Ami Daniel is one of the most exciting Israeli entrepreneurs around. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Windward. In 2013 Ami was selected as one of "TheMarker’s" top 40 promising young managers in Israel under the age of 40. He was also granted the ‘Ramon Award’ for Leadership and Excellence by the Israeli Minister of Defense.

Windward provides decision-ready behavioral insights to help clients understand maritime risks and take action to reduce it. Windward bridges gaps between the traditional world of shipping and the new world of data. Windward’s technology helps intelligence agencies, coastguards, and law enforcement to defend their interests and discover potential threats.

We discussed with Ami on how Windward was selected as one of the best tech companies to work in Israel, winning awards by following Ami's outlook on how a CEO should lead a company by example and make sure he practices what he preaches.

Ami shared with us his inspiring methods of self-improvement. Every 3 to 6 months he tries to identify what he needs to be better at. Some of his methods are market research, consuming information on top influencers on LinkedIn, and connecting to top advisors and consultants on various topics. Bringing it all together, Ami builds a big picture and can identify the problem and its solution. 

As for the industry as a whole, Ami believes that there is a big room for growth and optimism in the maritime world and the potential is untapped - while other people might be less optimistic, Ami sees the potential impact.

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to learn more about Windward’s unique technology, innovation, and personal development.

Nikos Psaltopoulos is the Chief Operating Officer at MarineTraffic. He studied Professional Writing & Editing and his background spans over three continents, includes 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry as well as roles advising numerous tech start-ups.

MarineTraffic is a leading tech company, its mission is to track vessels around the world and generate actionable intelligence for maritime professionals and marine enthusiasts.  As part of his role as a COO he implanted a "Deep Work Wednesday's" in his organization. Deep work is the process of setting aside significant blocks of uninterrupted time to do meaningful work on important projects, which means no emails, meetings and phone calls. Just focus on creating good stuff.

  Regarding COVID-19, MarineTraffic had taken safety precautions. They sent their staff to work from home before COVID-19 was even declared as a pandemic. They did what they believe was right for the sake of the team, believing that in order to keep performing and pushing the business forward they must make sure their employees feel safe and secure.  

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to explore the importance of the employer-employee relationship, lessons learned from the coronavirus crisis and much more!

Arik Rosenblum is CEO of EcoOcean. Arik has a remarkable history of working in the non-profit organisation management industry. He has powerful business development skills and a LLB focused in Law from Tel Aviv University.

EcoOcean is a non-profit organisation established in 2002, they are establishing marine researches and initiating educational activities and coastal communities. EcoOcean believes that providing people the right knowledge and education will help promote public awareness of ocean pollution.

As for ocean pollution, plastic waste is littering our oceans and threatening the lives of millions of marine animals. The saddest part is that the main source for plastic found in the Eastern Mediterranean is from local beach users. 

Regarding that topic, in the past 4 years, EcoOcean has been working on a campaign that its slogan is "Single-use plastic, not on my beach". This campaign was designed to get people understanding that they have to think strategically about what they are taking to the beach with them since most of what they use will somehow find its way to the sea. In fact, 2 cities had already declared local laws against using single-use plastic at the beach and the rest will soon follow their footsteps.   

On the subject of COVID-19 Arik believes that you can find both opportunities and challenges in the current pandemic. While governments and organizations can use the current opportunity to create new rules and standards for more sustainable living, the majority believe that we need to give companies an open hand to do by whatever means necessary in order to get back on their feet.

Join Shlomi to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode about COVID-19 challenges and opportunities, actions are taken to reduce ocean pollution, and much more.

Inna Braverman is an Israeli entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the Co-Founder of Eco Wave Power, a renewable energy company.   

Inna's journey with clean electricity began back in Ukraine when she was born right before the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster and suffered from a respiratory arrest due to the pollution in the region. She got a second chance in life and decided to devote it to make a difference in the world.  

Inna founded Eco Wave Power in 2011, at the age of 24. In 2011 she was listed as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the world by medium.com.  

Eco Wave Power has developed a unique technology for extracting energy from waves and transforming it into electricity. The technology delivers sustainable and affordable wave-energy solutions that meet the needs of local communities, cities, and countries. 

One of the biggest challenges Eco Wave Power is currently facing is setting the policies and legal frameworks for new types of renewable energy in different countries. In fact, it takes far more time to get the license to build than build the power plans itself.  

