Adidas Israel GM on the importance of diversity

“I think it's pretty unique,” said Thibault Durand, General Manager of Adidas Israel, speaking to CTech at Unistream's Entrepreneur of the Year competition. “It's very interesting to see the starting point on all the projects. Some of them are looking into a real need coming from their own communities.”

This is the second year in a row that Durand has participated in the competition as a judge, and he noted in particular the diversity of participants and the opportunity that it represented.

“The kids come from all over the country,” said Durand, who highlighted that the competition is an opportunity for students “from different communities, different religions, different parts of the country to be here and to showcase what they've been working on for a few months and a few years even.”

Unistream annually trains thousands of high school students from all sectors and regions of the country in business and social entrepreneurship. The program's goal is to reduce social inequalities and create a more inclusive society through entrepreneurship and innovation among youth from underserved communities. The students are mentored by members of Israel’s tech ecosystem throughout the duration of the program.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.