About Meraki Innovation

At Meraki Innovation, we are dedicated to making innovation more accessible, creative, and human. We design tools, workshops, and learning experiences that inspire entrepreneurial thinking and empower people to solve meaningful problems.

Our name comes from the Greek word Meraki—doing something with love, creativity, and soul. That spirit is at the heart of everything we create.

Our flagship product, IdeaX, is a gamified ideation toolkit that helps educators, facilitators, and organizations turn traditional brainstorming into an engaging, structured, and collaborative experience. IdeaX is used by leading universities and innovation programs around the world to spark bold thinking, enhance teamwork, and foster impactful solutions.

Whether you're an educator, innovation leader, or changemaker, we believe you should get to work with Meraki—bringing your whole self to the process of learning, creating, and innovating.

About Ayelet Cohen

Ayelet Cohen is a social entrepreneur, innovation strategist, and expert in designing creative environments that support entrepreneurship, education, and social impact.

She is the founder of Meraki Innovation, where she leads strategic consulting projects with NGOs, innovation centers, and government agencies; facilitates entrepreneurship programs at institutions such as the Technion and UBB Romania; and developed IdeaX—a gamified ideation toolkit used by educators and organizations around the world.

Previously, Ayelet co-founded and served as Deputy Director of the Hebrew University’s Entrepreneurship Center, where she led the center’s strategic development and launched a joint innovation hub with Bezalel Academy and Azrieli College. Under her leadership, the center engaged over 6,000 students annually and supported early-stage ventures that raised more than $80 million in funding.

She also led Start-Up Nation Central’s activity in Jerusalem, working to strengthen the city’s tech ecosystem and producing policy recommendations that were fully adopted by the Israeli government and municipality. Earlier in her career, she founded the Google Educators Community in Israel and led the Google Teachers Academy, empowering educators through technology and innovation.

Ayelet’s work is rooted in the belief that creativity can be cultivated—and that playful, collaborative environments are key to unlocking meaningful innovation. Beyond her strategic work, she has also led social projects focused on trauma, domestic violence, and inclusive education—driven by her conviction that innovation is not only an economic engine, but also a space for healing, connection, and purpose.

What We Do

  • Workshops

    Interactive sessions that introduce participants to tools, mindsets, and methods for unlocking creativity and solving real-world challenges.

  • Consulting

    Supporting organizations in designing and leading internal innovation processes—from idea generation to implementation.

  • Program Design & Facilitation

    Developing and delivering entrepreneurship programs in academic, nonprofit, and community settings.

  • The IdeaX Card Deck

    A gamified ideation toolkit used worldwide to unlock creative thinking and support group-based innovation sessions.

Our Belief & Approach

We believe that creativity is not a rare talent—it’s a mindset and skill that can be cultivated. When people feel safe to play, explore, and take risks, they generate ideas that are not only bold—but meaningful.

At Meraki, we design learning and innovation experiences that are both playful and purposeful. Because we know that true innovation happens when structure meets curiosity, and when strategy is infused with joy.

Our approach brings this philosophy to life through:

  • Active Learning

    Participants lead their own discovery process—through experimentation, reflection, and iteration.

  • Collaboration

    Innovation thrives on diverse perspectives. We create inclusive environments where every voice can contribute and be challenged.

  • Play & Joyful Engagement

    We use gamified methods to lower barriers, spark curiosity, and keep people engaged. Play invites openness—and openness unlocks innovation.

  • Flexibility

    Our tools adapt to different needs: whether you have 30 minutes or three hours, 5 participants or 50, the framework scales.

  • Real-World Impact

    Creativity is only the beginning. We focus on turning ideas into outcomes that address real challenges in education, organizations, and society.