Naomi Himeyn-Reish (43), who lives in the community of Bnei Dekalim and is a mother of five, spent 15 years in senior roles at Israel's Ministry of Economy. In that role, she headed the Small and Medium Business Agency and served as a professional advisor to the Minister of Economy. About a year ago, she chose to "jump over the fence," leaving the security of the public sector to go independent as a strategic consultant connecting local government and technology.

Navigating Between Professionalism and Politics

Drawing on her experience at the sensitive junctions of government, Naomi explains that the secret to succeeding when working with politicians is understanding their KPIs. Executives need to recognize the constraints of decision-makers and understand whether a given plan advances them or exposes them to criticism. A small change in how a plan is framed can achieve the goal without compromising on professionalism.

Finding Quiet and Returning to Her PhD

The decision to leave the public sector came from realizing the job had consumed her completely, to the point where she had no hobbies left. Going independent freed up precious time that let her:

  • Learn the world of AI and build an app for her son's school (using language models like Claude, with no prior coding background).

  • Return to the PhD she'd abandoned a decade earlier, using AI tools that shrink weeks of cleaning and processing quantitative data down to just a few hours.

  • Exercise, read books, and shift to a healthier, better-paced life.

AI: A Historic Opportunity for Small Businesses

Naomi sees the arrival of artificial intelligence as a massive growth engine and a genuine game-changer for the local economy and small businesses.

  • Building an organizational back office: AI lets small businesses overcome a lean organizational structure by automating customer management, graphic content creation, bookkeeping, and data reporting.

  • Local convergence: There's a boom in business hubs in "field cities," and a growing desire among municipalities to invest in the local economy (for example, the rise of coffee carts).

How Can Startups Sell to Local Government (B2G)?

For entrepreneurs trying to crack the bureaucratic barrier of local government, Naomi offers several ground rules:

  • Tender-exempt tracks: Municipalities can't purchase freely because of mandatory-tender laws. Look for pilots, calls for grant applications, or work through the municipalities' economic development companies.

  • Identify real authority: Understand exactly who you're sitting across from and what their actual authority is (even if they won't admit it).

  • Relief, not extra load: Make sure your product saves work instead of adding to the burden. A product that eases public inquiries but floods the municipality with information nobody is available to handle simply won't get purchased.

Rapid-Fire

  • The biggest myth about the public sector: That it's "gray and mediocre." In reality, the strategic junctions there generate work with a breadth and level of interest unmatched in any other sector.

  • The biggest advantage of going independent: The freedom to choose.

  • Childhood dream: To be a mounted police officer.