Chief Executive Officer, AICF USA & AICF Israel
Iris Reff-Ronen is an entrepreneur and executive with vast experience in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining AICF Israel, Iris led the Israeli Choreographers Association, an umbrella organization for contemporary dance artists in Israel. She also served for 15 years as the CEO of Unistream, a unique NGO fostering social and business leadership for over 1,600 young adults from Israel’s periphery through education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Iris was the acting CFO of the Shilav Group, CFO of a high-tech company and worked for the WZO while living in the US. She is an enthusiastic promoter of arts education in Israel, and an advocate for building educational support in the periphery. She is passionate about building positive change in the Israeli cultural sector and applying her extensive background to help realize the potential of young Israeli artists, harness their remarkable talent and continue to expand Israel’s cultural presence around the world Iris holds advanced degrees in business, finance and marketing. She lives in New York with her husband Micha and her children.
Director of Development
Lauren Epstein is a dynamic nonprofit professional, with expertise in the Jewish and arts cultural arenas. Prior to joining AICF, she worked at the University of Pennsylvania Hillel, UJA-Federation of New York, and OneTable and in tandem with top trailblazers. Lauren is thrilled to join AICF and is looking forward to bringing together changemakers to create significant impact and philanthropy. Lauren is an alumnus of Brandeis Collegiate Institute (BCI), a place devoted to the artistic, cultural, intellectual, and environmental pursuits of the Jewish people. She comes from a family of artists, is an art advocate, and Co-Founded Manhattan Modern Art, which promotes her mother’s catalog of abstract art. Her connection to Israel stems from her extensive work connecting young adults to the country through Birthright, as well as having studied at The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Lauren earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a specialization in Social Stratification. In her free time, Lauren travels frequently and has led social justice missions around the world. In recent years, she has reignited her passion for the arts through various mediums, including piano and film.
Director of the Israeli Artist Network
Galia Barkol is a narrative and documentary creator whose work has been screened and distributed internationally, earning her accolades including the Tangerine fellowship at Stowe Story Labs, NYC TV’s Best Script award, QWFF’s InkTip award, as well as the Sundance Script Lab semifinalist recognition for her debut feature film. Barkol is also a passionate science communicator, distilling complex concepts into accessible narratives for broad audiences. At AICF, she had the privilege of spearheading its global community of artists, as well as building and leading programs to benefit exceptional emerging talents at the most crucial intersections of their career.
Development Associate
Erin Daley is a nonprofit professional with a background in fine arts and art history. A native of New York, Erin double majored in English and Art at Simmons University in Boston. While in college, she worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Boston Office of Christie’s Auction House. After graduation, Erin began her development career and worked at such institutions as the Museum of Modern Art, The New York Public Library, and Old Westbury Gardens. Erin’s connection to music began when she played clarinet for eight years during her academic career. She passed her love of music on to her teenage daughter who plays the clarinet, piano, and steel drums. In her free time, Erin and her daughter love visiting museums, attending musical performances, and enjoying diverse culinary experiences during their travels.
Iris Reff Ronen
Chief Executive Officer, AICF USA & AICF Israel
Iris Reff-Ronen is an entrepreneur and executive with vast experience in both corporate and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining AICF Israel, Iris led the Israeli Choreographers Association, an umbrella organization for contemporary dance artists in Israel. She also served for 15 years as the CEO of Unistream, a unique NGO fostering social and business leadership for over 1,600 young adults from Israel’s periphery through education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Iris was the acting CFO of the Shilav Group, CFO of a high-tech company and worked for the WZO while living in the US. She is an enthusiastic promoter of arts education in Israel, and an advocate for building educational support in the periphery. She is passionate about building positive change in the Israeli cultural sector and applying her extensive background to help realize the potential of young Israeli artists, harness their remarkable talent and continue to expand Israel’s cultural presence around the world Iris holds advanced degrees in business, finance and marketing. She lives in New York with her husband Micha and her children.
Jessica Hadler
Director of Programs & Grants
Jessica Hadler is a longtime advocate of the arts and a supporter of young artists. She was Director of Artistic Programs for Concert Artists Guild, where she worked for more than 10 years. In this role she oversaw the organization’s New York concert series, an annual international competition, record label, and commissioning program, and mentored a roster of talented musicians. She taught the Art of Engagement at Mannes School of Music at the New School, a course designed to inspire students to discover and express their unique artistic points of view. Jessica served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Look & Listen Festival, a new music festival held each Spring in NYC, and was a Board Member of AlpenKammerMusik, a chamber music festival in Austria. Jessica studied music at Indiana University, earning her BM and MM degrees in saxophone performance. She made Aliya to Israel in 2017.
Evelina Zayats
Assistant to Chief Executive Officer & Project Manager
Evelina Zayats joined AICF Israel in 2017 with strong enthusiasm and previous experience to flourish in the non-profit arts sector. Her versatility was acquired from an array of positions, with an extensive skill set to impact Israeli culture and young artists’ lives. She started her career at Siemens Ltd., Energy Sector in Moscow as a Commercial PM (Economist) while receiving her MBA in the Commercial Trainee Program. Shortly after her move to Israel, Evelina worked with H.Stern and quickly climbed the ranks in the sales team for five years. From there, she joined Finance Industries as the Personal Assistant to the CEO, in the company developed the technology solutions in finace. Evelina holds advanced degrees in Engineering from Moscow State Academy and an Industrial MBA from Siemens AG-Steinbeis Hochschule in Austria. She made Aliya in 2009.
