quality of placements and expand opportunities for integration into technology roles.
- Developing models for retention, advancement, and long-term professional integration—to help employees who have entered the industry build long-term careers, advance into management positions, and realize their professional potential.
- Promoting data-based, results-driven work—by supporting organizations, developing innovative models, and backing funding mechanisms that encourage effectiveness, learning, and continuous improvement.
Through these efforts, the Foundation seeks to increase the representation of underrepresented populations in the high-tech industry, strengthen employees’ long-term success, and develop an effective, innovative, and data-driven professional field that creates broader opportunities for individuals, the industry, and Israeli society.
Our Connection
The Foundation’s work in this field is led by Ofir Azury, a private investor in technology and impact sectors and Gandyr Group’s head of technology investments.
When Ofir began his career in high-tech, he discovered both the enormous opportunities the industry offers and the significant underrepresentation of many population groups, who are not given access to the growth and development opportunities that the industry provides. Since then, Ofir has worked in various ways to promote the integration of underrepresented populations into the industry. He views high-tech as a meeting ground between different groups in society, which can reduce social polarization and contribute to Israel’s economic development.
