MetroHartford Alliance and Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford to Host Third Annual Connecticut-Israel Technology Summit on June 12.

Hartford, CT -- (SBWire) -- 06/04/2013 --MetroHartford Alliance, the region’s economic development leader, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, will hold their third Connecticut-Israel Technology Summit at a pivotal time for job creation and investment in the high-tech industry for the region. This year’s Summit theme will attract business leaders, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, academic, government and research experts, all of whom are interested to learn about global technology challenges facing today’s industries and the emerging technologies to meet those demands. To date, more than 20 community leaders will participate, including Hartford Hospital, Gartner, Briefcam LLC, The Hartford, United Technologies Corporation, University of Connecticut,The Department of Economic and Community Development and the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation. Registrants are coming from New England, Pennsylvania, New York, Canada and Israel.

The Summit, which will be held on June 12, 2013, at The Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut, has been instrumental in business matchmaking. As part of the 2013 program, Summit leaders will recognize four companies that over the last year have successfully formed a Connecticut-Israel partnership.

“In two short years, we’ve gone from providing opportunities for both foreign and domestic business leaders to network, to seeing the matches we made grow into sustainable businesses,” said Sandra Johnson, Vice President and Director of Business Development for MetroHartford Alliance. “We look forward to providing more optimal opportunities this year.

Meetings are now being held for Israeli-based companies that are considering a U.S. presence and for Connecticut businesses that are interested in new Israeli technologies. To further promote exchanges, the conference will have a segment devoted to small group roundtable discussions, joining together people with varied experiences and expertise in life sciences, security and technologies.

“The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford’s goal is to create an atmosphere in which any businessperson can learn from and experience what Israel has to offer companies in our area,” said Laura Zimmerman, Vice President of Jewish Public Affairs for Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. “Even in a high-tech industry, it is the people-to-people connections and the cultural understanding of each other that ensure future success.”

Consul General Ido Aharoni and Economic Minister to North America Nili Shalev will give an overview of the importance of global leadership and the strength of Israel’s start-up culture. A collaborative relationship already exists between the Consul General and Governor Malloy. Connecticut’s tremendous assets including the insurance, aerospace, information technology, security, health and medical industries align with Israel technology.

Events will kick-off with remarks from Oz Griebel, president & CEO of MetroHartford Alliance, the Governor’s office followed by a welcome from Cathrine Fischer Schwartz, president & CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford.

The Connecticut-Israel Technology Summit is presented by the MetroHartford Alliance and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. The event will take place from 11a.m.-6:00p.m. at The Oakdale Theater in Wallingford. Tickets are $72/per person and include a Kosher buffet luncheon. To register, visit MetroHartford.com.

About MetroHartford Alliance
As the Region’s economic development leader and the City’s Chamber of Commerce, the MetroHartford Alliance ensures that the Hartford Region competes aggressively and successfully for jobs, capital and talent so as to ensure that the Region remains a premier place for all people to live, work, play and raise a family. An advocate for the continued employment growth of Hartford and the surrounding Region, the Alliance is actively engaged in executing its current strategic plan which builds upon the significant accomplishments of the past plan's four years. Among the current plan’s areas of focus are: fostering a climate for job creation and infrastructure investment; retaining, developing, recruiting and engaging a diverse and talented pool of employees and entrepreneurs; promoting the stability and expansion of specific industry sectors with a link to support small business growth; marketing the Region’s assets to retain and attract businesses; and, ensuring that the Capital City is the dynamic urban core of the region. For more information, visit www.metrohartford.com.

About the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford
The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford is where all people can find pride, optimism and care, and it is where the region’s community leadership and lay-leaders gather to identify, communicate and create opportunities that change lives for all people both locally and globally.

By providing opportunities for community members to work together to better understand and support Jewish life, and by allocating resources to organizations that support the education, heritage and social commitment of the Jewish community, Federation builds stronger Jewish leadership and ensures the continued growth, vitality and preservation of our Jewish community as a whole. For more information on our core initiatives, visit jewishhartford.org. For updated events and news stories, visit our page on Facebook and follow @jewishhartford on Twitter