New Perspectives
Influencing circumstances through human connection
Spotlight: Sivan Ya'ari ’02
BY: NICOLE BOURBON
Circumstances—we are all born into them. As we go through life, we may experience circumstances that are life-changing. And, some of us, like Pace Alumna Sivan Ya’ari ’02, discovered a passion that, in turn, allows for positive influence on the circumstances of others.
Ya’ari first arrived in New York to pursue a higher education in the U.S. as an international student at Pace (which today proudly hosts a diverse student body of over 13,000 that is 60% female, and comprised of 14% international students), where she studied at the Lubin School of Business and majored in Economics, while interning at JP Morgan in downtown New York City. As a twenty-something exploring her future in the big city, she didn’t have a vision for exactly what it would hold, but she did feel a strong sense of connection to the needs of people in communities on the other side of the world—more specifically on the continent of Africa.
What empowered Ya’ari to found her own non-profit to deliver technological solutions to rural African villages? As she humbly shares, “it was always the people.” A glimpse into the world at-large sparked an interest in the inequalities between global communities, and this is what brought her to New York.
Ya’ari grew up in Israel. Shortly after her volunteer service with the Israeli Army, she was approached by the CEO of Jordache Jeans, who took note of her fluency in French, and offered her the opportunity to oversee quality control for his factories in Africa. When she arrived in Madagascar, it was her first window into a world outside of her own community and way of life. While moving between villages, she noted the disparity between the communities’ existing resources and their urgent energy needs. It was the first time she saw people living without the most basic necessities, things that she had grown up with—things like electricity, water, and shoes. Compelled by the living conditions she witnessed due to unelectrified environments of everyday life, including hospitals, homes, and schools, she felt troubled by the circumstances that effected the quality of medical care and education experienced by the people in Africa.
Ya’ari began to question some of her observations: “Why were people sick? Why weren’t children in school?” Naturally, she looked for answers, realizing that lack of electricity meant vaccines could not be refrigerated and patients were treated in the dark. Mothers were giving birth to children with kerosene lamps or torches—causing low survival rates. Remote villages were not the first choice for quality doctors or school teachers—causing low-quality healthcare and education. Although the needs seemed drastically different, the issues remained the same: lack of access to technology. Without technology, there could be no electricity, and without electricity, there could be no light. She began to question the reasons for these disparities, and as she searched for ways to bring electricity to rural Africa, she turned to solar energy—thinking about the solar panels back home in Israel and the possibility of solar panels in Africa.
As she experienced life in other global communities, she was taken aback by the reality that people were suffering from a lack of basic needs: shoes, food, and a warm bed—basic needs that she felt could be resolved. Their circumstances—different from her own in Israel—became her circumstances while she lived in Africa. Her travels helped her better understand the roots of severe scarcity, hunger, thirst, poverty. Instead of feeling weighed down by the deprivations, she was able to thoughtfully approach problems on a larger scale, growing in her understanding that within many problems are integral components of the solution. Her personal experiences while living in Africa ignited her determination to not only advocate for others, but to work with people to build everlasting solutions. “How people survive and find ways to thrive in the midst of impoverished environments can provide us with important answers to their most fundamental problems, and the first step is to take action,” she shares. It was a rare opportunity given at a very young age that she remains grateful for.
Looking back on the first village she worked to bring solar energy to, she reflects on her first success, which she describes as, “in many ways—her first failure.” She shares that she has, “failed many times,” since beginning these efforts, each time offering new insight. For example, after introducing the solution of solar energy as light to a village, she noticed children still didn’t attend school, and people were still very sick. Being newly equipped with solar refrigerators and medical equipment allowed for consistent medical care and lit the homes of quality doctors who could now live in the rural villages, but people still lacked access to a key necessity for quality of life—water. Identifying first the issue: lack of technology in providing electricity, her scope expanded as she realized the root cause of low quality of life—while still tied to the lack of technology—was actually the access to water. A new perspective allowed Ya’ari to lead an organization that has electrified over 300 schools and medical centers, and has pumped clean water for over 1.7 million people across ten African countries.
