- 8 minutes ago
After being held hostage by Hamas for 246 days following the October 7 attacks, Noa Argamani became one of the world’s most recognizable advocates for those still in captivity.
Now, she’s building a new path in venture capital at Vine Ventures, working with Israeli founders to scale their businesses in the US.
As part of Business Insider’s The Long Play, Argamani opened up about the life and career she is building now, and how she plans to use her platform to support entrepreneurs in the region.
In a conversation with Business Insider editor in chief Jamie Heller titled “The Next Chapter,” Argamani talked about how she chose venture capital as a career path, connecting with Michael Milken, and continuing her advocacy work.
Now, she’s building a new path in venture capital at Vine Ventures, working with Israeli founders to scale their businesses in the US.
As part of Business Insider’s The Long Play, Argamani opened up about the life and career she is building now, and how she plans to use her platform to support entrepreneurs in the region.
In a conversation with Business Insider editor in chief Jamie Heller titled “The Next Chapter,” Argamani talked about how she chose venture capital as a career path, connecting with Michael Milken, and continuing her advocacy work.
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00:05Thanks for being here Noah. October 7th, we all remember it and many of you will
00:13remember Noah, taken captive, held hostage for 246 days, eventually rescued
00:20by Israeli soldiers. After her release, her life took a new turn. You became an
00:29advocate for the hostages, remaining hostages, and embraced a global role.
00:36And eventually, it came time to pick a career path. And at that point, the offers
00:43came in. You could have started a company, you could have joined a company,
00:49been a model, but you chose venture capital. Can you tell us why?
00:55First of all, I'm really excited to be here with you guys. It's my first step
01:00in venture capital, and I have a lot to learn. But I'm really excited to sharing
01:05with you my new chapter in life, especially because I've been software
01:12engineering before then, and I fall in love with coding and technology. I felt
01:18that that's what I want to do. I never do that because my parents forced me to go
01:25to university. And even when I was in captivity, I told myself, I love my life. I love
01:32what I'm doing. And after I got released, the first thing that I did is coming back
01:38to the university, because I knew that eventually I will come back to the industry, and that's
01:45what I want to do. But in the last few years, we see how the LLMs changed the old world,
01:55and
01:55now junior jobs, it's not the same thing that it used to be before. I learned to code before
02:03opening an eye, and I felt that now ChatGPT and Claude can do it better than me. And from
02:11the other hand, I felt that I have so many skills that I learned in the past few years. I
02:17learned
02:18my English got better, public speaking that I did all over the world, just to tell my story,
02:24to advocate, to bring everybody home. And also, I met incredible people that just want the best
02:30for Israel, and they want to help the Israeli startup nation.
02:35So, how did you put it all together? You became speaker, you spoke English better, public speaking,
02:42all these connections. And what's the long-term goal that led you to then pick venture capital?
02:49I felt that if you're looking forward to build Israel, it's just about helping to build a
02:59startup nation. We all the time compare between Israelis and Palestine, that they build the
03:07tunnels while we build startups and building buildings at the same time. And we want the
03:13world to see that Israel is strong, not because of military and not because the world we've been
03:20through. It's because we want a better future. We look for a bright future, and we want it for
03:30all the citizens as well. So, you know, a lot of young people, when they feel very committed to their
03:43country, they choose to go into government. But you're seeing business as a path, ultimately,
03:52to help your country. First of all, I feel that because I spent so long in the U.S. in
04:01the last
04:01two years, I have a relationship that, and a lot of opportunities that not a lot of people in Israel
04:08have. And I also met a lot of people in the White House, in the Congress, in the U.N.,
04:16that any other
04:17politic have. But I feel that now I'm just turned 29 and building my new chapter and my career, it's
04:31the
04:31right time to do that. And maybe in the future, maybe like the second career that I will have. But
04:39all
04:40the time I'm thinking about people need to do what they're doing the best. And if I will want to
04:50help
04:50the economic of Israel, I need to learn how to do that. And maybe in the future I can advise
04:57for the
04:57government as well. That makes a lot of sense. So you talked about a lot of the political figures you've
05:03met over the last few years. But you've also created some strong bonds with business figures. Can you tell
05:11us a little bit about who those people are and how they fit into what you're doing now?
