The people behind CET Ventures

Scott Cohen is a serial entrepreneur and investor with deep networks across the U.S. Defense Industrial Base. A five-time startup founder, Scott has spent more than a decade investing in Israeli startups and facilitating their growth in the U.S. The Chair of the US Advisory Board at CET Ventures, Scott is a Co-Founder of The CET Sandbox and most recently was a co-founding partner of AGP Ventures, which invested in early-stage Israeli startups and assisted with U.S. go-to-market strategy.

He is cofounder of national security information service Foreign Investment Watch, as well as Innovation Leader, both of which maintain deep relationships with U.S. corporations and government officials. He started his career at Fidelity Capital, and was on the founding team that conceived, launched and ran The Boston Globe's Boston.com in the early '90s. In 1998, he founded a venture-backed media company that was acquired by CNET, and then founded a financial information service that was acquired by Haymarket Media in London. He later cofounded a social-prediction platform that was acquired by Advance Publications in New York.

Scott's experience at the intersection of publishing, media, events and investment provide a distinctive edge for CET Ventures.

Neil Wallack is a veteran venture capital and private equity investor with over three decades of experience in multiple sectors. He is a Venture Partner at CET Ventures, where he focuses on supporting Israeli technology companies in scaling and exporting advanced capabilities into large-scale U.S. and global commercial markets.

Previously, Neil served as President of ZBI Ventures, the $2B private investment arm of the Ziff family, which deployed capital primarily across the energy industry as well as other markets. Prior to that he invested in the media and communications industries. And more recently he has been a partner of Aviv Growth Partners, investing in early-stage Israeli technology companies and helping them to commercialize into the North American market. Throughout his career, Neil has focused on investing in particular industries with significant societal and geopolitical impact at inflections points in their development.

In parallel with his professional activities, Neil is deeply engaged in Jewish and Israel-focused philanthropy and service, including senior leadership roles with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and Secure Community Network (SCN), as well active involvement with AIPAC, The Jewish Agency for Israel, and Brothers for Life. Neil holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School and lives and works in both the United States and Israel.

With decades of experience across investing, global markets, and venture-capital, Neil adds long-term perspective and trusted judgment to CET Ventures.

Linda Lourie is a Venture Partner at CET and member of the US Advisory Board. Most recently, Linda founded and currently serves as Principal of Washington Circle Advisory Group. She also serves as a Senior Advisor at WestExec Advisors and advises the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Capital, where she helped develop the original Critical & Emerging Technologies (CET) list.

Most recently, Linda served as Assistant Director for Research and Technology Security at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she was an Assistant Secretary–equivalent member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Previously, Linda held senior legal and policy roles across the U.S. government, including Associate General Counsel at the Department of Defense, General Counsel of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), service in the Obama White House on export control reform, and overseas postings with the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan and the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. Earlier in her career, she worked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, private law firms, and as a curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Linda holds an A.B. cum laude in Fine Arts from Harvard University, an M.A. from NYU's Institute of Fine Arts in Medieval Islamic Art History, and a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a recipient of multiple government service awards, including the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service.

Her career at the intersection of national security policy, investment screening, and emerging technology governance gives CET Ventures rare insight into how innovation, capital, and regulation converge in the U.S. system.

Tom Feddo is a Venture Partner and Member of the US Advisory Board at CET Ventures, Founder of The Rubicon Advisors, a Senior Advisor to Capstone DC, and sits on the board of the Kinnetic Group.

Tom served as the first Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for Investment Security, where he led and oversaw all aspects of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), conducting national security reviews of cross-border transactions totaling more than $400 billion.

Previously, Tom was a partner in the international trade practice at Alston & Bird LLP, advising Fortune 500 companies and global financial institutions on economic sanctions and anti-money laundering compliance. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant Director for Enforcement at the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), overseeing U.S. economic sanctions enforcement.

Tom has held senior legal and policy roles across government, including Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Navy, majority oversight counsel at the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, and law clerk at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He began his legal career as a patent and trademark attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop LLP.

His experience operating at the highest levels of U.S. investment security and national security review allows CET Ventures a deep insight into the real-world investment security and compliance factors that shape how foreign technology enters the U.S. market.

David Rader is a Venture Partner and Member of the US Advisory Board at CET Ventures and a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, where he focuses on economic warfare, trade and investment policy, and national security.

Previously, David held senior roles across the U.S. Department of Defense, including positions within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), and DARPA—the Department of Defense's advanced research agency responsible for developing breakthrough military and dual-use technologies. Across these roles, he operated at the intersection of national security and private capital, advising senior government leadership on economic security, industrial policy, due diligence, and the commercialization of dual-use technologies.

Earlier in his career, David served as Deputy Director of Global Investment and Economic Security at the Department of Defense, where he oversaw foreign investment, trade, and CFIUS-related matters. He has also held roles at J.P. Morgan, Ernst & Young, and the RAND Corporation, and served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.

David is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bretton Woods Committee, and his writing has appeared in leading national security and policy publications.

His experience translating national security priorities into capital, policy, and market frameworks helps CET Ventures navigate how economic power, regulation, and investment shape the future of critical technologies.

Brig. Gen. (Res.) Shmaya Avieli is a Venture Partner at CET Ventures and a General Partner with decades of senior leadership experience spanning defense, government, and investment. He is also a co-founder of AGP Ventures and brings deep expertise in strategic decision-making, international cooperation, and governance in complex, high-stakes environments.

Previously, Shmaya served as Director of SIBAT (International Defense Cooperation) at the Israeli Ministry of Defense, where he led Israel's global defense cooperation and export strategy in close coordination with governments and defense industries worldwide. Earlier, he was the Israeli Air Force Attaché to the United States in Washington, D.C., acting as a senior liaison on long-term strategic programs with U.S. and allied defense organizations.

Shmaya spent more than 30 years in senior command roles in the Israeli Air Force, including command of operational units and major air force bases, leading large, complex organizations and multidisciplinary teams. He later served as a reserve instructor at the Israeli Air Force Flight School and held senior reserve roles during the Israel–Hamas War.

He holds a B.A. in Economics and Agriculture from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an M.P.A. with distinction from Auburn University at Montgomery, and is a graduate of the U.S. Air War College.

His career bridging senior military command, international defense diplomacy, and investment leadership gives CET Ventures strategic access and judgment at the intersection of national security and global partnership.