Kudos to Jay Deitcher for his thoughtful reflection on Joshua Venture’s legacy in eJewishPhilanthropy (“25 years after launching, the now-shuttered Joshua Venture still making waves through Jewish world,” Feb. 7). His article captures something powerful: the way a single investment in bold Jewish leadership can create ripples that extend far beyond what anyone could have imagined at the time.

I know this story personally — not just because I lead in this space now, but because I once applied to be a Joshua Venture Fellow. Spoiler: I wasn’t chosen. It stung at the time, but looking back I realize that Joshua Venture’s impact wasn’t just about who was selected — it was about planting the idea that innovation belongs in Jewish life. That idea has stayed with me and shaped the work I do today.

In 2017, Joshua Venture merged with UpStart, Bikkurim and PresenTense to build something even bigger. The result? A support system that now fuels more than 200 Jewish ventures, organizations that are actively shaping the Jewish future. Many of them are solving problems we couldn’t have predicted a decade ago: keeping communities connected through the COVID-19 pandemic; responding to the post-Oct. 7 reality; and ensuring that Jewish life remains strong in ways that feel urgent and necessary.

What’s striking about this story is how it proves a fundamental truth: the best investments in Jewish life are the ones that anticipate what we can’t yet see. It’s easy to fund what’s already established, what feels safe. What actually moves us forward, however, are the risks — the bets placed on visionary leaders who sense where the world is going before the rest of us do. 

The Jewish community has been the beneficiary of those bets for 25 years. The real question is: Will we continue making them?

None of this would have happened without the champions who understood these ideas early on and those who continue to lift up this work today. They saw, long before many did, that investing in entrepreneurs wasn’t just about launching new ideas, but about ensuring that Jewish life remains adaptive, creative and resilient.

And woven into this entire story is the leadership of Aliza Mazor. For nearly 20 years, Aliza has been one of the people ensuring that Jewish social entrepreneurs not only survive but thrive. Her wisdom and guidance have shaped countless organizations — including mine.

Looking back, the story of Joshua Venture is about more than just its impact. It’s about a mindset, a way of thinking about the Jewish future that is just as critical today as it was 25 years ago. The work isn’t finished. If anything, this moment calls for more vision, more courage and more investment in what comes next.

Aaron Katler is the CEO of UpStart. He previously served as the director of special projects and senior philanthropic advisor at the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco and as chief field officer at BBYO. He also founded Endangered Spirit, an environmental education tourism company operating across the Americas.