05:16So first of all, I came to U.S. two years ago, before Trump was elected. And then I realized
05:27that a lot of
05:28people that he surrounded himself with, it's a lot of people from the business industry. And I knew that if
05:36I
05:36want to get to Trump and release all the hostages, I need to find my way through the business industry.
05:46And
05:47thanks God that Florida was really welcoming this time. A lot of people saw me as a release hostages. It
05:58was
05:58maybe less than a year since I was rescued. And I had one goal. To bring all the hostages back
06:07home. I just
06:09did it for the innocent's goal. To save lives. And they thought that I have no interest for nothing else.
06:18And I
06:18think that that's what makes them fall in love. Because they see just a little girl shouting for help.
06:27And tell us about the people who heard that shout. It was some of the most important investors in the
06:34world.
06:36One of the people that I all the time keep talking about is Michael Milken that he
06:44welcomed me in a lot of conference. And I was talking in his conference, in the global conference in
06:52L.A. two years ago. And I felt so blessed that people can see me to listen to my story
07:02and be moved by.
07:04I felt that for so long that I was in captivity. I was by myself in a tiny room. And
07:12I didn't know what
07:13happened in the rest of the world. Nobody could hear me. And now I have the opportunity to be on
07:19this
07:20stage and talk about all the things that I've been through. And also how I want to build the future.
07:29So how do you tie it back to the work now? Are you helping the founders at your venture capital
07:38firm
07:39tap into some of the influence and insights of these investors and other people in business?
07:47I feel that one of the special things about Vine Venture that is also an American fund and also an
07:57Israeli fund.
07:58We have a business office in Tel Aviv, Boston, New York, and San Francisco. And I hear that a lot
08:05from our
08:07portfolio companies that say that this fund is really special because it's not an Israeli fund and it's not an
08:15American fund. We talk like Israelis that a lot of American venture capital don't do. And we also have go
08:25to market and we know the
08:27American industry as well. And that's what makes them feel comfortable with that. We know that we came from the
08:34same place.
08:36And for the other hand, we want to help the founders that you understand your founder community. So, yeah,
08:44Vine Ventures, just tell us another beat of all within venture capital. How did you end up choosing Vine Ventures?
08:50I think you did an internship there? I did an internship. I start at April. I just get to full
08:57-time job in September.
09:00But Eric, the partner and the co-founder of Vine Venture, I get to know him way before I even
09:07thought about my next step.
09:10He's one of my friends that helped me with the advocacy and bring all the hostages back home. If it's
09:18hosting Shabbat
09:19dinners, if it's helping me to get to people, to have the stage to speak and share my stories as
09:29well. And that's why I feel
09:31that it's a family. It's come from a really pure place that he just wants to help, that he wants
09:40to see me succeed as well.
09:42So he's been a real champion for you. You've talked about why you think it's important for Israeli companies to,
09:50as you describe, break the border to succeed on a broader global stage.
09:56I mean, Israel is known as the startup nation, but not that many companies become huge. They might get sold
10:04or whatever happens next.
10:05But why is that important to you, do you think?
10:09I remember that I was 14 years old in Beersheva. And I was in a program that's called SheCode. And
10:19they took us to Google Office.
10:21And for the first time, I saw the tech world. Two of my parents never been in the tech industry,
10:31never knew what is this. And I was a little
10:37innocent girl that for the first time saw that we can live a different life. Because I grew up in
10:44a different place. And while I've been
10:48traveling the world in the last two years, I met so many people. And then it gave me another angle
10:55of life that
10:59Israelis don't really understand. Israeli founders that have never been in the U.S.
11:05will never know what's the go-to market. And I feel that to build this bridge, right now we're doing
11:13a delegation for
11:1510 young people to San Francisco to go and meet incredible people for open AI, cognition, and a lot of
11:26successful companies and startups. And just to make them think bigger from day one. Just to make them see that
11:37the world has so much to offer. And we need to build the next
11:45dreamers. And to build these next dreamers, how do you see that not only helping the dreamers, but helping your
11:52country? How do the two goals align for you?
11:55How do you see that?
11:56First of all, the economy of Israel will bring a lot of safety for the citizens as well.
12:04Second of all, I feel that as much as Israeli will be independent, will have this safety. And from another
12:20perspective that I want that other people will see that Israel is strong.
