Topic:  From American expat to Czech citizen - a perspective from Prague

Speaker: Ira Rubenstein, Senior Advisor - International Business, Traficon Advisors

Presentation:
- Be(com)ing a multi-citizen personality
- Opportunities that have come about because of my dual location / status
- How COVID-19 has impacted me related to the above subjects
- How has Central and Eastern Europe changed during my presence here (since 2005)

Speaker's bio:
Ira Saul Rubenstein is Senior Consultant in the Department of Development of the Rector’s Office at Czech Technical University in Prague, where he provides expert support to help create and implement a more effective, efficient and internationally competitive innovation ecosystem.

Mr. Rubenstein also has initiated The Innovation SPOT at Pragovka, intended to be the largest co-creation facility for entrepreneurial firms in the Visegrad region of Central Europe, in his role as Senior Advisor – Business Development & Capital Formation at Pipette & Chart, s.r.o.

Mr. Rubenstein is also Senior Advisor – International Business at Traficon Advisors s.r.o. in Prague.  He has specialized in Alternative Energy & Clean Technology (AE&CT) matters and advised and helped to finance AE&CT companies and projects for over thirty years. He is concurrently Senior Investment Banker at Starlight Investments LLC, an investment bank based in Berkeley, California, where he holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 79 securities licenses.

Mr. Rubenstein has also been an AE&CT industry entrepreneur, involved the founding several firms in both Europe and the United States. He has also founded several business-related non-profit organizations:

- Czech Green Building Council (founding Chairman),
- Slovak Green Building Council (convener of organizational meeting), 
- Business Incubator Association of New York State, Inc. (incorporator). 
- Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc. (Chairman), and 
- Environmental Business Association of New York State, Inc. (co-founder / Executive Director). 

He also served as Vice Chairman of the European-Ukrainian Energy Agency, a Ukrainian NGO.

Mr. Rubenstein is a citizen of both the Czech Republic and the United States.