Israel Chambers Unite: Inaugural USIIE Summit Held in Detroit

On October 13th and 14th, local Israel chambers of commerce from across the country gathered in Detroit, Michigan, for the first-ever summit of the U.S.-Israel Innovation Exchange (USIIE). Hosted by the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA), the event brought together leaders who rarely have the chance to compare notes in person: the people who build business bridges between Israel and their home regions.

More than 20 Israel chambers of commerce and similar organizations operate across the United States, and more than half took part in the inaugural gathering. The goal was straightforward: exchange ideas, strengthen relationships, and identify opportunities to work together.

The program featured an impressive roster of speakers, including Elad Strohmayer, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest in Chicago and formerly Consul General in Philadelphia; Chaim Martin, Israel’s Minister of Economic Affairs to the United States; Gary Torgow, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America and Chairman of Huntington National Bank; John Rakolta, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates; and Zineb Riboua, Research Fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace & Security in the Middle East.

PICC President David Baker represented Philadelphia and moderated a roundtable titled “Protecting Reputation, Relationships & Security,” a timely topic as many organizations associated with Israel face growing hostility. Josh Berliner, Executive Director of the New Jersey-Israel Commission, joined the panel alongside several other regional delegates. Participants also used the summit to exchange best practices for running a local Israel chamber of commerce.

The summit concluded with a milestone. Participating organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalizing the alliance. The agreement creates a national gateway for market intelligence, investment missions, Israeli business delegations, and joint technology pilots. It offers an actionable model for multi-state collaboration, one that preserves each region’s competitive identity while uniting under a national strategy to attract Israeli innovation.

USIIE members plan to meet in person every year, with virtual sessions in between. For the PICC, this alliance means Philadelphia-area members will have a stronger voice and wider network as we continue to connect our region’s businesses with Israeli innovators.