Who We Are

About FIBA

The Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA) is a business development program designed to establish and grow successful, high-growth tech ventures in Florida.

We do this by researching and vetting tech startups in 6 key industries.

  • Health
  • Hospitality
  • Urban
  • Sports
  • Agriculture

Through our network of advisors, sponsors and partners, we help best in breed Israeli startups scale and reach their full growth potential in the United States.

Our origin story.

Launched in 2016 by the Tampa Jewish Community Centers & Federation, FIBA was created with 2 main goals: First, to foster economic growth and stimulate innovation within the expanding business ecosystem in Florida. Second, to engage various communities around Florida with the organization and with Israel.

Unique in every way, FIBA has broken from the traditional mold of the how an organization engages its community. From college students as interns and budding entrepreneurs, young professionals as subject matter experts and seniors for mentoring, coaching, and investing, we engage the entire spectrum of both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities of Tampa Bay and greater Florida.

front door of FIBA offices

It’s about more than business.

Our community model exposes all of Florida to Israel’s most renowned commodity — disruptive and life-changing technological innovations — and is better positioned to combat the rising tide of anti-Semitism and disinformation, as well as the misconceptions regarding Israel.

In addition, FIBA provides a unique and new platform from which the Tampa JCCs & Federation can engage the unaffiliated, as well as develop new relationships within the non-Jewish community including local business leaders, corporate sponsors, state and local government officials, and the area’s leading universities.

Meet our team

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Rakefet Bachur-Phillips

Co-Executive Director

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Pam Miniati

Co-Executive Director

JRoss

Jack Ross

President, FIBA Venture Fund Initiatives

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Merrie Jiordano

Business Development Manager

Our Entrepreneurial Support Organization Partners

Our ESO partners are committed to growing the startup community in Florida. We collaborate with them to find partners and resources for our startups and refer startups to their programs as appropriate. The Levan Center of Innovation in Ft. Lauderdale enables FIBA’s presence in South Florida. It offers FIBA companies access to programs and resources and a space to work from when they are in the area.