Hela Lahar

Experience

Leadership Experience

Chief Executive Director

2022—2025

Tech2Peace

  • • Led transformative organizational growth, scaling from 1 core program to 10 diverse initiatives and achieving 5x budget increase
  • • Demonstrated crisis leadership by guiding the organization through the October 7th war while maintaining all strategic objectives
  • • Established global thought leadership through keynote presentations at the United Nations and European Parliament
  • • Implemented data-driven evaluation framework resulting in 70% active alumni participation rate
  • • Managed $4M+ budget and secured multi-million dollar philanthropic partnerships

Acting Executive Director

2019—2022

OneVoice Movement & PeaceWorks Foundation

  • • Led board-mandated strategic pivot to digital-first platform during COVID-19 crisis
  • • Established international grant portfolio supporting civil society partners in Tel Aviv and Ramallah
  • • Managed $3.5M in cross-border initiatives, demonstrating complex geopolitical navigation
  • • Pioneered field-wide digital convenings including 'Voices from the Field' series

Founder and Director, Center for Israel Education

2016—2019

Columbia / Barnard Hillel, New York

  • • Founded and scaled major educational center, securing and managing $2M annual budget
  • • Designed first-of-its-kind cross-cultural dialogue programs addressing campus polarization
  • • Created sustainable funding model through major gifts, foundation grants, and university partnerships

Founder and Director, Yachdav

2013—2016

Jewish Peoplehood Educational Center

Israeli Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism, Israel

  • • Founded educational center bridging Israeli and North American Jewish communities
  • • Served 5,000+ participants annually with ₪1M budget
  • • Managed nationwide staff and international relationship portfolio

Education

MA in Diplomacy and Security Studies

2009—2011

Tel Aviv University

BA in International Relations

1999—2003

Arizona State University / Hebrew University

Professional Training & Certifications

  • Certified Dialogue Facilitator — Resetting the Table (2017)
  • Executive Training — ACCELERATE, Debra S. and Joseph S. Weinberg Program, Hillel International (2018)
  • Executive Mentor — Dvora Forum, Women in Foreign Policy and National Security
  • Encounter Mission — Israel/Palestine (2018)
  • Leadership Program — Pluralistic Jewish Education Leadership, Hebrew Union College (2016)
  • Nonprofit Management — Matan Center (2016)
  • Jewish Peoplehood Program — Diaspora Museum Center, Tel Aviv (2015)

Selected Speaking Engagements & Recognition

International Forums

  • • United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) — Panel on Women in Peacebuilding
  • • European Union Parliament — Pathways to Peace Presentation
  • • Israeli Knesset — Policy Presentations

Advisory & Leadership Roles

  • • Advisory Board Member, Heart of a Nation
  • • USAID — Theories of Change Presentation
  • • ALLMEP — Field Representation and Thought Leadership
  • • Rossing Center — "Challenges in Peacebuilding after May 2021"

Publications

  • • Forbes (December 2024) — "Can Innovation Unify Across Divides"
  • • Times of Israel — Regular Contributor on Dialogue, Philosophy, and Peacebuilding