It feels like just yesterday that I stood on the ROI Summit 2011 stage with my new Idea Competition team members and my jaw on the floor. Yossi Vardi had just told us that our idea for IsraCorps was “grand” and Lynn Schusterman herself told us that a Jewish Peace Corps was her “life’s dream.” Perhaps the most profound part of that moment was the standing ovation given to us by the ROI Community. It was one of those rare moments in life when you know something truly special is happening. Something big was taking shape. As we stepped off the stage, we were patted on the back, high-fived and fist-bumped. We were overwhelmed with offers to get involved and support this idea that resonated so deeply with everyone in the room.

by Manuela Zoninsein, ROI Micro Grant recipient

Think you’re web 2.0-savvy? SMMU shines a light on what students don’t know, taking us through the bricks-and-mortar functionalities of online marketing platforms. Not for the faint of heart, Social Media Marketing University (SMMU) obliged me to take what I knew about new media and prod, poke, squeeze and stretch my assumptions. The result: real, tangible legs for abstract cloud-based social media that, let’s face it, serve as oxygen for business ignition.