Meet Molly Aviva Sonenberg

Full Stack Creative at DreamTeam

"When I made Aliyah, I submitted my CV to a small little company I had never heard of called Monday.com for the position of Video Script Writer via the Secret Tel Aviv Jobs Board"

So what’s your deal? Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Upstate New York (Albany to be specific, in which case I am told “Yeah, I passed by there once on the way from Manhattan to Niagara Falls, Canada”), the youngest of 4 children (so I have the most fun and freedom), and graduated from Hofstra University with a B.S. in Television Production and Business. 

What made you move to Israel? What brings you here? 

After my parents made me turn down the opportunity to ‘study abroad’ at Disney World for a semester, I decided Israel would be my second choice. I spent my junior year at Tel Aviv University. I can’t really say that I ‘studied’ abroad since I attended Dizzy Frishdon Wine Nights more often than classes, but it led me to falling in love with this country and eventually becoming a permanent tax resident. 

Do you feel Israeli? If yes, why? If not, what do you think you need to do in order to become one?

I get asked this a lot, and it depends on the situation. I became really straightforward and direct, and also got better at receiving the same directness. I also lost all my patience to wait in line. But because I didn’t go to the army, and my Hebrew isn’t so great, I do feel left out of conversation and some of the country vibes. I need to attend more Ulpan, and watch Israeli TV. 

What do you do for work? What did you have to do to get to where you are right now? 

When I made Aliyah, I submitted my CV to a small little company I had never heard of called Monday.com for the position of Video Script Writer via the Secret Tel Aviv Jobs Board. I learned how to write YouTube ads and landing pages, and eventually led our out of home efforts (NYC subways, Los Angeles highway billboards, London Metro, etc), IPO marketing, and culminated my time there with our very first Super Bowl ad. 

I recently decided it was time to take on a new challenge, and am now ‘Marketing’ at DreamTeam (we are small and don’t really have titles yet) to build our marketing efforts and branding from scratch. We are building an incredibly cool product for HR professionals and hiring managers to visualize their data in ways they never thought possible, and I’m also surrounded by the most talented people in the business. PS I AM HIRING!!!

What's something about your work that you find super interesting to share?

In general, the people you work with are more important than the business itself. So my favorite part about working at DreamTeam (and also the most interesting part) is what we call ‘DreamTime’ - it’s one hour every Thursday where we meet as a company, learn about a new customer’s use case, get updates, and have delicious food and wine  – last week we had Malabi from HaMalabia! It’s a great way to wrap up the week, and begin the weekend vibe.

What are your biggest challenges, work, and life-wise? 

My biggest challenge is figuring out how to land in Forbes 30 Under 30. I think having my name and ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ in this article will help my personal SEO.

In all seriousness, my biggest challenge is me. I am my biggest competition, and I think everyday how I can be a better friend, a better colleague, a better marketeer, a better earthling. And doing things to make myself better keeps me going! 

What advice do you have for soon-to-be Olim or those who could use the extra boost? 

“Li-at, li-at” which I hear countless times, which translates to ‘slowly, slowly,’ You need time to get your affairs together, you need time to build your community, you need time to adjust. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and also don’t have too much pride – ask for and accept help from neighbors or colleagues. 

Lastly, what is a fun fact about your life right now? 

I was walking to my friend’s house in Jaffa and ran into some garbage-munching goats. Does that count? 

A passion project by Ron Khirman

I’m Israeli-born, Silicon Valley raised. I hold a BSc. in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona. From my peers, I’m the “jack of all trades” marketer, helping companies scale and go to market. 

In my free time, I kick-box, DJ, go to the beach, and do fun passion projects like this. If you’re an Oleh/Olah in tech and would love to be featured, let's connect on LinkedIn!