Smadar Itskovich Sonego

Smadar Itskovich Sonego (born 29 August 1963) is an Israeli technology-policy entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Artificial Intelligence & Quantum Sovereignty Lab (AIQ Lab) — a national and international program for technological sovereignty in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The organization works with government, defense, academia, and industry to design knowledge infrastructures, computing capacity, and operational models under Israeli control. Itskovich is advancing the establishment of an AI-Quantum Center and Fund in partnership with the United States and additional partners.

Biography

Smadar Itskovich Sonego was born in Tiberas. She is the firstborn daughter of Victoria and Yosef Sonego, who immigrated to Israel from Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, one year prior to her birth. At the age of three, she moved with her family to Nof Hagalil, where she was raised and educated. Currently, Itkovich resides in Tel Aviv and is married to Jack Gottlieb, founder and president of World Jewish Travel (WJT). Itskovich has three children: Adam Din, a researcher at Tel Aviv University; Bar Itskovich-Keiner, a researcher in biomedical sciences at the Technion; and Eden Itskovich, a special-education classroom teacher at Makif Yud-Alef in Ashdod.

The Sonego family is rooted in the history of the Spanish expulsion. Genetic testing of the family revealed a connection to the Curiel family, which was expelled from Spain during the Inquisition. The family story was covered in depth in American Ancestors Magazine. Following that article, an additional piece was published that further examined the relationship between the Curiel family and the Sonego family, as well as the significance of these families to the American Revolution.

Education

Smadar earned a bachelor's degree in Management and physics from the Open University of Israel, a master's degree in law from Bar-Ilan University, and a PhD in economics and business administration from the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, Romania. From 2015 to 2017, she participated in the REAP program at MIT as the head of the Israeli delegation. In 2024, she took part in the first-ever quantum course at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Professional career

From 1990 to 1994, Itskovich was a member of the research and development team in the field of physics at the high-tech company Orbotech (today a subsidiary of the American company KLA). Between 1994 and 2000, she was appointed VP of Operations in the founding team at “Kito Marom”. Under her leadership, the company experienced rapid growth, expanding from 6 employees to 800 employees within six years, and established itself as a key player in Israel's education sector.

Public and Educational Activities

Itskovich's professional and public activities, as well as her educational and innovative initiatives, began with the development of community, educational, and business programs in the city of Ashdod, which were later implemented in other cities across Israel. In 2000, she was invited by the Mayor of Ashdod, Zvi Zilker, to join the Ashdod Municipality's Department of Education as Director of Innovative Educational Initiatives. Under her leadership, the Center for Higher Education Advancement was established in collaboration with the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Rashi Foundation, the Division for Soldiers and Veterans, and the Gross Family Fund. This center later evolved into the city's first youth center for ages 18–35 – “Kivunim” (Directions). This groundbreaking educational program was validated and replicated in 62 cities across Israel. She also founded the “From Kindergarten to University” program – two unique and innovative projects integrating education in Ashdod. Students from this program achieved first place in a national education competition, for which Itskovich was awarded the Dan David Prize. At the time, there was a significant gap between the high school matriculation rates in the city and the very low enrollment of graduates in higher education institutions. Through the municipal program to expand access to higher education, “From Kindergarten to University,” the number of high school graduates from Ashdod enrolling in higher education increased by 300% within just a decade.

In parallel, Itskovich promoted the “Leaders to Academia” program, connecting high schools with universities: the Open University through “Transition Pathways”, Tel Aviv University through the Youth Science Initiative, Bar-Ilan University via the accelerated mathematics degree track, the initiative “Law-Oriented Youth,” and through the Sami Shamoon College of Engineering.

Israel's first municipal youth center for ages 18–35, “Kivunim,” included an information, guidance, and academic-career advisory and counseling center for young adults and discharged soldiers. Itkovich raised funding from government ministries, organizations, and foundations that finance programs that increase accessibility to higher education for high school students and veterans.

Itskovich also initiated Israel's first national student loan program in collaboration with Bank Leumi, offering 0% interest and repayment terms of up to seven years after graduation. This program was later replicated in other cities across Israel. She drafted agreements with all colleges in the Ashdod area to provide scholarships in partnership with the Ashdod Municipality.

Additionally, she advanced an afternoon academic program for high school students from the Ethiopian community, offering an intensified track in mathematics and physics. For approximately ten years, Ashdod has ranked first in the country in graduate participation in the Atidim program.

