Innovation with Impact: Tomer Levy’s Entrepreneurial Journey
Innovation with Impact: Tomer Levy’s Entrepreneurial Journey
July 1, 2026
Tomer Levy with the Minister of Health of Argentina (Credit: Tomer Levy LinkedIn)
Tomer Levy still remembers the energy of campus life at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU)—the late-night conversations, the creative experimentation, and the sense that big ideas could emerge from Be’er Sheva and reach the world.
Today, as founder and CEO of Sign Now, an accessibility company serving the deaf community through on-demand sign language interpretation, Levy recalls how studying at BGU helped shape the entrepreneurial vision that would become his life’s work.
Levy earned both his undergraduate degree in education and politics and later his MBA at BGU. While many alumni reflect fondly on their years in the Negev, Levy describes the experience as transformational.
“It was really the best time of my life,” he said. “It gave me the freedom to think, to connect, and to create.”
That environment of creativity and social engagement would ultimately inspire Sign Now, a company dedicated to making communication accessible for deaf individuals around the world. Sign Now provides on-demand sign language interpretation through video call technology, enabling deaf users to communicate instantly with doctors, emergency responders, service providers, and others in everyday life.
Pioneering Accessibility from the Negev
The idea for Sign Now began during Levy’s student years at BGU, when he combined his interests in music, education, and social impact. At the time, Levy was involved in student programming and served as a producer for the BGU Student Union. During one major student event, he introduced sign language interpretation to live performances for the first time.
“I brought sign language interpreters to the big student shows,” Levy said. “It became a huge success and spread to universities across Israel.”
That moment opened his eyes to the enormous communication barriers facing the deaf community. According to Sign Now’s materials, approximately 90 million deaf people worldwide face daily disadvantages because most hearing individuals do not know sign language. Levy realized that accessibility was not simply a convenience—it was a matter of equality and independence.
“I saw there was a huge need,” he said. “People couldn’t easily communicate with doctors, customer service providers, or emergency services. I wanted to create an impact.”
At BGU, Levy found mentors and institutional support that helped transform that vision into a real company. He worked closely with innovation leaders at the University and received early-stage backing from Cactus Capital, an entrepreneurship initiative connected to the BGU ecosystem. With the initial $20,000 investment from Cactus Capital, Levy established Sign Now.
He also credits BGU faculty and administrators with helping guide his entrepreneurial path. Among those he singled out were the University’s President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz; founder of the Yazamut 360 Entrepreneurship Center and VP of Entrepreneurship at BGN Technologies, Dana Gavish; and faculty members in the Depart of Education who encouraged his ambitions and connected him with crucial opportunities.
United by Music
One of those opportunities became a breakthrough moment for Sign Now. In 2019, while still a student, Levy helped make the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel accessible through professional sign language interpretation on demand—the first initiative of its kind in the world. The project earned national media attention and demonstrated that accessibility technology could operate successfully on one of the world’s biggest stages.
Levy approached the challenge with the same persistence that would later define his entrepreneurial career. After initially being rejected, he generated public awareness through media outreach and advocacy, eventually convincing organizers to adopt the idea.
“That’s how I went to Eurovision,” he said. “I had a dream to make it accessible.”
Saving Lives on the Frontlines
From there, Sign Now expanded rapidly. The company has since worked with broadcasters, institutions, and organizations in Israel, Europe, and the U.S. Today, Sign Now serves dozens of business and government clients and continues pursuing international expansion, including accessibility initiatives in Latin America.
For Levy, social impact is also a top priority. Sign Now has been used in emergency situations, including during the war in Ukraine, when the company helped deaf refugees communicate with transportation officials, emergency personnel, and border authorities as they fled the country. Levy and his team quickly established Ukrainian sign language support within the app, enabling users to access interpreters while in life-threatening situations.
“It wasn’t only accessibility,” Levy said. “It was saving lives.”
Today, Levy’s ambitions extend beyond Sign Now itself. He has become involved in broader initiatives promoting Israeli innovation and social entrepreneurship globally. He recently helped organize gatherings of impact entrepreneurs and investors focused on regional collaboration and accessibility initiatives throughout the Middle East.
Sign Now’s slogan is “Sign Now. Right Now.” Innovation and the drive to make the world a better place are at the core of BGU’s teaching philosophy.
Help BGU continue to empower students like Tomer to act when it matters most, with the tools they need for success, by donating today at a4bgu.org/way-forward
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