President and Founder, Athena Fund. Since 2007, Uri is a Social Entrepreneur who is the founder  and president of Athena Fund, which is dedicated to empowering teachers (85% are women) in  Israel by providing them with laptop computers and professional training .

　　To date Athena Fund has provided laptop computers and professional training to over than  23,500 teachers in 157 municipalities in Israel. One of Athena's initiatives is empowering STEM  teachers who receive mobile computers, data-loggers with sensors and professional technopedagogical training.

　　Uri Ben-Ari is a seasoned international businessperson with 35 years of experience in senior  management and entrepreneurship. Uri specializes in developing and implementing strategic  business and marketing plans for companies active in international markets. Over the course of  his career, he has undertaken senior management and business/market development activities in  the United States, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Israel, India and the Far East.

　　Uri has developed expertise in the area of “smart cities". Over the last 7 years, he has consulted  8 leading cities in Israel in becoming “smart cities” using methodologies developed by Uri in  tandem with models developed by leading universities and research institutes in Europe.

　　Uri holds an MBA and a BA in Economics from Tel-Aviv University. He is a graduate of the  Directors Training of the Executives Program at Tel-Aviv University.

　　Uri has been lecturing in Israel, in China and in various cities in Europe about the Smart Cities,  about the new trends in technology and Technology in Education and published articles in  various magazines.