The people behind GINSUM
Carsten Ovens – Executive Director
Carsten Ovens is the Executive Director of ELNET-Germany since March 2019. In late 2020 he co-founded the German Israeli Network of Startups & Mittelstand (GINSUM) together with ELNET. With almost two decades of experience in politics, i.a. as a Member of the Hamburg State Parliament, he devoted his work to the German-Israeli relations with a focus on innovation and startups for many years.
Beforehand, Carsten worked in business development and management consulting throughout Europe, as a lecturer on marketing and communications at several leading universities, and as a researcher on social media communication effects on politics and society.
Natalie Gips – Program Manager
Natalie Gips has long-standing experience in German-Israeli political and economic cooperation. From 2015 to 2018, she already worked for ELNET-Germany as Project Coordinator. In 2018, she joined the German Startups Association as project lead of the German Israeli Startup Exchange Program (GISEP) with a focus on GreenTech and Sustainability.
Since Nov 2020, she is responsible for the German Israeli Network of Startups & Mittelstand (GINSUM) of ELNET-Germany. Natalie Gips studied in Israel and has a master’s degree in International Politics and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Marc Jacob – Project Coordinator
Marc Jacob was able to gain national and international professional experience through various professional positions in Germany, the USA and Luxembourg. Until recently he worked for a large German law firm in the area of M&A/transactions and was also able to build up extensive knowledge in the context of venture capital.
At ELNET he works for the German Israeli Network of Startups & Mittelstand (GINSUM). Marc Jacob studied management and finance in Frankfurt am Main, Budapest and Los Angeles.
Jill Wyler – Project Coordinator
Jill Wyler held various professional positions in Israel and was until recently the Israel representative of a Washington based independent academic organization which focused on enhancing knowledge about modern Israel at universities in the United States and around the world.
At ELNET she works for the German Israeli Network of Startups & Mittelstand (GINSUM), as the Program Coordinator at the Israel office. Jill has a master’s degree in International Relations, with a focus on diplomacy and foreign policy, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem