Alex Karp, the cofounder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, exerted growing influence over the past year as Israel's war and the global security environment elevated the strategic importance of defense and intelligence technology. A vocal and unapologetic supporter of Israel following Oct. 7, Karp rejected the moral evasions common in Silicon Valley, publicly affirming Palantir's work with democratic governments confronting terrorism. His stance reflected a distinctly Jewish insistence that technological power carries ethical responsibility — and that innovation should ultimately serve human life and collective security.

Michael Eisenberg does not separate capital from conviction. A founding partner of Aleph, the Israeli venture capital firm, Eisenberg has spent years arguing that the Jewish state's startup culture is not an accident of economics but an expression of Jewish values such as responsibility, covenant, and long-term thinking. In 2025, as war tested Israel's economy and morale, he spoke and wrote with urgency about resilience, national purpose, and the moral dimension of markets. Eisenberg invested, advised founders, and articulated a case for building companies in Israel not only as financial bets but as acts of continuity. For him, innovation is not just disruption. It is destiny shaped with discipline.

David Ellison, the founder and CEO of Skydance Media, continued to expand his influence across film, television, and streaming during a year when cultural narratives carried heightened political and moral weight. As the son of Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, one of Israel's most prominent supporters, Ellison occupies a rare position at the intersection of media power and Jewish continuity. His growing role in shaping global entertainment underscored how storytelling itself remains a quiet but consequential arena in which Jewish values, identity, and historical memory are contested.

Assaf Rappaport, the cofounder and CEO of cloud security firm Wiz, reinforced Israel's reputation as a global engine of innovation, even amid national trauma. A former officer in Israel's elite cyber intelligence units, Rappaport leads a company devoted to protecting digital infrastructure at a time when cyber vulnerability has real-world human consequences. Over the past year, his leadership symbolized a core aspect of Jewish peoplehood: resilience, service, and the determination to build and safeguard life even under fire.

Josh Kushner, the founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital, remained one of the most influential Jewish investors shaping the future of global technology. Through long-term investments in artificial intelligence, health care, and financial systems, Kushner has helped direct capital toward enterprises intended to improve human welfare at scale. His quiet prominence reflected a longstanding Jewish tradition of stewardship — deploying resources not merely for growth, but for enduring societal benefit.

Scott Rechler, the chairman and CEO of RXR, stood at the intersection of business leadership and civic responsibility during a challenging year for New York's Jewish community. Beyond shaping the physical landscape of the region through real estate and infrastructure, Rechler spoke openly about the obligations of leadership during moments of social strain. His influence reflected the Jewish ethic that building cities and institutions is inseparable from sustaining the communities that inhabit them.

Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, emerged over the past year as one of the most visible Jewish figures confronting antisemitism in popular culture. Using his expansive platform, Portnoy rejected efforts to marginalize Jewish concerns and insisted on moral clarity following Oct. 7. His influence brought unapologetic Jewish self-defense into spaces far removed from traditional communal leadership, reminding audiences that dignity need not be deferential.

Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify, continued to stand out as a Jewish business leader willing to speak openly about identity, values, and responsibility. While guiding one of the world's most influential commerce platforms, Finkelstein addressed antisemitism and Jewish pride directly, resisting the impulse toward corporate silence. His visibility reflected a modern expression of an old idea: that success carries an obligation to serve as an example.

Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, remained one of the most powerful Jewish executives in global business during a year of intense institutional challenge. Raised in part in Israel before building her career in the United States, Porat brings a personal familiarity with Israeli society and security concerns to her leadership at one of the world’s most influential companies. As Google navigated internal unrest, political scrutiny, and debates over technology's responsible use, her role as a steady, disciplined institutional leader underscored the quiet but consequential presence of Israeli-rooted experience at the highest levels of global corporate governance.

Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, distinguished himself over the past year by refusing the venture capital world's customary moral detachment. Speaking forcefully in defense of Israel and against antisemitism, Maguire framed Jewish self-defense as a universal moral issue rather than a parochial one. His outspokenness reflected a belief deeply rooted in Jewish tradition: that silence in the face of injustice is itself a form of complicity.

Daniel Schreiber, the cofounder and CEO of insurance technology company Lemonade, remained a leading example of the London-born entrepreneurial success in the global market. Over the past year, as Israel's tech sector grappled with war-related disruption, Schreiber was visible in discussions about resilience, innovation, and the responsibility of Israeli companies operating internationally. His leadership reflected the continued integration of Israeli entrepreneurship into global business, even amid a profound national crisis.