Our Stars
Ilan Ramon z’l
Ilan always reached for the stars, excelling throughout his life in everything he did; including High School, at Tel Aviv University, the Air Force and NASA. He continues to inspire children all over the world to strive to do their best in everything they do.
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Ilan Ramon (COLONEL, ISRAEL AIR FORCE) (June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003; born Ilan Wolferman) was the first Israeli astronaut, following a career as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force. A graduate of Tel Aviv University, he had a well respected career and held various positions in the Israeli Air Force, reaching the rank of Colonel.
Ilan Ramon was the space shuttle payload specialist of the fatal mission of Columbia flight STS 107 (Jan 16 - Feb 1, 2003), in which he and six other crew members were killed in the re-entry accident. Posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and the Distinguished Public Service Medal, he is the only foreigner to receive this honor.
The 16-day flight was a dedicated science and research mission, with the crew conducting approximately 80 experiments. Ilan worked closely with Tel Aviv University Professor Colin Price and his team to observe Sprites (flashes of light known as Transient Luminous Events – TLEs.) Now, 18 years later, TAU Prof. Colin Price and his team will use new and improved equipment to once again image TLEs from space with the help of Eytan Stibbe, Israel’s second astronaut. This research was chosen as one of the scientific experiments on the RAKIA mission, under the name The ILAN-ES Project - Imaging of Lightning and Nighttime Electrical phenomena “Sprites” from Space in memory of Ilan Ramon.
The Ramon Foundation
In memory of Rona, Ilan & Asaf Ramon z’l
The Ramon Foundation aims to ignite the three essential values which Ilan and Asaf Ramon stood for – academic excellence, social leadership and ground-breaking courage.
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The Ramon Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Science & Technology will join the space industry, leading groundbreaking discoveries for the benefit of Israel and the global community.
Through the most advanced programs in the fields of science, aviation and space, the Foundation aims to inspire a new generation of young Israelis with an exemplary sense of purpose and professionalism and to nurture the values of academic excellence, social leadership and ground-breaking courage.
Based on the educational paradigm of Ilan and Asaf Ramon, the Foundation has built an impressive network of educators who work from the Upper Galilee to the Southern Negev in Israel. This combination of incredible leaders work to inspire and educate young adults and students alike. The foundation’s governing council and professional staff and partners share a variety of interests and expertise and are leaders in their field.
Sylvan Adams
Campaign Chair
Businessman & Philanthropist
Canadian-born businessman, philanthropist and amateur cycling champion, made Aliya in 2015. Adams previously served as CEO of the Montreal-based real estate firm Iberville Developments, and was the sole shareholder of Summit International Bank.
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Since making Aliya, Sylvan has devoted himself to serving his adopted country, as his calling card reads: "Self-appointed Ambassador at large for the State of Israel". Sylvan is the only Israeli member of the Giving Pledge, an organization begun by Warren Buffet together with Bill and Melinda Gates for billionaires committed, as signers of the “Pledge”, to giving away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic pursuits.
Sylvan’s philanthropic investments are focused on two themes:
- Promotion of Israel both abroad and internally, through innovative, non-polemical means, such as sport and cultural activities.
- Promotion of Jewish Identity in the diaspora, or as he likes to call it “ensuring Jewish grandchildren”.
Adams is a Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University, and a member of the cabinet of TAU’s Global Campaign.
Sylvan’s tagline, when asked what his next project will be is “JUST. GETTING. STARTED.”
Professor Colin Price
Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee
Professor at the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Tel Aviv University, and the Head of the Department of Environmental Studies. He is a world known Atmospheric Physicist, specializing in the Earth’s weather and climate, with a focus on thunderstorms, climate change and natural hazards.
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His recent research focus is on using Atmospheric Electricity to study natural hazards such as flash floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and solar storms.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he began his university studies, he transferred to Tel Aviv University in 1982 where he completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences. He received his Ph.D. at Columbia University, New York, in 1993, while working at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.
After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, he returned to Israel and joined the faculty of Tel Aviv University in 1995. In 2001-2002, he spent a year on sabbatical working at Environment Canada in Downsview, Ontario. His attachment to Canada runs deep, as his wife and children are all Canadian citizens.
