Growing up in Veracruz, Mexico, Israel was always fascinated by how the brain works, neurotechnology, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. These interests led him to pursue a graduate degree at McMaster University. Guided by the advice of a trusted mentor, he chose the Master of Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MEEI) as the ideal program to transition from being an employee to learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

Israel arrived in Canada as an economic class immigrant in 2014 with the intention of starting his own neurotechnology business. After graduation, he joined McMaster’s Forge Business Incubator, a limited-enrollment program for early-stage startups, and founded Zentrela Inc. Today, this Hamilton-based neurotech company is a successful and promising Canadian startup with the potential to disrupt the global cannabis industry and drug testing market.