12:24We have a great education. We have value. The best founders coming from Tel Aviv and Israel. And the whole
12:34world will look at us as successful and that we're moving on. And it's the best place to live in.
12:47So let's talk about the folks who are in Tel Aviv. And now you've been spending a lot of time
12:53in Silicon Valley. I mean, what's similar? What's different?
12:57So it's really funny. I feel that the Israeli identity, because we're all the time in the world, we have
13:07the survivor skills that nobody else understands. We're celebrating every day like tomorrow will be our last day. And unfortunately,
13:19in many, many stories, it's actually true.
13:22I lost my friends in the future. I lost my friends in the music festival. And they were young and
13:28beautiful and they actually celebrate their life as tomorrow will be their last day.
13:33And San Francisco. And San Francisco, they see the future. They're building years ahead. The difference between Israelis that schedule
13:47the next months and people in America that schedule six months ahead.
13:55And also Israelis are more direct. If a founder comes to an Israeli investor, he will tell him right away
14:03what he's been wrong and what he should do.
14:08Just very direct, the Israeli investor.
14:10Really direct. They stop it in the middle. Thank you for your time. Don't waste my time.
14:15And how can I help you to be a better founder? An American, they can listen for hours, smile, and
14:26in the end of the conversation, they will skip and they will never tell them why.
14:31And I think that the combination of two of them, also the Israeli behavior and also the gentle American people
14:41can, the combination between it can lead for a better place.
14:49You act as a coach to some of your portfolio companies. Tell us about those conversations and what you feel
14:57you try to bring to the people working with Vine.
15:01I feel that also after October 7, I've been talking in a lot of conference and also with founders about
15:13not knowing what the next step will look like.
15:17To know that life is fragile and everything can be changed in a second.
15:25And it's something that I experience in captivity and also founder experience in the daily life.
15:33Because to be a founder, it's not easy. Every day is really cool. You're working for hours and you spend
15:42months about something that is not working well.
15:45And the stress and the out-knowing, it's something that is really similar.
15:50And I just had so many skills and mindfulness about thinking positive that I'm so happy to share with people
16:03that just don't see that in the moment.
16:06So you're able to sort of coach them through the hard times, which obviously don't compare to what you went
16:13through, but you can relate to what's not in their control, right?
16:18Right. And it also gave them a perspective for life that sometimes you've been so stressed about something, but it's
16:26not life or death situation.
16:30You describe yourself as an optimist. All the way through, really. Can you tell us when you first started feeling
16:39like that and how that motivates you every day?
16:41I feel that I, I feel that I, I all the time being an optimistic and naive optimistic.
16:48Sometimes I believe in things that it could be really weird for people, but in my heart, I just believe
16:56in good.
16:57And I remember that even in captivity, I just count every single part and every single stuff that I had.
17:09If it was like a half a liter of water, if it was a sock or a blanket, I just
17:16said thank you for everything that I have at that moment.
17:19And I had no doubt that I will come back home alive.
17:25And every single day that I hear the booming and the shooting guns and after I lose two of my
17:35closest friends in captivity, I still had no doubt that I will come back to my family.
17:41And, and also in this current situation that we don't know what the future will bring.
17:51I just wake up every morning that I see the cards that I have in my hand and I play
17:58in the best way that I can do.
18:01I just see all the opportunities that I have and I'm doing my best.
18:07Certainly sounds like it.
18:09Day to day, how, how do you like being in venture capital?
18:13We, um, we heard from a supermodel Ashley Graham today, uh, who's also an entrepreneur.
18:18She called it ruthless.
18:20Um, I mean, what are you seeing that you didn't expect?
18:27I feel that what's really surprised me is to see so many people that engage.
18:33And I've been in a lot of conference and I, I saw a lot of advisors and I was so
18:43surprised to see really smart people and, and incredible people just look into my eyes and give me advice.
18:52And that's what makes me feel every day that it's not a bottle filled.
18:59People are engaged to help.
19:01And if it's, if I'm sending message in LinkedIn to people and they send me a message back, if he's
19:08just connect me to another person, they think that he will add value.
19:13And I feel blessed that I have so many support and a lot of people engaged to help me in
19:21my journey.
19:22Well, you're certainly connecting what's your power and your goals together.
19:33And, uh, I think that's something for everyone to learn from.
19:37Thank you so much.
19:39It's been great to have you.