Tel Aviv-Yafo

My name is Naomie and I am an Environmental Expert. Passionate about innovation and sustainability, I graduated in Private Law and Environmental law from La Sorbonne University (L.L.M) and in Environmental Studies from Tel Aviv University (MA). After my studies in France, Canada, and Israel, I decided to call Israel “home” and had the immense opportunity to start my career in the Israeli tech ecosystem. I joined an incredible biotechnology start-up which leverages animal microbiome and AI to find novel therapeutics as compliance and regulation officer and found myself enjoying the fast pace and the “learn by doing” mindset of startups. I joined Albo as a Director of Business Development to boost the company’s growth and contribute to scaling Nature-Based Solutions all over the world by deploying Albo’s remote sensing technology for carbon and land use monitoring.

PROJECT

Albo Climate is a Climate tech startup established in 2019 whose mission is to scale nature-based climate solutions (NBS) by making it easy to monitor carbon capture in forestry and agriculture with ground-breaking AI and satellite-powered technology. By applying proprietary AI algorithms to satellite data, Albo Climate precisely quantifies and maps land use and carbon dynamics at high accuracy and resolution, deploying next-generation digital MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) and catalyzing carbon financing to reach gigaton-level of nature-based CO2 removal. Albo Climate aims to unlock the massive potential of Nature-Based Solutions to sequester atmospheric carbon and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change while increasing the accuracy, confidence, and transparency of nature-based carbon offsetting strategies. Urban nature, whether in parks, urban forests and tree-lined streets, holds tremendous potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and enables cities to reach their Net Zero Goals. Albo aims to deploy its technology in urban ecosystems to map natural assets in cities and monitor CO2 sequestration, thereby scaling Nature-based projects in cities.

Albo Climate is solving the measurement and monitoring bottleneck for CO2 sequestration (removal) in nature-based climate solutions in urban, natural, and agricultural ecosystems worldwide. The monitoring of CO2 emissions reductions and removals at scale, high resolution, and high accuracy is, in fact, one of the biggest challenges in nature-based (NBS) solutions. In contrast to manual, hardware-dependent in-field measurements, Albo Climate automatically measures, monitors, and maps carbon sequestration, offering a cost-effective solution with an unprecedented degree of transparency and accuracy. Albo aims to service cities around the globe to map their natural assets, provide transparency on carbon data to various stakeholders, define their net zero goals, support the development of nature-based projects, engage their citizens in reaching Net-zero goals, and analyze carbon emissions from urban development. By doing so, Albo will support the climate strategies of cities and boost the co-benefits associated with nature-based projects in urban ecosystems, such as improving air quality, protecting biodiversity, and enhancing the quality of life for residents.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

I had the immense privilege of growing up between Paris, the city of lights, and the greenery and agricultural region of the South West of France called “Dordogne”. Preserving these forests and agricultural ecosystems appeared to be the only meaningful choice I could do and therefore I work every day toward this goal. Moreover, I strongly believe that creating urban ecosystems where nature could thrive in cities is an essential solution to living better and improving our planet.

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Yaeli Etstein is a highly accomplished R&D biologist with a M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (graduated magna cum laude) and a B.Sc. in Marine Sciences from the School for Marine Sciences (graduated summa cum laude). She has professional training in sustainability (the Fellow’s Program of the Heschel Center for Sustainability) and marine conservation at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. Specializing in molecular biology, Yaeli has a track record of successful R&D projects in environmental monitoring, aquaculture, and renewable energy. Over the past 8 years, she has worked as a consultant and academic lecturer for environmental health and sustainable entrepreneurship, offering services to corporations and municipalities. Additionally, Yaeli is the managing founder of Critical Mass, a social impact initiative promoting ecological consumption habits through health-related incentives and a non-toxic labeling system for household products. In her spare time, she enjoys wave surfing, sailing, free-diving, hiking and dancing, experiencing nature in every way possible.

PROJECT

Critical Mass successfully engages 11,000 members who use its social media platforms to make informed and economical purchases of non-toxic products.  The initiative is guided by health-related recommendations and buyer’s club discounts, promoting the use of non-toxic goods.  With the mentorship program, the organization aims to develop a centralized B2C marketplace with a non-toxic labeling system for consumer products and an advanced buyer’s club. This will provide a convenient, transparent, affordable and reliable source for information and purchasing of non-toxic goods, benefiting both consumers and businesses. The impact of this initiative is significant, as it redirects household spending towards consumer choices with lower environmental and health footprints, promoting both SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) at the same time. Studies based on MRIO databases have revealed that merely 43 high income countries contribute the most to humanity’s environmental pressure, accounting for over 60% of global GHG emissions. 80% of these emissions are “secondary”, resulting from the production, transportation, and waste treatment of food and goods. Therefore, significant changes in daily consumption choices of these consumers will contribute the relevant critical mass needed to create a major impact in a shorter period of time.

