Zalik Launches SparkIL Teen Ambassador Group
Lending platform helps Israeli businesses survive and thrive.
Arianna Zalik understands the importance of giving back to people in need. Her friends and family will tell you that it is her empathy and compassion that fuels her desire to make a difference in the lives of others.
At just 16 years old, Zalik, a junior at The Weber School, has launched the first SparkIL Teen Ambassadors program. Starting in Atlanta this school year, additional chapters have since begun in Boston and Silver Spring, Md., following the model Zalik used. Inviting her friends and other teens throughout Atlanta to join the enthusiastic group, Zalik raised $5,000 in loans and assembled a group of 500 investors in the first few months alone to help small business owners in Israel. Through calls, emails and texts, she and other teens who have joined in the effort are helping Israeli businesspeople secure loans and assistance to stay afloat during an especially difficult time for the country.
The SparkIL model is easy to understand and navigate. SparkIL is a peer-to-peer microlending platform that helps small businesses in Israel find interest-free loans to help their businesses grow and flourish. Loans start at $36 and go up to approximately $28,000 ($100,000 in Israeli currency). The investments help small businesses, including farmers, local artisans, culinary entrepreneurs and lawyers overcome financial barriers and achieve their goals. Initially created to help underserved populations and minorities in Israel, SparkIL has expanded to include many small businesses whose owners have been drastically impacted by the Gaza War. According to director of development Yishai Goldflam, more than 50 percent of the current borrowers are reservists and evacuees whose homes and businesses were destroyed in the conflict.
On the SparkIL website, businesses requesting investments are grouped into categories, including Affected by the War, Minority Groups, Education, Health and Women-Led.”
Simple to navigate, the site directs potential investors to bios where they are able to review information about each business, see photos and ultimately select where they would like to invest. Each business featured goes through a thorough vetting process to ensure the lowest risk possible for investors, according to the SparkIL website. The members of the review committee are both professionals and lay leaders with expertise in banking, finance, and underwriting. In fact, one of the founders of the organization is Jon Polin, who developed the software and infrastructure for the site.
Soon after the initial loan is made and once the fundraising campaign ends, investors begin receiving monthly repayments. The balance may be seen by each investor in their personal SparkIL account. Investors also receive updates via email to see how their loans are helping the businesses grow. Repayments may be withdrawn or reinvested in other businesses, ensuring that the investor’s initial loan has ripple effects indefinitely.
Zalik began her work with the organization initially as a participant in the NCSY Next Step program this past summer. As part of the initiative, she served as an intern for the Jewish Agency and SparkIL, helping the organization’s marketing team with social media work, especially applying her knowledge and experience as a teen to help craft SparkIL’s messaging for younger audiences.
Upon returning to the United States, she was determined to continue her work helping the program participants in Israel. Zalik recruited friends from Riverwood, Weber, Pace Academy and Atlanta Jewish Academy to join her budding Atlanta organization and signed up eight more local teen ambassadors. The group currently meets once or twice per month. Recently, the group hosted a speaker, Aviva Orbuch, one of the SparkIL participants who is a pastry chef and café owner, and who hopes to rebuild her business that was destroyed by a terrorist attack.
“Arianna is SparkIL’s very first teen ambassador. She has been leading the way in educating and inspiring her community about impact lending. She actively engages the community in meaningful conversations about supporting Israeli small businesses, organizes initiatives to encourage participation, and helps spread awareness about the power of microloans. Arianna embodies the values of leadership, generosity and innovation. She is truly paving the way for future ambassadors,” said Goldflam.
“Giving back to others is a huge part of my identity. When I heard the stories about people’s lives and businesses being decimated, I knew I wanted to help. My parents (David and Helen Zalik) have had a huge influence on me, and I believe tzedakah is so important. I love Israel, and this is one way I can support the country and people I care so much about,” said Zalik.
Since its founding in 2022, SparkIL has raised more than $7 million ($25 million ILS) from 4,500 lenders and supported 424 businesses throughout Israel. The organization is aiming for 15,000 lenders by the end of 2025. Established in partnership with The Jewish Agency for Israel and The Ogen Group, SparkIL is a first-of-its-kind platform supported in part by The Jewish Federations of North America and the U.K.-based UJIA, among others.
For more information and to invest in one of the businesses at SparkIl, please visit https://bit.ly/Atlanta25.
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