General Partner, Viola Growth
Rafi is a General Partner at Viola Growth. He joined the fund in 2018 bringing with him 14 years of transaction experience as a seasoned technology and financial services investment banker and a corporate attorney, with a vast global network having worked and studied in the United States, Europe and Israel.
Rafi is based in New York and is Viola Growth’s contact in the United States.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Prior to joining Viola Growth, Rafi was a Senior Vice President and Head of Emerging FinTech at Goldman Sachs in the Financial Institutions Group of the firm’s Investment Banking Division in New York. Rafi joined Goldman Sachs’ New York office in 2010 and during his tenure sourced, led and executed numerous transactions across M&A, equity and debt. He also led a number of growth stage Financial Technology institutional investments on behalf of Goldman Sachs
- During his tenure at Goldman Sachs Rafi spent two years in the firm’s Tel Aviv office where he executed M&A transactions and IPOs across various technology sectors. Rafi also served as the co-head of Goldman Sachs recruiting team for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
- Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Rafi was a Corporate Attorney at S. Horowitz & Co. specializing in M&A and financing transactions for public and private companies, and served in the Submarines unit in the Israeli Navy.
- Rafi holds a B.A. in Economics and a LL.B in Law from the University of Haifa and an MBA (with Honors) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and is a member of the Israel Bar Association.
THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT RAFI
- He is an avid traveler. His motto is “Life is journey, the one who travels, lives twice”. Ever since he was a young child he has been traveling the world, taking advantage of every “journey” to meet new people, experience cultures and learn new things to get a better perspective on life. “Our family’s decision to relocate four times in the past ten years was partially driven by the desire to give our three children the opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds, explore and shape their own journey.”
- Rafi has always been passionate about education. He spent numerous years after his military service preparing students (including those studying to be teachers) for their psychometric (SAT) exams. Rafi also founded and managed a non-profit association aimed at reducing social gaps by enhancing basic learning skills of underprivileged children in Israel
- He loves Yoga: “I am not really a spiritual person but I find that Yoga strengthens the body and the mind and can definitely help me maintain a balanced life.”