He has published more than 150 scientific papers, and has a team of 15 graduate students and researchers working under his guidance on various scientific research projects.
Professor Price is also the Head of TAU’s Nano-satellite Center and was recently appointed Head of the University’s new Climate Action Change Center, inaugurated in June 2021.
Danièle Henkel
Gala Co-Chair
Businesswoman & CEO, Henkel Media
Danièle Henkel is in action. Always. On the paths she travels, she always looks for the crossroads where she will have the most positive impact. Human transformation is her true passion. She herself is an eternal student, with an extraordinary gift of helping others reach their full potential and regain self-confidence.
This astounding lady radiates and makes all those who stand next to her shine. Possessing a particularly strong emotional intelligence, she sees and understands situations from a different perspective, allowing new possibilities to flourish. Guided by her intuition, she chooses to go where she can bring greater solidarity and inclusiveness.
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If she has long sought the acceptance of her peers, today she has gained peace and serenity. Rooted, grateful, she finds refuge in a spirituality that brings her back to basics.
Her family remains her anchor. Her children and grandchildren are the ones for whom all her struggles for a more open and equitable society have meaning and scope. Through them, she wishes for us all to learn to live together in harmony.
Journey
Political and economic advisor to the U.S. Ambassador of Algeria for twelve years, Danièle Henkel immigrated to Quebec in the early 1990s with her mother, husband and four children. Six years later, she created the Renaissance Glove, the starting point of Danièle Henkel Enterprises. As a successfully passionate entrepreneur, Danièle Henkel avidly transmits the experience she has acquired over the years as a businesswoman, author, coach, strategic advisor, speaker and facilitator.
Brian Gallant
Gala Co-Chair
Thought Leader and CEO, Space Canada
Brian Gallant, K.C., is the CEO of Space Canada. He is a business executive and thought leader, and he was the 33rd Premier of New Brunswick.
Brian was the founding CEO and is now an Expert Panel Member of the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation. He also frequently provides business and political analysis as a media commentator
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In addition to serving as Premier of New Brunswick, Brian was the Attorney General, the Minister responsible for Innovation, and the Minister responsible for Women’s Equality. In 2018, he led his Premier colleagues as the Chair of the Council of the Federation.
Prior to elected office, Brian practiced corporate commercial law. He has university degrees in business and law from the Université de Moncton as well as a Master of Laws from McGill University.
Brian is the co-author of a major research report exploring the link between profit with purpose entitled “Canadian Voices on the Role of Business in Society”.
Brian is supportive of many causes and initiatives as a member of several boards of directors including the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Olympic Foundation, the Michaelle Jean Foundation, and the Beausejour Family Crisis Resource Centre.
Patricia Saputo
Gala Co-Chair
FCPA-FCA, ICD.D, TEP, DTax
Growing up with the “SAPUTO” name was both a blessing and a challenge for Patricia: a blessing because the name was very reputable in the province of Quebec where she grew up, and a challenge because people just assumed that coming from a successful and wealthy family, life was easy and full of opportunities.
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Her parents, Francesco and Lia Saputo, advocated that education was very important and that it would make their daughters self-reliant and not be taken advantage of by others. With that advice, Patricia became a CPA, and furthered her education in tax, investments, Estate and succession planning.Being a woman in a man’s world had never stopped her from moving forward and proving to be a leader in her own right. She wanted to be a role model for other women in the profession, the business world and the community.
After leaving Deloitte in 1998, she began a new path that allowed her to manage the patrimony of her immediate family in pioneering the startup of the family’s “Single Family Office” that further developed into the areas of investments, family governance, managing wealth as it is transitioned to future generations so they become responsible stewards of their own wealth. This has led her to become a co-founder and Chairperson of Crysalia Inc., a Chief Learning & Development Office for Enterprising Families.
She is very generous with her time as she serves in key leadership roles on a variety of boards and advisory committees. She is also a regular speaker at a number of National and International Forums. She has been invited to speak on numerous occasions in the areas of family wealth, women and wealth, education, philanthropy, financial literacy and family dynamics. She believes that education is an incomplete process which is why she considers herself a “life-learner”.
