ALEX TOYS founders visited HIT

Prof. Eduard Yakubov, President of HIT, and Prof. David Rawet, Dean of the Faculty of Design, hosted the founders of ALEX TOYS - Nurit and Rick Amdur. The couple were impressed with the Institute's activities and students.

From left: Prof. Eduard Yakubov, Mrs. Nurit Amdur, Mr. Rick Amdur

Nurit and Rick Amdur of New York were guests of President Prof. Eduard Yakubov and the Dean of the Faculty of Design, Prof. David Rawet. The couple are the founders of the successful and esteemed company ALEX TOYS, which develops creative and educational toys and games.

In addition to co-founding and serving as CEO of ALEX TOYS, Ms. Amdur has established several design-related businesses over the years. The couple won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ms. Amdur has also supported female-owned businesses and served as mentor to several women entrepreneurs. In addition, Nurit was named Wonder Woman of Toys. The couple engage in many philanthropic activities and are well known for their support of the arts and dance.

In a meeting with students from the Department of Industrial Design, the Dean demonstrated the synergy between the young designers, the community and industry as part of the curriculum from their first year of studies at the Institute. Among the projects presented to the couple were those within the framework of HIT’s cooperative relationship with FIXPERT, an international endeavor which aims to assist the disabled community by designing unique and customized products that can help them in their day-to-day lives. As a mentor to designers, Ms. Amdur shared her own experience about the sensitivity that the experienced mentor must demonstrate during the creative process.

At the conclusion of the visit, Ms. Tali Malach, the Director of FUTURE - the Institute's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, showcased the important projects which were being advanced with the help of industry and business mentors in the Center. The close relationship between industry and students that the Institute facilitates was demonstrated at the Science and Technology lab led by Dr. Jacob Damatov, Messrs. Aharon Cohen and Mark Israel from the Science Faculty. Given her significant experience in bridging the gap between culture, innovation and entrepreneurship, Ms. Amdur was invited to join us on campus in the near future to speak to our students and share her knowledge and experience.

Posted: 15/01/2020