Innovation and Urban Development

During Itskovich's tenure, Ashdod underwent significant transformations not only in education but also in innovative areas that reshaped the city's urban development and employment landscape. Between 2010 and 2019, with the support of Ashdod's Mayor Dr. Yehiel Lesri, Itskovich established the Department for Industry and Innovation in the Ashdod Municipality. As head of the department, she initiated the development of advanced industrial zones and founded and led the city's Smart Transportation Laboratory project, which later served as the basis for a national initiative. She spearheaded an innovative municipal economic plan to develop a high-tech park and a southern academic center near the city hospital, which grew significantly during these years.

Itskovich also implemented a municipal program to upgrade R&D in traditional industries. With support from the Israel Innovation Authority, she co-established the city's first accelerator, The Hive Ashdod, in collaboration with the Gvahim Association, aimed at promoting immigrant entrepreneurs. The accelerator was recognized by Geektime as the leading accelerator in 2016. She further encouraged the establishment of Ashdod's first technological incubator by Strauss in the FoodTech sector, called The Kitchen. The Strauss incubator functions as a growth channel, generating value for the group while fostering young entrepreneurial companies. In 2015, she established an international software development center for IBM, integrating ultra-Orthodox women into a unique training program. She also promoted the establishment of “Mafteach”, a center for Haredi employment development, in collaboration with the Joint (JDC). Itskovich led an Israeli delegation in the REAP program at MIT's Sloan Institute. Smadar Presenting in Davos in 2019. Following the program and the promotion of a smart transportation cluster in the city, in 2017 she established an urban laboratory called Ashdod Smart Mobility Living Lab —a digital infrastructure enabling information sharing and pilot implementation of advanced technologies in smart and autonomous transportation. Several joint pilot programs were conducted: for example, a pilot with Mobileye, Ituran, and Afikim produced a real-time transportation digital map identifying high-risk areas for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, along with interventions to improve safety. Other pilots with No Traffic, Foresight, and Bluewhite (formerly BWR) focused on enhancing pedestrian and passenger safety. To prepare the city for autonomous vehicle integration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Singapore-based ST Engineering to test autonomous shuttle technologies in Ashdod. Itskovich was invited to present the lab and its activities at the “Data for Good” event during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Entrepreneurship and National Impact

Smadar Recording Podcast About Building Smart Cities. In 2020, with the support of the Israel Innovation Authority, Itskovich founded the nonprofit “Israel Living Lab” to accelerate the adoption of smart city solutions in Israel. Since its founding, she has served as its CEO. The lab functions as an open platform for collaboration between the public and private sectors, based on information and technology sharing. It is a national initiative to promote technological solutions for smart cities and enhance cooperation among government authorities, public institutions, and the private sector, funded by the Israel Innovation Authority. The initiative aims to help municipalities adopt advanced technologies in public spaces to improve quality of life and safety, with initial pilot cases in the field of smart transportation. Today, the nonprofit ranks fourth in revenue from contracts with governmental bodies.

Within this framework, Itskovich established a shared information infrastructure to enable the initiation, training, and acceleration of public-sector projects. She also created a consortium of more than 50 organizations from the private, public, and academic sectors, to securely share information and technology via “Data Trust” to address smart transportation challenges. Partnerships promoted saving lives and reducing road accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles through information sharing. In cities such as Tel Aviv, Hod Hasharon, Ramat Gan, and others, projects were conducted in the fields of “digital twins”, monitoring accidents involving two-wheeled and micro-mobility vehicles, developing an AI-based traffic index for Netivei Israel, and more.

Itskovich guided the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Challenge Arena and currently advises the Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance in advancing a government-wide Challenge Arena based on open innovation principles. Through this platform, she assists the Accountant General’s team in developing solutions to dozens of challenges faced by various government ministries.

In 2024–2025, she advanced the AIQ Sovereignty Lab program, the lab’s mission aims for AI and quantum sovereignty: to assist government, society, and industry in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing technologies while ensuring that systems remain under local control and serve national interests, including information infrastructures, language models, and local talent development.

AIQ-LAB operates at an international level in AI and quantum technological sovereignty in collaboration with the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), the Israel Innovation Authority, and Israeli quantum companies. In the academic-governmental sphere, Itskovich is advising Bar-Ilan University on establishing an innovative AI in Government cluster to train graduates from various faculties for work in government ministries, leveraging AI tools to improve public services and internal operational efficiency.

Additionally, she is a sought-after lecturer and consultant, developing strategies for national projects in transportation (funded by the Ministry of Transportation), digital innovation, and employment equality. The program also promotes collaborations with industry and academia to expand and strengthen the Abraham Accords’ initiatives for advancing AI and quantum science.