Yaeli has been living by the sea for 18 years, ever since she started studying marine biology. From that moment on, the sea has taken a central place in her life, both professionally and as a place to unleash her adventurous urge. Yaeli is an addicted surfer, a free and scuba diver, a competitive sailor, and an environmental activist. The deterioration of the marine environment over time has been hard for her, constantly watching the increase in pollution and exploitation despite all efforts to raise public awareness. Swimming and surfing in apocalyptic scenes of garbage swarms have pushed her to search for a different approach to environmental activism. All the surveys she has conducted have shown that health is a strong incentive for individuals to change their behavior and habits. Yaeli has focused her literary research on finding direct and immediate health impacts of modern consumption culture. In doing so, she discovered the unknown widespread phenomena of harmful chemicals in consumer products in all categories. Telling people about this issue has proved to be successful and highly engaging.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

Her love for the natural environment has always been the guiding light in her life. She has lived in rural areas all her life, and has experienced nature in many ways. Traveling abroad in her 20’s pivoted her professional preferences towards environmental studies. Instead of pursuing an acting career that she started in her youth, she chose marine biology. The underwater world was always magical to her and became with time a source of energy and excitement. Yaeli cannot withstand any harm to it and is fully committed to preserve, clean and sustain the health of her beloved environment.

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A planner and researcher, with professional knowledge and extensive management experience in the recycling industry in general and the construction and demolition waste in particular. During the years of activity in the field of the environment, I developed an extensive network of contacts with key actors in various sectors. I served as a waste and recycling coordinator at the Lod Municipal Authority where I was closely exposed to the challenges, both at the regulatory level and at the field level, facing the treatment and recovery of waste streams in Israel. Today, I am aiming to expand my activity creating collaborations for the treatment and prevention of negative infections caused by waste and developing models based on civil activism in these areas.

PROJECT

Lira shapira- local green coin is a a non profit organisation which is promoting and supporting the separation at the source and the independent treatment of organic household waste. we are distributing a local coin which is directed to generate and reinforce the local economy and local connections and ties between different layers of the society. Each coin we distribute is linked to the value of 1 kilo of organic waste treated in the conventional way by transporting it to landfills. We also launched a new project called “Tel hubez”- an urban farm managed by the local residents aiming to educate and teach agriculture and grow organic vegetables for a local community market. This project also supports new connections and is aiming to build a stronger resilient community- one of the most important qualities we need as citizens in order to face the coming climate change related challenges. All of these activities are recognised and supported by the Tel Aviv municipality.

My experience in the waste field led me to the understanding that civil action, aiming to reinforce the community and the sense of responsibility over the waste we produce is something to invest in. so i joined my neighbour and we established the N.G.O which we run together in the last year.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

In the last 7 years since i graduated from my second degree studies in environment, i worked in the business sector, the municipal sector and now as a civil action generator. my motivation is based on the deep understanding that i gain in Africa, working as a stagier during my architecture studies, – waste is a byproduct of human activity and an endless source of raw materials. i would like to use waste as a resource for building a strong community.

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Noa holds a B.Sc. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Political Science (Cum Laude) from Tel Aviv University. In the past decade she worked as a risk expert at online payments companies and gained vast knowledge and experience in building data infrastructures, mainly using graph-based algorithms. Noa is also volunteering at NZO, Hescel Sustainability Center project aiming to promote the transition to renewable energy in Israel. Her initiative aims to address two problems at the same time: urban floods and water shortage. The project aims to find a solution to reduce the damage caused by urban floods while preserving the flood’s water.

PROJECT

One of the main consequences of climate change is the increase in frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events. All over the world we are witnessing severe flood events that are causing casualties and huge economic damage. Cities are especially vulnerable to floods due to their density and the concrete and asphalt which prevent water from being absorbed into the ground. At the same time, water is one of our most important resources and water scarcity becomes a problem in more and more places. Today, at time of flood, the common practice is to move the water away as quickly as possible. Thus, we lose a huge amount of water that can potentially be used. The project goal is to help people and local authorities to adapt to extreme weather events by reducing damages caused by floods while also preserving part of the water so it can be used later for purposes such as irrigation.

