Fundraising Fox

Ron Gura

Founder

Co-founder & CEO at Empathy · Product Director; led the eBay Israel Innovation Center at eBay

Tel Aviv, Israel

FoundedEmpathy

About

Ron Gura took the worst week of a family's life and made it survivable. He co-founded Empathy in 2020 with Yonatan Bergman, his engineering partner since their first company, to guide families through everything that follows a death — the probate, the accounts, the paperwork and the grief — and it now works with eight of the ten largest US life insurers, handles roughly one in five American life insurance claims beyond the payout, serves more than a thousand employers and reaches close to 50 million people. It has raised $162 million, most recently a $72 million round led by Adams Street Partners in 2025. He had already sold a company to eBay: The Gifts Project, founded in 2009, which eBay bought in 2011 and turned into its Israel innovation centre, with Gura invited to lead it. He then spent four years as senior vice-president of product at WeWork, where he founded and ran a 250-person research and development centre.

Beyond investing

More
Was senior vice-president of product at WeWork from 2016 to 2020, where he founded and ran a 250-person global research and development centre. The grief author David Kessler joined Empathy as its Chief Empathy Officer.

From Ron's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Co-founder & CEO at Empathy

Intro paths

→

In turn, Ron can intro founders to Empathy's investors below.

Empathy's investors · 16

Adams Street PartnersChicago · $150M – $750M checksAlephTel Aviv · $2.5M – $100M checksBrewer Lane VenturesBostonCortado VenturesOklahoma City · since 2025Entrée CapitalTel Aviv · $150K – $15M checks · since 2024General CatalystSan Francisco · $30M checks · since 2024HDS CapitalNew York CityHealthX VenturesMadison · since 2025Index VenturesSan Francisco · $540K – $10.8M checks · since 2024LocalGlobeLondon · since 2024MassMutual VenturesSpringfield · $500K – $5M checks · since 2024Munich Re VenturesSan FranciscoNew York Life VenturesNew York · since 2024Nina CapitalBarcelona · $215K – $1.6M checks · since 2025Primetime PartnersNew York · $250K – $1M checksSuncoast VenturesWalnut Creek · since 2025

Co-founders at Empathy

YB
Yonatan BergmanCo-founder & CTO

Product Director; led the eBay Israel Innovation Center at eBay

Intro paths

→

In turn, Ron can intro founders to eBay's investors below.

eBay's investors · 3

Baseline VenturesJackson · $100K – $1M checksMaveronSeattle · $100K – $8M checksSilver Lake PartnersMenlo Park

Co-founders at eBay

PO
Pierre OmidyarFounder & Chairman

Experience

  1. EmpathyCo-Founder & CEOcurrent2020 — presentTel Aviv District, Israel
  2. WeWorkSenior Vice President, Product2016 — 2020New York, United States
  3. Aleph VCEntrepreneur In Residence2014 — 2016Israel
  4. eBay IncProduct Director, General Manager2011 — 2014San Francisco Bay Area
  5. The Gifts Project (Acq. by eBay)Co-Founder & CEO2009 — 2011Tel-Aviv
  6. AVTProduct Manager2008Israel
  7. Israeli Air Force1st Lieutenant2002 — 2007

Education

  1. Reichman UniversityB.A, Business2007 — 2010
  2. The Open University of IsraelBachelor’s Degree, Computer Science1999 — 2001
  3. The Hebrew Reali SchoolHigh School1997 — 2002

Skills & more

Leadership32Strategy40Entrepreneurship99E-commerce99Start-ups99Product Management50User Experience49Venture Capital10Mergers & Acquisitions14Business Development25Mobile Devices24Business Strategy18
+12 moreMobile ApplicationsProduct DevelopmentOnline MarketingStrategic PartnershipsOnline AdvertisingSocial MediaSocial NetworkingProject ManagementProduct MarketingAnalyticsSaaSAffiliate Marketing

Languages English · Hebrew · Yiddish

From Ron's professional profile.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ron Gura?
Ron Gura took the worst week of a family's life and made it survivable. He co-founded Empathy in 2020 with Yonatan Bergman, his engineering partner since their first company, to guide families through everything that follows a death — the probate, the accounts, the paperwork and the grief — and it now works with eight of the ten largest US life insurers, handles roughly one in five American life insurance claims beyond the payout, serves more than a thousand employers and reaches close to 50 million people. It has raised $162 million, most recently a $72 million round led by Adams Street Partners in 2025. He had already sold a company to eBay: The Gifts Project, founded in 2009, which eBay bought in 2011 and turned into its Israel innovation centre, with Gura invited to lead it. He then spent four years as senior vice-president of product at WeWork, where he founded and ran a 250-person research and development centre.
Where does Ron Gura work?
Ron Gura is Co-founder & CEO of Empathy and Product Director; led the eBay Israel Innovation Center at eBay.
What companies did Ron Gura found?
Ron Gura founded Empathy.
Where did Ron Gura go to school?
Ron Gura studied at Reichman University (B.A, Business); The Open University of Israel (Bachelor’s Degree, Computer Science); The Hebrew Reali School (High School).

Paths to reach Ron

People who overlapped with Ron at the same organization — a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.

