OUR TEAM
Meet the people who make it all happen.
From tech wizards to community aficionados, our team thrives on diversity, innovation, collaboration, and a shared passion for redefining community trust and civic engagement.
Our Leadership Team
Founding COO of Tel Aviv University’s Interdisciplinary Research Center for Cities and Urbanism. Eyal also served as the Executive Director of The Garden Library, a community education nonprofit organization in Tel Aviv. Eyal has been a member of the World Economic Forum’s Future of Cities advisory board and was the youngest board member of the Israeli Planning Association. Eyal speaks and lectures frequently about how governments can build trust and improve decision making by engaging with the community using digital tools.
CEO + Co-Founder
Founding CTO and an Open Data Veteran. Ido holds an M.Sc in Computer Science and Mathematics from the Hebrew University and an MBA from the Recanati Executive Program at Tel Aviv University. Prior to Zencity, Ido worked at the National Library of Israel as head of Digital Innovation and managed many of the Library's digital initiatives. He was also part of the National Library planning team at Yad Hanadiv and a software developer at Check Point Software Technologies, Inc. Ido lives in Tel Aviv and is married to Michal and a father to Guy and Yuval.
CTO + Co-Founder
Zencity’s COO, brings two decades of leadership in government and philanthropy. Formerly Chief of Staff to Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot in Chicago, he managed city operations, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, as Director of Strategy at the Chicago Police Department, he led a 25-person team for crime strategy and reforms. At the MacArthur Foundation, he focused on community policing, justice, and oversight. Classen holds a B.S. from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
Chief Operating Officer
Zencity’s CSO was previously the co-founder & CEO of Elucd, a startup acquired by Zencity. He established and managed the first-of-its-kind in-house analytics department for Barack Obama’s groundbreaking campaign for President of the United States, served in the Obama Administration, and founded a data science consultancy that served corporate and public sector clients. He is a Michigan native and a University of Michigan and University of Michigan Law School graduate.
Chief Strategy Officer
As Zencity’s VP of R&D and a passion for innovation and AI-driven solutions, he leads the team in creating data-driven technologies that empower cities and enhance citizen trust. Under Shota’s leadership, the R&D team at Zencity has thrived, developing groundbreaking solutions that enable cities to make informed decisions and improve their residents’ lives with a profound belief in the power of technology to transform urban landscapes.
VP of Research and Development
Shai oversees comprehensive financial management at Zencity, handling accounting, planning, tax, and treasury. Collaborating with business leaders, he executes growth strategies. With 13+ years in finance, he joined Zencity in June 2021, previously as corporate controller at Mindspace, leading a global finance team. His experience also includes a managerial role at Ernst & Young's Tel Aviv technology audit practice.
VP of Finance
Carmel Hanany-Degani, VP of Operations and formerly Chief of Staff at Zencity, leads strategic initiatives and operational excellence. With a legal and real estate background, she excels in complex environments, delivering impactful results. Passionate about urbanism, she authored three books and holds a Bachelor of Laws from Tel Aviv University and a Master of Arts in Urban Planning. In her previous position, she managed betterment strategies and legal aspects for real estate assets in a private equity investment fund.
VP of Operations
Eyal leads a team supporting public agencies globally, focusing on risk communication, public engagement, and handling contentious policy issues. With 18+ years' expertise, he elevates government reputations, addressing community concerns. A featured speaker at prestigious events like the World Forum for Democracy and Personal Democracy Forum, Eyal shares communication insights. Holding a B.A. in Political Science, Environmental Science, and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his influence spans industry events.
VP of Strategic Acccounts
Amy is the Director of HR, North America at Zencity and co-leads the HR team, setting the strategic plans for all stages of the employee life cycle - from talent acquisition, to benefits administration, to performance management and employee development. She has over 10 years of progressive HR experience and previously worked in various professional services organizations. Amy has her BS from the University of Delaware and MS is Management as well as her PHR certification.
Director of HR - North America
Our Advisors
Dave Rahinsky, a law enforcement veteran of over 30 years, served as Police Chief in several regions, including Grand Rapids, Michigan. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, he holds a Master's in Criminology from Florida State University and was inducted into FSU's Hall of Fame in 2017. Now Zencity's Senior Advisor for Law Enforcement Strategy, Rahinsky spearheads the Data-Driven Community-Aligned Policing (DCAP) initiative, aiming to implement it nationwide for law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Senior Advisor for Law Enforcement
Chief of Police (ret.),
Grand Rapids, MI
Lee R. Feldman, ICMA-CM (Retired), now Senior Advisor for Local Government Strategy at Zencity and Principal at The Euclid Group, brings vast experience as City Manager in Gainesville, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Bay, and North Miami, Florida. Elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2018, he's held roles like President of ICMA and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Civic League and Leading Cities. Feldman's accolades include the "City Manager of the Year" Award from the Florida League of Cities.
Senior Advisor for Local Government Strategy
ICMA-CM
City Manager (ret.),
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stephen Goldsmith is a Senior Advisor to Zencity and previously served as the Mayor of Indianapolis from 1992 to 2000 and as Deputy Mayor for Operations for New York City under Mayor Michael Bloomberg from 2010 to 2013. He is also a distinguished fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where he teaches courses on urban governance and innovation in the public sector. He has written several books on these topics, including "The 21st Century City: Resurrecting Urban America" and "Putting Faith in Neighborhoods: Making Cities Work through Grassroots Citizenship". Goldsmith is also a member of several boards and foundations, including the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service. He has a strong track record in urban governance and innovation in the public sector.
Senior Advisor
Harvard Kennedy School, Bloomberg Center for Cities, Former Deputy Mayor of New York City
Our Team
Reem Saqer Saabneh
Full Stack Developer
Abdallah Hussien
Full Stack Developer
Kerri Taylor
Proposal Manager
Madina Baimakhanova
Customer Solutions Specialist
Suen Ting
Front End Developer
Sivan Farhi
HR Manager
Osayd Shihab
Data Engineer
Yahya Abbadi
Full Stack Developer
Noam Sokolove
Tier 2 Support Specialist
Basil Atawneh
Full Stack Developer
Nitzan Heiferman
Data Solutions Specialist
Ayala Adler
Product Analyst
Tali Polke
Executive Assistant
Ready to get started?
Reach out to our team to schedule a demo.