Noa Argamani said she never doubted that she would return home alive when she was held hostage by Hamas.
That optimism was unwavering, she said in a conversation with editor in chief Jamie Heller at Business Insider’s “The Long Play” event on Thursday, even as two friends died in captivity and she regularly heard rockets and bombs exploding.
“I was by myself in a tiny room,” Argamani said.
She said she found something to be grateful for in the smallest of comforts, like half a liter of water, a sock, or a blanket.
“I said thank you for everything that I have at that moment,” said Argamani, who was rescued after 246 days in captivity after being kidnapped in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
She said optimism has become a defining part of how she moves through the world. Each morning, she said, “I see the cards that I have in my hand, and I play in the best way that I can.”
Argamani said she has reflected on her special skills and resources and how they align with her goals. In the past several years, she said, she has improved her English and sharpened her public speaking skills, taking to the global stage to advocate for the release of the other Israeli hostages and share her experience.
At the time she was taken hostage, Argamani was studying AI in her third year of college, with the idea of becoming a software engineer or, eventually, maybe a founder. While in captivity, Argamani told herself she loved the life she was living and would finish her degree when she returned home.
But after that, so much changed, she said.
Following an internship this year, she joined venture capital firm Vine Ventures as head of platform. The company backs early-stage startups, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and defense tech. She’s now working with Israeli founders and companies with the goal of helping them expand globally and strengthening Israel’s security through economic success.
Argamani said she still has much to learn about VC. She joined Vine in part because of the relationship she developed with its founder and managing partner, Eric Reiner, who helped her advocate for the release of the remaining hostages.
For now, she said, she sees the role as her opportunity to build her career and help her country.
“Now I have the opportunity to be on this stage and talk about all of the things that I’ve been through, and also how I want to build the future,” Argamani said.
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