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to understand the current difficulties and barriers inside the renewable energy industry and learn more about the upcoming technology that could impact our future.

Shimrit Perkol-Finkel is the co-founder and CEO of ECOncrete Tech Ltd. She has nearly 20 years of experience in the field of Marine Biology and Ecology. Shimrit specializes in sustainable management of urban marine habitats and is considered an expert in eco-engineering of coastal and marine infrastructure.

ECOncrete provides high performance ecological concrete solutions that rejuvenate marine life on urban, coastal, & marine infrastructure while increasing their strength & durability.

Shimrit has been diving and exploring coral reefs for a long time. She has seen beautiful things throughout the years. Yet, there were a lot of devastations caused by coastal development and blast fishing. So she decided she wants to make a change.

Even before COVID-19, Shimrit had felt the wave of interest towards climate actions, yet there is still room for improvement.

ECOncrete is promoting the message that things should be done differently and in a better way. They are pushing for incentives and regulations from the government that will definitely help build the awareness of ecological engineering.

As for the biggest challenge for the industry at this moment, Shimrit fears that the financial difficulties caused by COVID-19 will have an effect on the ecological focus, and it will be set aside for financial considerations.

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to understand the current global situation inside the maritime industry better and to learn more about what will happen in marinas moving towards the future.

Yiannis Kalogerakis is the CEO of JMK Group, a naval architect and a marine engineer. As a frequent keynote speaker in various national and international conferences such as: boot, ICOMIA and as a visiting Professor to various British & Greek Universities, he has given numerous lectures and seminars internationally emphasizing the anthropocentric approach to sustainable corporate development. 

In a short conversation about the maritime industry and COVID-19, Yiannis introduces an optimistic approach on the future and all of that with a great smile. With his spirited and positive energy, Yiannis Kalogerakis manages to emphasize the importance of the millennials in the future of the maritime industry, with such depth and sensitivity, explaining each topic from all perspectives. 

He believes that the new generations will help promote the maritime industry as sustainable and environmentally friendly. COVID-19 is teaching us a lot of valuable lessons in terms of self-sufficiency and sustainability and hopes that the new generation of sailors will bring a sensitivity to nature and environment.

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to understand the current global situation inside the maritime industry better and to learn more about what will happen in marinas moving towards the future.

Mustafa Kemal is a global marina consultant, He is the former of D-Marin. He has also served as the general manager of Camper & Nicholson Network and the marina manager of Setur Marinas.

Mustafa’s entire life is about sailing. He first started sailing when he was just seven years old. It was only natural that he would become a maritime industry leader, growing up with a naval architect father. He even met his wife during a sailing regatta.

With his vibrant and positive energy, Mustafa Kemal manages to talk about the harsh current situation with such depth and sensitivity, explaining each topic from all perspectives and giving us food for thought.

In a short conversation about yachting and COVID-19, Kemal introduces nothing less than deep and beautiful philosophy and all of that with a smile. He believes that COVID-19 is teaching us a lot of valuable lessons in terms of self-sufficiency and sustainability and hopes that the new generation of sailors will bring sensitivity to nature and the environment.

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to understand the current global situation inside the maritime industry better and to learn more about what will happen in marinas moving towards the future.

Martinho Fortunato is the CEO & President of the Board of Marlagos. Martinho is also the Vice President of APPR - Portuguese Marina Association and the Chairman of the Board of ICOMIA Marinas Group (International Council of Marine Industry Associations). 

 Martinho has been sailing a lot since he was a kid. He holds an MBA in tourism. 20 years ago, he started to manage the marina which today he’s the CEO of, without any background whatsoever. When he first started,  he went to study the ‘advanced marina management course’ in the UK and received a diploma of a ‘Marina Manager’. He started going to conferences and international events with other peers to learn from those with more experience.

COVID-19 affected business in Portugal. To help, they decided not to charge rent from the surrounding businesses for a few months. They are keeping operations inside the marina despite not having any visitors. However, they are adapting to working remotely in communication with the clients, informing them on the current situation. 

As for the industry as a whole, Martinho believes that this is the lesson for the entire world. The industry needs to be close together, more unified and solidary. This disease showed the maritime industry that there are no borders in the world. 

Join Shlomie to this “The Future of the Industry Series” episode to understand the current global situation inside the maritime industry better and to learn more about what will happen in marinas moving towards the future.