Ogen, Israel’s largest social credit organization operating on a nonprofit basis, continues its momentum of supporting small businesses by launching the Bizz.AI program. This initiative will assist businesses in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with the help of students from the fields of engineering, industrial engineering and management, and economics at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The program was initiated by two second-year economics students, Rave Halfon and Tom Ben-Nissan. They partnered with Ogen, which, together with the students, launched Bizz.AI. The program offers an innovative mutual growth model that connects academia with the business world—helping businesses advance technologically while providing students with valuable hands-on experience that will support their entry into the job market.
As part of the Bizz.AI program, a network of volunteer students will be established. These students will undergo professional training led by top AI experts in collaboration with Ben-Gurion University’s entrepreneurship center. Training partners in the program include Microsoft, whose experts will provide lectures to students on the latest AI developments and their impact on businesses, and BCG, whose consultants will lead a workshop on addressing business challenges and developing strategies to optimize business processes. Participating students will assist small business owners in defining their business needs, developing and implementing technological tools, and tracking business results. Through this process, businesses will adopt and integrate AI tools that will enhance their capabilities in management, marketing, advertising, customer service, and operations.
The program is launching in Beersheba, where 200 students applied to participate. Of these, 36 outstanding students were selected for training and will later provide guidance to approximately 120 small businesses in the city. To mark the opening of Bizz.AI’s first cohort, a launch event was held at Ben-Gurion University, attended by Tom Ben-Nissan and Rave Halphon, the program’s founders; Sagi Balasha, CEO of Ogen; Yuval Beck, Head of Ogen’s Business Division; Jeff Kay, Vice President of Ben-Gurion University; and Dikla Siso, Head of the Business Promotion Department at the Beersheba Municipality.
Sagi Balasha, CEO of Ogen: “We are proud to be part of the Bizz.AI program, which aims to create a cutting-edge technological infrastructure to support growth and assist small businesses in Israel. Our vision is to expand this model to every academic institution in the country and build an ecosystem of students who will help small businesses thrive through technology.”
Rave Halfon and Tom Ben-Nissan, founders of Bizz.AI: “The business world is changing rapidly, and small businesses must adapt to stay relevant and grow. Our unique model trains students in AI, provides them with invaluable practical experience, and makes advanced technologies accessible to small businesses—many of which typically cannot afford the high costs of consulting in the open market.”
