Ariel Sterman is a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners' Israel office who relocated from New Jersey to Israel in 2018 specifically to contribute to the Israeli startup ecosystem rather than treat it as just another market, and he combines his investing work with teaching weekly classes on Jewish spirituality and philosophy. He's known for his inquiry-based approach with founders—asking questions to help them surface their own decisions rather than imposing a VC playbook—and for his transparent, relationship-first dealmaking style, exemplified when he initially passed on Qwak but spent two years helping the founders before ultimately leading Bessemer's investment. Ariel Sterman is a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners' Israel office who relocated from New Jersey to Israel in 2018 specifically to contribute to the Israeli startup ecosystem rather than treat it as just another market, and he combines his investing work with teaching weekly classes on Jewish spirituality and philosophy. He's known for his inquiry-based approach with founders—asking questions to help them surface their own decisions rather than imposing a VC playbook—and for his transparent, relationship-first dealmaking style, exemplified when he initially passed on Qwak but spent two years helping the founders before ultimately leading Bessemer's investment.