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Hila Oren

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Dr. Hila Oren

Dr. Hila Oren (Hebrew: הלה אורן), the current CEO of the Tel Aviv Foundation, is a city maker with a deep passion for urbanism and a vast experience in city branding and marketing. She is a world renowned expert, speaker, and educator of Public Spaces development and an avid believer that our shared urban spaces must function as Pockets of Health.

Dr. Oren is known for her work in urban development, the advancement of public spaces, and for her role in positioning Tel Aviv as a global innovation hub.

Biography

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Dr. Oren received her BA in Education (1991) and MBA (1997) from Tel Aviv University. She later participated in the Wexner Senior Leadership Program at Harvard Kennedy School (2016) and earned her PhD from the Department of Geography at Haifa University (2019), with a thesis focused on "The Global Branding of Tel Aviv." She is an affiliated researcher at Nur Lab (Negev Urban Research).

Career

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Early Career

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Dr. Oren began her career as CEO and founder of the Municipal Culture Company LT in Shoham (1998-2004), where she led a municipal company for cultural management that maintained 80% self-financing and engaged hundreds of employees. During this period, she also launched the Shoham Economic Company, overseeing construction, development, and financial initiatives for the local council. Her initiatives included innovative projects such as the Shoham Park and the Small Gas Stations Initiative.

Society for the Protection of Nature

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From 2005 to 2007, Oren served as Director of Tourism Operations at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, where she initiated business strategies targeting different sectors nationally and internationally. She designed and led ecologically based educational initiatives, including seminars, summer camps, tours, and festivals.

Tel Aviv Centennial

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As Municipal General Director of the Tel Aviv Centennial (2008-2010), Dr, Oren spearheaded the development, planning, execution, and branding of the Tel Aviv Centennial Celebrations programs and events. These included performances, festivities, educational projects, community initiatives, international operations, conferences, and artistic endeavors.

Tel Aviv Global

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Dr. Oren founded and led Tel Aviv Global (2011-2015), an initiative started by the Mayor's Office of Tel Aviv-Yafo dedicated to elevating the city's brand and global positioning. Under her leadership, she launched a cross-platform innovative city re-branding process that positioned Tel Aviv as one of the top innovative metropolitans in the world. This initiative led to Tel Aviv winning the Smart City Award in 2014. During her tenure, Dr. Oren developed the "Startup City" vision—a municipal strategic plan for investors, entrepreneurs, tourists, and students that connected city platforms with private initiatives.

The Tel Aviv Foundation

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Since 2016, Dr. Oren has served as CEO of the Tel Aviv Foundation, a non-profit founded in 1977 and currently chaired by Tel Aviv's mayor Ron Huldai. The Foundation focuses on raising the quality of life for Tel Aviv residents through partnerships that enhance the city's values of openness, innovation, inclusion, and opportunity. Under her leadership, the Foundation has delivered over 1,000 projects to date, with a focus on creating an inclusive city and hopeful future through matched funding models.

Concepts and contributions

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Dr. Oren is known for developing and advocating the concept of "Pockets of Health"—safe, friendly, versatile urban areas in Tel Aviv and worldwide that function as places of wellbeing for city residents. She describes herself as "an urbanist and a true believer that well-planned ergonomic metropolitans, accommodating all residents, can change the world."

During her tenure at Tel Aviv Global, Dr. Oren was instrumental in positioning Tel Aviv as a global innovation hub, which contributed to the city's reputation as a "Startup City" and its subsequent Smart City Award in 2014.

At the Tel Aviv Foundation, Dr. Oren shifted the focus from "project based" to "program based" initiatives, providing immediate solutions to residents' needs. Under her leadership, the Foundation saw a 50% increase in local donations while advocating civic duty across communities.

Teaching

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Dr. Oren has held visiting professor positions at:

Board Memberships and Volunteer Positions

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Dr. Oren serves or has served on numerous boards and committees:

Selected Conference Appearances, Podcasts & Interviews

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Appearances and Interviews

Podcasts

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