Mission

What We’re All About

UpStart partners with the Jewish community’s boldest leaders to expand the picture of how Jews find meaning and how we come together. Whether someone is starting a new Jewish venture or reimagining what an existing one has to offer, UpStart gives them the entrepreneurial tools, funding, and network they need to build the Jewish community of the future.

UpStart operates from a core belief—that Jewish tradition has thrived and evolved for millennia because trailblazing leaders have developed new ways to connect with its enduring value. We provide today’s social entrepreneurs with targeted support at every stage, creating pathways to take ideas to implementation and beyond. Our targeted support serves:

• Social entrepreneurs and their ventures: those creating new offerings through new Jewish ventures
• Communities and the field: weaving together these bold leaders and the wider community to amplify their impact

Our Mission

Our mission is to inspire and empower leaders to dream, build, and grow bold initiatives that enhance the vitality of Jewish life. Together, we’re creating a more just, vibrant, and inclusive future.

Our Values

• Empathy: We tap into the hearts and minds of those we serve, inspiring breakthrough solutions rooted in the needs of our community.
• Optimism: We view the world through the frame of possibility, transforming challenges into opportunities to create a better path forward.
• Collaboration: We imagine, together. We believe that the collective wisdom, vision and hard work of our network will lead us to a thriving Jewish future.
• Risk-taking: We take bold, intentional risks, encourage experimentation, and embrace failure as a learning opportunity.