To Partners, Supporters and Friends of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA),

I am writing today to share that Scott Hiipakka, MIBA CEO, has accepted an executive-level position in the financial services sector, and will be transitioning to this new position at year end.  While we’re of course disappointed, we are thrilled for Scott and his family for this new opportunity.

The MIBA professional team and the board thank Scott for the exceptional growth and success of  MIBA under his leadership. Over the past 5+ years, Scott and his team have generated over $20 million of combined economic activity between Michigan and Israel; established The Elevator, a first-of-its-kind landing zone for Israeli startups in the U.S.; and, perhaps most importantly, established the culture and operational framework to drive  MIBA’s continued growth.

The Board has asked Mark Davidoff, Founding MIBA Board Chair, to re-assume the interim leadership role, as he did during Scott’s military deployment in 2023, and to help define the key characteristics of MIBA’s next leader. Scott will support the transition, working with Mark and the team to close 2024 strong and continue that momentum into 2025.

Our board is committed to MIBA’s mission and to growing its economic impact.

Thank you to Scott and Mark for their leadership and dedication to the MIBA, and  congratulations to Scott on his new role!