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.