Uri Gabai

Mr. Gabai is the CEO of the Start-Up Nation Policy Institute (SNPI), an independent think-tank focusing on Israel’s innovation ecosystem. SNPI’s mission is to strengthen the Israeli innovation economy while maximizing the socio-economic value captured in Israel.

He also serves as the chairman of the board of Scale-Up Velocity, a human capital operations platform, working under the SNC umbrella, which specializes in hi-tech training programs.

Prior to his current position and Mr. Gabai was co-General Manager of Start-Up Nation Central (SNC). Prior to that he served for seven years as the Chief Strategy Officer in the Israel Innovation Authority, in charge of strategy, evaluation, budget planning and research. Mr. Gabai was a leading figure in the establishment of the innovation authority and its transformation from the Office of the Chief Scientist in the Ministry of Economy.

For five years prior to that appointment, Mr. Gabai was a senior economist at the National Economic Council in the Prime Minister’s Office. At the National Economic Council, he led the Macroeconomic team and was involved in several government initiatives, among which, a new fiscal rule for the Government of Israel, a 7 billion USD program for transportation infrastructure, a reform in the entitlement criteria for elderly citizens and more.

Mr. Gabai is a regular participant in international forums dealing with innovation policy and lectures regularly on Israel's emergence as a leading country in technological innovation. In addition to his public position, Mr. Gabai is teaching courses in economics, focusing on economics of innovation and theoretical economics.

Mr. Gabai holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and computer sciences from the Hebrew university, as well as a Master of Economics also from the Hebrew university, specializing in game theory.