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6 things you didn’t know about OurCrowd president Andy Kaye OurCrowd recently welcomed Andy Kaye as the new President and CIO. With over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, he has led investment banking operations around the globe. We sat down with Andy to find out a little more beyond his resume. Here are six surprising facts we learned. 1) He spent 7.5 years in the Israeli navy. After finishing high school, Andy volunteered to an elite naval unit, after graduating from the 20 month program he continued to the Naval officers course and ship command.  After almost 8 years, it was time to make a choice whether to make a career out of it, so he took a year off to travel and decide his path. A stop in London started a love affair with the stock market, eventually leading to his financial career. He never forgot the navy, however, and both his son and daughter served periods in the Israeli navy as well.   2) He is more Israeli than you think. Despite the English accent and kind manner, Andy made Aliyah at 16 and despite having traveled most of the globe and living in London, China, and New York for long stretches, he always came...

The Clamor for Transportation Alternatives  The American dream of one family, two cars has evolved as the world and technology have changed. The reasons are varied, but the expense of maintaining and buying gas for private cars, along with a bigger return to urbanization, have people seeking alternatives for getting around. Many car owners are using their vehicles less as alternative modes of transportation are simply faster. Ultimately, the social status factor of owning a car is being sidelined for considerations of time and money, not to mention the environmental impact. The change isn’t just happening in the West. In fact, China, once called the kingdom of bicycles, and India, where urbanization is unprecedented, are returning to their roots and using bicycles and trains to avoid traffic jams, or looking to ridesharing and other alternatives. The Chinese government is actively promoting bike sharing schemes to tackle its deep pollution problems. Chinese business leaders Alibaba recently participated in a $700M series E round for Ofo, one of China’s biggest bike sharing companies, valued in the billions. In India, the economy...