Q&A with Or Santo, CEO of Gav-Yam Negev ATP and Entrepreneurship Week speaker
Or Santo is the CEO of Gav-Yam Negev Advanced Technologies Park (ATP), a burgeoning real estate development at the center of technological innovation in Israel. The park connects Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Israel Defense Force (IDF), making it a hub for business, cybersecurity, desert-tech and entertainment. Santo, a co-founder and chairperson of Blockchain B7, will use his entrepreneurial background to oversee this massive project.
Before he arrives at the University of Denver for Entrepreneurship Week, we spoke with Or to learn more about his vision for ATP, innovation in Israel and his upcoming trip to Colorado.
Q: What makes Israel a hub for innovative technologies and startups?
A: I believe entrepreneurship requires the ability to accept failure. You must be willing to take risks and fail. Many places in the world resist and try to avoid failure, which prevents them from reaching greater innovation and problem-solving. Here in Israel, we are taught from an early age that failure is a part of life, and this mentality makes us more open to taking risks.
Q: You have never worked in real estate before Gav-Yam Negev ATP. What makes you the right fit for this role?
A: Entrepreneurs are masters at adapting. We have a specific set of skills that can be useful in all kinds of industries and environments. Even though I do not have first-hand experience working in real estate, it is my entrepreneurial training that will help the ATP expand its reach.
I did not pursue entrepreneurship because I wanted to “be my own boss,” as many people do. For me, it was having this set of skills, and the desire to create value and demonstrate leadership no matter the industry, that drew me toward the field.
Q: What vision do you have for the ATP?
A: Gav-Yam Negev ATP wants to diversify its areas of expertise to promote a massive, entrepreneurial community in the Negev region.
We are creating new departments that will complement our primary business, including work that promotes environmental sustainability, new technologies and others. In each of these areas, we will have experts of all kinds working in a shared space. I am a firm believer that having many different experts in the same space will promote meaningful innovation. That is one of the reasons they brought me in, despite not having worked in real estate previously. I bring a unique perspective, and this among others who will join the company will diversify what we have to offer.
Q: Are you excited to be in Denver for Entrepreneurship Week?
A: Absolutely! I consider Denver my home away from home. I have been there 10-15 times in my life. I lived in Boulder when I was very little, from age 2 to 4. It is beautiful there. I love to visit, to hike, to explore the national parks… everything the state has to offer.