While reading about extreme floods events around the world in recent years, it occurred to me that the same rain water that is causing so much damage, is a major part of the water cycle and of the freshwater that we need for our everyday living. It led me to think that if we can somehow preserve some of the flood water then we can reduce the flood’s intensity and at the same time restore the water for later use.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

Growing up in a family of farmers, I learned to appreciate rain at winter time, know what it’s like to worry at times of drought and to never take water for granted. Today, as I live in Tel Aviv, each winter we feel the consequences of rainwater overflow the city drainage system. As the climate crisis and the ways it changes and affects our life becomes more evident, I feel the urge to act in order to adapt to these changes.

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I am passionate about making a positive impact on climate and believe in creating new opportunities within cross industries, applying one industry’s challenge into the other’s need. I am the co-founder and CEO of TextRe, which turns the Textile Waste Challenge into a Sustainable Business Opportunity. I look at waste differently, as a huge opportunity, economically and environmentally. I bring vast knowledge and understanding within Textile industry, my family owns Clothing factories in the middle east. Within my professional experience, I bring experience as a Corporate Lawyer and vast experience within intelligence research in government offices and in the private business sector.

PROJECT

Our mission is turning the textile waste into new recycled materials (among them – plastic polymers) which replace expensive and high-Carbon Footprint materials in various industries. Our first 2 developments are new substrate for agriculture, based on textile waste and new material replacing pure plastic polymer. The textile industry is One of the top 5 polluting industries (Accounts for 10% of GHG), generates over 80,000,000 tons of textile waste annually, while over 85% is being buried in landfilled and the rest is downcycled. On the other hand, Plastic production and incineration adds more than 850 million metric tons of CFP to the atmosphere and by 2050, the CFP from plastic could reach 10-13%. Our solution includes: (1) Sustainable Compounds for plastic production (mainly for injection molding & extrusion technologies) and Composite Applications: Consumer Products, Automotive, Construction, Infrastructure, DIY (2) New light weight material substrate Applications: New light weight material substrate for agriculture, urban farming, green walls and rooftops Our main R&D challenge is converting various fibers blends including natural and synthetic fibers into a persistent composite to achieve required material characters. The impact of our solutions is double – dealing the textile waste problem and enabling reducing CFP by replacing unsustainable materials.

I have participated in an entrepreneur program which after one lecture in the natter I have became aware to the vast environmental aspects of the textile industry, which led me to have my own research on the matter. That, with my knowledge within textile production process (as I have mentioned above) led me to understand I want to solve this problem in a disruptive and creative way. That, by using this industry waste, and apply it on other industry’s needs. I have conducted another research about textile waste composition and fibers characters to find the benefits of those fibers characters for other industries usages and the replacement of unsustainable materials.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

I am dedicate, within my venture, to solve this huge 2 problems we are dealing with – tremendous amounts of textile waste which arrive to landfills and consist pure raw materials, and the need to replace the usage of virgin plastic. My partners, collaborators and I are motivated within having a meaningful positive climate impact.

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I’m originally from Tel-Aviv and graduated from Bar Ilan University with a Bsc. in Computer Science and Economics. My first role in the tech industry was as a software developer, in which I relocated to St. Louise in the US. After a few years I realised that my true passion is being close to customers so I transitioned to project and customer management roles, in both corporates and Startups. In the last few years I worked in senior management roles on the business side as a VP customer success. In 2021 I co-founded a real estate Startup in the field of urban information surfacing using image processing.

PROJECT

• Build the world’s first collaborative surveys database, accessible to the public – using our patent protected unique algorithm.
• Strong automatic tool that converts images taken by anyone to valuable data.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

• Enriched database with many types of information.
• Smart City – based on tool that provides city data.
• Up-to-date data using images and measurements taken by citizens devices.
• Cost reduction by using an automatic algorithm, instead of human-based person-hours.

Adi Sholev Founder and CEO of Urban Daisy – Green Roofs, Green Data Adi is passionate about creating pathways between impact, product and research. She is continually searching for holistic solutions and understandings for sustainable development. Her diverse education and experience working as an ecology researcher, project manager at an Agtech startup and leading several environmental – social projects has culminated in her founding Urban Daisy – Green Roofs, Green Data. Environmental sustainability is dependent on the collaboration of multiple sectors and disciplines and cannot thrive without financial viability. For this reason, Adi is dedicated to creating financially beneficial sustainable solutions and hopes to facilitate quantifiable environmental impact within the business sector.