She is married to Angelo Caparelli and has 3 sons, Francesco (1996), Lorenzo (1998) and Tommaso (2005) Maltoni.
Eytan Stibbe
Ax-1 Mission Specialist
Impact Investor & Philanthropist
Eytan Stibbe is an impact investor, philanthropist, and a mission specialist on the AX-1 mission to the International Space Station.
In collaboration with the Ramon Foundation, the Israel Space Agency, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Education, Stibbe will fly to the ISS under the “Rakia” banner and the maxim “There is no dream beyond reach’’ that magnificently captures the spirit of the mission: “Rakia” is a biblical term that designates the creation of the sky.
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During his time on the ISS Stibbe will facilitate scientific experiments, educational research, and artistic activities. “Rakia” –a mission that wholly embraces peace, innovation, and social responsibility –will allow Stibbe a unique opportunity to foster his life-long interest in exploration and development. Over ten years ago, Eytan Stibbe founded the Vital Capital investment fund, which improves the lives of underserved populations in developing countries.
Through his efforts, millions of people have improved their well-being in matters such as housing, water, electricity, education, and healthcare. The fund won international acclaim as a pioneer in the field of impact investment following which Stibbe became a member of the World Economic Forum. For morethan four decades, Eytan Stibbe served as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force and received the IAF’s Distinguished Aviator Medal. Today, Stibbe resides in Israel with his wife Ora, where he spends time with his three children and four grandchildren.
Mark Pathy
Ax-1 Mission Specialist
Entrepreneur, Investor & Philanthropist
Mark Pathy is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist as well as a Mission Specialist on Axiom Space’s AX–1 mission. Pathy is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Montreal–based MAVRIK, a privately–owned investment and financing company he founded that focuses on innovation and social impact. As a strong believer in the importance of philanthropy, Pathy is a member of the boards and Executive Committees of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Dans La Rue and the Pathy Family Foundation.
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Prior to founding MAVRIK, Pathy was President and CEO of Fednav International Ltd., an international dry-bulk shipping company, and co-CEO of its parent company Fednav Limited. He remains a member of the group’s Board of Directors.
Additionally,Pathy is the Chairman of the Board of publicly traded leading music, media, and technology company Stingray Group Inc., a position he has held since November 2017 after initially joining the Board in 2015.
Through the Ax-1 mission, Pathy will become Canada’s 2nd private astronaut and the 12th Canadian to go to space. Pathy obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD. He continues to reside in Canada with his wife and three children.
Noah Redler
Chair, Project Executive Committee
Noah Redler is the founder and President of Arche Innovation and an active member of the global innovation community. He is passionate about understanding how organizations and people are evolving in the era of perpetual innovation and a believer that we can ensure the harmonious integration of humanity and technology in society and the workplace.
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His unconventional professional background includes a variety of professional experiences, each one another opportunity to learn. Previously, Noah has held the roles of the first Campus Director of Montreal’s Notman House, VP of Communications and Government Relations for Gestion Immobilier Quo Vadis, political attache at the City of Montreal, campaign manager for 5 elections at all levels of government, communications coordinator for Canada World Youth, and logistics and hospitality manager at Just For Laughs, in addition to a variety of other contractual positions.
Always involved in his community and a strong believer in the value of volunteerism, Noah has given his time to support organizations in roles that include, Director for Quebec communities for Startup Canada, member of the Bureau de Direction of the RJCCQ, co-animator of the Dérangeants podcast, a mentor to numerous entrepreneurs, co-founder of La Tournée des Entrepreneurs, co-founder of Hackerfest and Smart City fest events in collaboration with Montreal’s Startupfest and member of the advisory committee for the Africa Web Festival in Abidjan. Noah is also a member of the Board of Directors for Kids Code Jeunesse, and previously Éco-Quartier Peter-McGill, NAHA center, among others.
Since 2010, Noah has been directly involved in the creation, development and implementation of programs designed to support entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems. He is frequently asked to speak on the subjects related to creating innovation cultures within organizations, the future of work and organizational transformation.
Noah Redler has joined Ottawa, Quebec and Atlantic Canada Regional Board of Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University on October 1, 2020.
