Crown Family Israel Center for Innovation (ICI)

The Crown+Health Fellows cohort in Tel Aviv, September 2025.
We connect students and faculty interested in innovation to the vibrant technology sector in Israel. With the highest number of start-up companies per capita, Israel, also known as the “Start-Up Nation,” is one of the most innovative countries in the world. Through programs, courses and fellowships focused on the Israeli economy, the ICI connects students and faculty with Israeli business and institutions, encouraging collaboration, partnership and learning.

Upcoming Events

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Crown+Health Fellows Trek 2026

Apply here for the 2026 cohort. 

The Crown+Health Fellows program is a partnership between the Crown Family Israel Center for Innovation (ICI) and Healthcare at Kellogg, providing a unique opportunity for students to participate in a seminar series on Israel’s innovation ecosystem, and to then embark on a trip to Israel in which they will visit some of the country’s most innovating startups and firms. 

Health Care Innovation as a Cultural Bridge - This year, our focus is on the pivotal role that technology can play in healthcare innovation. Israel's thriving technology sector presents a unique opportunity to bridge cultural and religious divides, fostering collaboration between diverse communities. This collaboration serves as a powerful model for uniting diverse communities through shared innovation and mutual goals.

Innovative Firms - During the trip to Israel, Fellows will visit leading firms that specialize in applying technological solutions in digital health, medical devices and biopharma. These experiences will not only highlight the power of technology but also demonstrate how innovation can unite us in our shared commitment to a better future.


Dates to remember

The 2026 application is now open. The deadline to apply is February 6, 2026 at 5:00pm CST.

Program Timeline
Seminar Series: 
April-June, 2026

Trek to Israel: 
August 29 - September 3, 2026 



ICI Fellowship

  • Mohammad Abubacker ’23
  • Ashwin Bhaskar ’23
  • Adam Carn-Saferstein ’23
  • Aydin Celebi ’23
  • Milly Dai ’23
  • Chika Dunga ’23
  • Craig Dunham ’22
  • Andy Galpin ’23
  • Christina Henry ’23
  • Noor Johal ’23
  • Pinyu Kuo ’22
  • Carolina Madrid ’23
  • Francisco Mariscal ’23
  • Megan Nelson ’23
  • Monika Pani ’23
  • Juhi Parekh ’23
  • Traci Shapiro ’23
  • Jack Struthers ’23
  • Andrew Wald ’23
  • Joshua Wasserman ’23
  • Cherry Yau ’23
  • Chen Yue ’23
  • Christina Zhong ’23

Crown family legacy

Rooted in the legacy of Arie and Ida Crown, the Crown Family has provided civic and philanthropic leadership in Chicago and beyond across five generations and over seven decades. The family partners with organizations and communities to further social impact in areas including education; the environment; health and human services; global health; gun violence prevention; and the Jewish community and Israel. Their commitment to a successful and vibrant Israel includes a strategic focus on creating opportunities for diversity in Israel’s high-tech sector.

Company Spotlight: DeserTech

DeserTech is an Innovation Community that promotes the development, adaptation and commercialization of technologies that enable sustainable living in arid climates, while simultaneously, turning Be'er Sheva and the Negev region into a global entrepreneurial hub for these technologies.

Company Spotlight: ECOncrete

ECOncrete bio-enhancing concrete technology brings biodiversity, carbon storage, and superior structural performance to any concrete marine infrastructure. ECOncrete infrastructures become encrusted in rich marine life, such as tubeworms, oysters, and barnacles. This living layer enhances water quality and the local ecosystem, improves the structure’s durability, and performs as a carbon sink and self-mitigating, carbon-storing structure. The biogenic buildup also provides substantial structural and economic advantages in terms of increased stability and longevity, and a reduction in maintenance.

Meet the Crown+Health team

Contact us about the Crown Family Israel Center for Innovation

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