Our Leadership
Arakura Consulting is run by Yael Simon and Ruthie Rotenberg.
The partnership between Yael Simon and Ruthie Rotenberg exemplifies the transformative power of collaborative leadership in philanthropy. Bringing together Yael's expertise in global philanthropic strategy and economic development with Ruthie's masterful ability to connect people, ideas, and resources, they represent a unique synergy in the philanthropic world. Their shared vision culminated in a groundbreaking conference that established a new funding sector in workforce development, fundamentally reshaping the landscape of economic opportunity. This initiative leveraged Yael's deep understanding of international business and workforce dynamics alongside Ruthie's talent for forging unexpected partnerships and catalyzing innovative funding initiatives. Their complementary approaches – Yael's focus on complex problem-solving and data-driven strategies, combined with Ruthie's gift for creating meaningful collaborations – have enabled them to drive significant change in philanthropy, economic development, and social impact across state and regional levels. Together, they demonstrate how strategic partnership and shared expertise can transform visionary ideas into concrete social change.
Yael S Simon LLM
Founder
Yael S Simon LLM is a pioneering force in bridging philanthropy and impact investment, with over 20 years of experience across the UK, Europe, Israel, and internationally. She specializes in creating strategic alignments between philanthropic capital and mission-driven investments, with particular expertise in economic development in the Middle East and accelerating cures for rare diseases.
Her expertise lies in developing innovative funding frameworks that blend traditional philanthropy with impact investing principles. As co-architect of the AMPLIFY summit, she brings together key stakeholders to accelerate the integration of philanthropic and investment strategies for enhanced social impact. Her approach combines complex problem solving with practical implementation, ensuring transparency and measurable outcomes through sophisticated impact metrics and reporting systems.
Drawing on her extensive global networks and deep understanding of international funder collaboratives, Yael designs comprehensive strategies that maximize both social and financial returns. She has played a pivotal role in developing economic initiatives throughout the Middle East and has been instrumental in mobilizing philanthropic capital to advance research and treatment options for rare diseases.
As a trusted international advisor, she is recognized for her integrity and strategic insight in philanthropic planning and implementation. Beyond her advisory work, Yael is deeply committed to supporting women in business, actively mentoring female entrepreneurs and emerging leaders in both the philanthropic and investment sectors.
She is a passionate advocate for economic development, rare disease research, AI Ethics, and social justice. Named by London's Mayor Sadiq Khan as one of the top 400 women who "Make London Great," Yael continues to champion women's leadership through mentorship, initiatives, and events.
Yael holds a certification from the London School of Economics in Business, International Relations and the Political Economy, an LLM in International Business Law specializing in Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing, and a Masters in Organisational Leadership from Said Business School, University of Oxford, where she focused on AI in Philanthropy.
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
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Oxford University, Saïd Business School
Post Graduate Masters in Organisational Leadership · 2024
Certification, FinTech · 2019
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University of Liverpool
Master of Laws (LLM), International Business Law · 2016-2019. Dissertation on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing in the Middle East. Areas of knowledge: WTO, EU Law, AML
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London School of Economics and Political Science
Certification, Business, International Relations and the Political Economy ·2020
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University of London
Undergraduate, Bachelor of Laws (LLB) · Current
Ruthie Rotenberg
Partner
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Ruthie Rotenberg is a masterful connector of people, ideas, and resources. With an innate ability to identify synergies and forge meaningful partnerships, she helps foundations, individual philanthropists, and organizations maximize their impact through strategic collaboration.
Ruthie's unique talent lies in recognizing opportunities to connect seemingly disparate ideas and people, creating unexpected partnerships that yield breakthrough solutions. As co-architect of the AMPLIFY summit, she brings together leading voices in philanthropy and impact investment to catalyze innovative funding solutions. Drawing on her extensive global network, she excels at convening funders to learn from each other, co-create innovative funding initiatives, and amplify their collective impact.
Her proven track record includes developing the JFN Guides for Intelligent Giving (formerly Greenbooks), orchestrating transformative funder road-trips, catalyzing new funding sectors, and launching a timely rehabilitation innovation venture studio. As a Jerusalem Fellow at the Mandel Leadership Institute (MLI), Ruthie conducted research on American Jewish philanthropists that continues to inform her approach today. Her work is guided by a fundamental belief in the transformative power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing to create meaningful social change.
Ruthie holds degrees from Columbia University, London School of Economics, Hunter College, and Yeshiva University. She is a member of the ROI Community, an advisory board member of Global Jewry, a former Mandel Jerusalem Fellow, and is a co-founder and board member of a new rehabilitation venture studio.
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