Together at EmpathyRon: Co-founder & CEO

Yonatan Bergman2020–2026Co-founder & CTO of EmpathyDanny Rimer2024–2026Partner at Index VenturesHarvard University · International School of GenevaGeorgia Stevenson2024–2026Investor at Index VenturesCambridge Judge Business School · Oxford High School, GDST · University of CambridgeJuriaan Duizendstraal2024–2026Investor at Index VenturesReichman UniversityMichael Eisenberg2020–2026Co-founder and General Partner at Aleph, an early-stage Israeli venture capital fundYeshiva UniversityAvi Eyal2021–2026Investor at Entree CapitalUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal

Together at Israeli Air ForceRon: 1st Lieutenant

Amit Pilowsky2002–2005Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Key1 CapitalINSEADAmikam Norkin2002–2007Venture Partner at Key1 CapitalShimon Tsentsiper2002–2007Venture Partner at Key1 CapitalBen-Gurion University of the Negev · University of HaifaAssaf Einat2003–2007Investor at Inception Studio CapitalStanford University Graduate School of BusinessYoni Greifman2002–2007Partner at Qumra CapitalThe Wharton SchoolAtad Peled2003–2007Partner at Red Dot Capital PartnersBen-Gurion University of the Negev · MIT Sloan School of Management · Reichman University

Together at The Gifts Project (Acq. by eBay)Ron: Co-Founder & CEO

Gil Dibner2010–2011Partner at Angular VenturesHarvard University · The Wharton School

Together at eBayRon: Product Director; led the eBay Israel Innovation Center

Pierre OmidyarFounder of eBay; founder of Omidyar NetworkYonatan BergmanCo-founder & CTO of Empathy

Founder mafias

Reichman University mafia26

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Ben BernsteinMBAFounded Twistlock +1Daniel HavenFounded Slauth.io +1Yoav ZurelBachelor's degreeFounded PonteraAssaf BarneaLaw & BusniessFounded CardiosenseEran MegiddoComputer ScienceFounded Maximal LearningLital LeshemBachelor's DegreeFounded Carbyne

+ 19 more

The Open University of Israel mafia7

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Ilya SutskeverComputer ScienceFounded Safe Superintelligence +1Eitan FrailichBachelor’s DegreeFounded HypercoreYaniv KnollBachelor of Applied Science - BAScFounded Apply DesignNir GazitB.AFounded TraceloopBaruch OxmanB.A.Founded HoneydewAlon ZumanComputer scienceFounded Pops

The Hebrew Reali School mafia5

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Amir FaintuchHigh SchoolFounded Hourly +1Dean SysmanHigh SchoolFounded CymmetriaGal KleinmanComputer ScienceFounded TraceloopBaruch OxmanHigh School DiplomaFounded Honeydew

eBay mafia2

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Yonatan BergmanLead Software Engineer, then Engineering ManagerFounded Empathy

Same school

Also attended Reichman University171

Juriaan DuizendstraalInvestor at Index VenturesLisa CohenInvestment Director at Intel CapitalDean MeyerInvestor at Sequoia CapitalYaron CarniFounder at Maverick Ventures IsraelNoa RandOperations Manager at Ibex InvestorsLior AvisarVenture Investor at Alpha Partners

+ 165 more

Also attended The Open University of Israel39

Ilya SutskeverCo-founder of OpenAI; co-founder & CEO of Safe SuperintelligenceRutie AdarInvestments & Innovation Sr. Director, Israel at Samsung Catalyst FundLidia VerraBookkeeper at TriventuresAdi GreenwaldAssociate at YL VenturesGad HuldaiGeneral Partner | First at PitangoOr GitPrincipal at Grove Ventures

+ 33 more

Also attended The Hebrew Reali School11

Yaniv SternCo-Founder, Managing Partner at Red Dot Capital PartnersAyal ItzkovitzManaging Partner | First at PitangoAmir FaintuchVenture Partner at PitangoAsaf AzulayPartner & CMO at Team8Gili FruchterChief of Staff at Meron CapitalTali EdryPrincipal at ICONYC labs

+ 5 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Empathy7

Danny RimerPartner at Index VenturesGeorgia StevensonInvestor at Index VenturesJuriaan DuizendstraalInvestor at Index VenturesMichael EisenbergCo-founder and General Partner at Aleph, an early-stage Israeli venture capital fundAvi EyalInvestor at Entree CapitalRohan MalhotraGeneral Partner at Brewer Lane Ventures

+ 1 more

Also worked at WeWork78

Isaiah Baril-DoreInvestor at Index VenturesAmy KalokerinosInvestor at Khosla VenturesMike SteadmanFounder, Coach, USNA '10 — writing, coaching, and designing categories for underdog military veteran founders and CEOsOliver MitchellPartner at Ff Venture CapitalAshwini AnburajanInvestor at Side Door VenturesIhar MahaniokFounder & General Partner at Geek Ventures

+ 72 more

Also worked at eBay Inc155

Josh KopelmanFounder and Partner at First Round CapitalLogan GreenCo-founder of LyftKen HoweryCo-founder of PayPal and Founders FundClément DelangueCo-founder & CEO of Hugging FaceJack AbrahamFounder, CEO & Managing Partner of AtomicHannah SealInvestor at Index Ventures

+ 149 more

Also worked at The Gifts Project (Acq. by eBay)1

Gil DibnerPartner at Angular Ventures