Ya’ari relied on the people of these global communities to leverage technology and create sustainable access. After noticing the widespread availability of cellphones, she immersed herself in village life, discovering the community’s business model for charging cell phones—having one person collect phones and travel to charge the batteries in a car, at a per phone charge. She’s learned from past assumptions, and works closely with ministers of the countries in need, partnering to complement the work of the government to maintain sustainable access. She hires local engineers, and leverages the value of the cultures and languages in each region in need. As a result, solar panels now stand 10 meters high, enhancing the quality of education in the rural villages by providing light to schools and the homes of teachers and students. Once she mobilized others to think about innovative solutions, she was better able to marshal existing systems and resources.
For the past two decades, Ya’ari has thoughtfully considered her role in working with people, village by village, mobilizing them to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit that exists among them. Most impressive is her founding of Innovation: Africa while a graduate student at Columbia, where she specialized in energy management. The goal of her organization is an honest reflection of her humble leadership: To bring Israeli technologies to remote African villages, one village at a time. “It doesn’t take much to help people,” she says. Today, she travels between New York, Israel, and Africa, continuing her work of bringing light and water to over 300 villages across 10 African countries. As she reflects on her accomplishments, she shares her amazement at the simplicity of her organization’s solutions—and how valuable people are in finding solutions. Her scaled-back emphasis on big vision is refreshing. Her approach mirrors the message many of us have received from a young age: “one step at a time,” “focus on the journey, not the destination.” It also reminds us to avoid getting stuck on the “Why?”, and instead, continue to pursue the “How?” In her case, persistence and remaining open to new perspectives has been key to her success.
Reflecting back on where she is now, some 21 years later, she suspects that if she never pushed the boundaries of her comfort zone, she may never have developed new perspective—or found her true passion—the power of human connection. She encourages young people to travel and see the world, to take chances and immerse themselves in whatever space they’re in. Pace students are offered study abroad programs in 40 countries around the world. Approximately 450 Pace students travel abroad every year, half of whom participate in the University’s roughly 25 unique faculty-led programs. Her own ability to connect with people, identify problems, and work collaboratively to find solutions has set her on a lifelong path of service. And, there is still work to be done: 620 million people in Africa are still living without electricity.
Ya’ari shares the story of the people who she worked with in Africa and the circumstances for which they lived. She raises our awareness that Africa is a vibrant continent that is embracing change. For her, the valued perspectives of the communities for which she engaged, brought her passion to life, which she describes as a collective effort to: “bring water where there is drought; light where there is darkness; and hope and dignity to where there is despair.” She reminds us, “The solution is simple because the technology exists, and the impact is priceless. And sometimes, the source of the problem can also be the source of the solution.” One thing is for sure. We are Pace Proud of Sivan Ya'ari.
About Sivan Ya'ari
Sivan Ya'ari is the Founder and CEO of Innovation: Africa, a NY based nonprofit that brings Israeli solar, agricultural and water technologies to rural African villages. She was born in Israel, raised in France, and educated in the United States with degrees in Finance from Pace University and a Masters in International Energy Management and Policy from Columbia University. At the mere age of 20, Sivan identified an opportunity for a more sustainable energy solution, and developed the groundwork for what would become Innovation: Africa. Having worked in Africa for over 20 years, Sivan has vast knowledge, experience, understanding and love for the African continent. Through her work, over 1,000,000 lives in the most remote villages have been impacted, thanks to Israeli innovation. In addition, Innovation: Africa has received many awards, including the Innovation Award from the United Nations. Most recently, Sivan has been recognized as one of the "40 Under 40 Most Promising Israelis" by Globes magazine and one of the "50 Most Influential Women in Israel” by Forbes Israel, and one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Israelis in International Business, Science and Culture 2017" by NoCamels. Aside from running Innovation: Africa, Sivan is a prominent business woman in Israel. In 2010, Sivan opened the first chain of nail salons in Israel. By the time she sold the chain in January 2018, iSpa Express was operating in 10 locations throughout the country and employed 160 female workers. Sivan lives in Tel Aviv with her husband and 3 children. Learn more about Innovation: Africa.