Involvement
My involvement extends beyond professional roles into hands-on initiatives focused on humanitarian engineering, crisis response, and building understanding across divides.
I was introduced to Tikkun Olam Makers during my post-baccalaureate studies and was immediately drawn to its mission: mobilizing underutilized talent and manufacturing capacity to improve lives through assistive technology. As an early-stage engineer completing prerequisite coursework and applying to master’s programs, TOM provided an ideal environment to develop tangible engineering skills while making meaningful impact.
While completing my undergraduate coursework in mechanical engineering, I joined the TOM University Fellowship Program and began volunteering. After being accepted into USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering, I worked to establish TOM’s presence on campus. Through an intensive grassroots outreach effort, TOM USC grew into a dedicated team of creative and technically skilled students.
Our chapter partnered with community members and leveraged USC’s resources to design and build assistive devices, including a detachable motor pack capable of electrifying any manual wheelchair. This project earned the TOM USC team a formal award for innovation and impact.
In the summer of 2023, I volunteered at TOM’s headquarters in Israel, contributing to multiple projects, including work for Ichilov Medical Center. Most notably, I collaborated with both Israeli and Palestinian engineers through the local TOM chapter in Ramallah. Working side by side in a shared makerspace in Tel Aviv, we developed prosthetics and assistive technologies for both communities—an experience that underscored how collaboration and compassion transcend political and cultural divides.
During my final year at USC, TOM became an officially recognized student organization, expanding to dozens of active members. We taught design and engineering fundamentals, delivered custom assistive projects, and organized build events to donate wheelchairs to local children’s hospitals. Since graduating, I remain involved as a member of the TOM Alumni Board and continue to volunteer whenever possible.
During the second year of my master’s program, I was admitted to USC’s Innovation in Engineering and Design for Global Crisis program, commonly known as Lives Not Grades. This immersive experience functions as both an academic course and a startup incubator, placing students in crisis regions to develop social entrepreneurship solutions.
Following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war, my cohort traveled to Romania and into Ukraine, where we met with refugees, local officials, and individuals directly impacted by the conflict. After extensive field research, my team focused on addressing the humanitarian threat posed by landmines.
Our work centered on the PFM-1 “Butterfly” mine—a Soviet-era anti-personnel device deployed in large quantities and disproportionately affecting civilians. In response, we founded SkyGuard, a landmine detection initiative.
SkyGuard consists of a lightweight sensor package compatible with commercial drones, paired with AI-driven image processing software. When deployed over contaminated areas, the system identifies and geolocates unexploded ordnance, producing clear maps for disposal teams. Multiple working prototypes were built and successfully tested with user groups in the field.
SkyGuard was named a semifinalist in both the Min Family Challenge and the Maseeh Entrepreneurship Prize Competition, and finished as runner-up in the Lives Not Grades program. While limited product–market fit prevented continued commercialization, the designs, schematics, data, component information, and software are available at no cost upon request.
My introduction to peacebuilding emerged organically through my work with Tikkun Olam Makers, where I collaborated with Israeli and Palestinian engineers to create technologies serving both communities.
Although trained as an engineer rather than an activist, the events of October 7th and the subsequent war compelled me to act. As I witnessed rising hostility toward my family, peers, and the broader Jewish community—particularly on campus—I felt a responsibility to respond constructively. I concluded that my most effective contribution would be to foster dialogue and relationships across divides.
I began organizing and tabling on campus to build alliances between Jewish and Muslim students, working alongside peers, student organizations, and external partners such as Sharaka. I engaged university leadership across student wellness, DEI, and religious life, making meaningful progress before a university-wide scandal escalated tensions to a point where the work could no longer continue. After graduation I undertook diplomatic missions around Europe and the Middle East, and had the privilege of both volunteering and meeting several ambassadors and regional officials in pursuit of peace.
Today, that commitment continues in a different form. After achieving conversational proficiency in Hebrew, I have spent over a year now studying Arabic daily. I am currently developing a video project exploring the shared values, traditions, and narratives within Judaism and Islam, with the goal of promoting mutual understanding. These videos will be published here as they are released.
I welcome thoughtful, purpose-driven outreach and aim to ensure inquiries are routed appropriately.
