Nirit Harel is a US/Israeli/ Portuguese and global citizen committed to building alliances towards a better tomorrow, leveraging the best technology anywhere. She is a veteran of the Israeli start-up environment with 25+ years of turnaround, marketing and management experience positioning ventures for growth, public offering and acquisition, including MRV Communications which subsequently reached a valuation of $5B+ (NASDAQ MRVC). Ms. Harel has extensive experience negotiating partnerships with world leaders in the European Framework Program/ Horizon, winning and managing multi-year European Commission technology development bids for the world’s most established and promising innovators. Instrumental in launching and establishing a diverse range of tech, impact and nonprofit ventures in 60+ countries, she is a frequent speaker on the subject of innovation, women’s leadership/ gender equity and triple bottom line. Ms. Harel currently serves as Global Chair of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Network at YPO, where she was also selected as Regional Honoree and shortlisted as one of only two women nominated for the organization’s most prestigious Hickok Distinguished Service Award in 2020. She is particularly invested in verticals common to Israel & Portugal such as Med/HealthTech, Agritech and alternative energy. and is currently heavily involved in Ukraine venture relocation to Portugal, facilitating smooth and seamless integration of R&D and other operations for companies and their families.