PROJECT

Urban Daisy is a one-stop-shop for green roofs offering full service and project management starting from location surveys through design, construction and maintenance. Our green roofs are designed to amplify environmental impact, improving buildings’ thermal function, stormwater management, air quality and local biodiversity. Urban Daisy optimizes design via data analysis creating multifunctional green roofs that are both financially and environmentally beneficial. Our green roofs double as Living Labs with research conducted in collaboration with climate specialists and geographers. Sensors are installed on our green roofs and in buildings to measure and analyze the specific benefits of each and every green roof. Using this data, we generate Environmental Impact Reports that businesses can publish and present to their investors and customers. In the future we aim to use our data to develop design tools and knowledge for mitigating the Urban Heat Island and managing stormwater in urban settings.

The core question Urban Daisy is attempting to answer is: How can the business sector be motivated to take part in creating resilience to climate change? The short answer, make it financially viable. Mitigating the climate crisis is a complicated mission and though there is still much research to be done there are some challenges that can be addressed immediately. Unfortunately, lack of finance is often a major barrier to progress. Urban areas are growing rapidly, and while space on ground level is becoming scarce rooftops are largely unutilised. Green roofs are a way to create both positive environmental impact and utilize real estate. Quantifying the specific impact a green roof has on its environment helps businesses follow sustainable development goals while using the green roof for their own uses.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

As a global community we are facing challenges in almost every aspect of our lives. Many of these challenges be it social, health, finance and others are often location specific and create polarized opinions. I believe that environmental sustainability is not only a global concern but also a common denominator people and organizations can agree on. We all need a healthy environment to thrive and survive. Considering the challenges national and local governments are facing, and the dearth of public resources, Adi believes the private sector is positioned to take a larger role in mitigating the climate crisis. Financially beneficial and profitable products and services promoting sustainability could facilitate this.

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Irete Hamdani is a solopreneur and the founder of askBelynda, a greentech startup that helps reduce our carbon footprint. Currently, askBelynda offers a Google Chrome extension for recommending sustainable products to consumers while they shop online, and there are more plans to expand and offer a range of sustainable solutions for consumers in the future. Irete holds an MSc in Computer Science with honors from Tel Aviv University, and is an AWS Certified Associate Developer and Solution Architect. Her 25 years of experience in the tech industry have been instrumental in the development of askBelynda, and she is driven by her belief in a greener future through the proliferation of sustainable consumer goods.

PROJECT

My initiative for askBelynda came about through my own personal journey to live a more sustainable life. As I began to examine the products I was purchasing, I realized that it was difficult to know which products were truly environmentally-friendly without spending a lot of time researching. This realization led me to think about the challenges that other consumers may face when trying to make sustainable choices. This sparked the idea for askBelynda, a platform that makes it easy for people to make environmentally-friendly choices by recommending sustainable products to consumers while they shop online.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

My motivation for creating a better and more sustainable planet is rooted in the belief that we all have a responsibility to protect the earth for future generations. I am deeply committed to making a positive impact and reducing my own carbon footprint, as well as through my business ventures. I am passionate about promoting sustainable living and reducing the negative impact of climate change. I believe that small changes can add up to make a big difference, and I am dedicated to being a part of that change.

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Architect Esty Ahimeir has a rich experience in the field of planning and design. In recent years, she has been mainly engaged in green construction, as a consultant and facilitator. Dr. Yael Steimberg Founded and managed the research unit at the Democratic Institute. She carried out extensive research programs in the social, educational and environmental fields

PROJECT

Architect Esty Ahimair and Dr. Yael Steimberg have co-founded ‘Just a Second’ – focused on creating abundance from abundance. ‘Just a Second’ plans and implements models for creative solutions to deal with bulk waste – which today, is thrown away in thousands of tons into landfills and is an increasing economic and environmental burden. ‘Just a Second’ is an environmental, educational / cultural and economic venture which tries to produce a fundamental change in the way we consume, design, create and facilitate. The venture seeks to create a fundamental change in the way we handle existing abundance – which today at any given moment is thrown into the trash/landfill in huge quantities. The idea, in short, is to create inspiring spaces for conscientious purchasing of second hand items only. Purchasing for design, renovation, creation, and repair. The work in the space is based solely on existing materials, and ‘rescuing’ them from being thrown into landfills. In other words, it is a space that is entirely based on domestic waste, waste from manufacturing plants and waste from organizations and businesses. Using this waste will be a source of conscientious and frugal consumption, an inspiration for design and re-creation, and will strengthen the repairing capabilities. It will encourage community activity and a circular economy, saving landfill costs and more. This is a space that has an emphasis on a “cool”, pleasant and inspiring design; A space that is both a home for designers and artists. Specifically, within the framework of W4C, we seek to crack and develop an urban model that will create a solution for the efficient and creative use of usable garbage from homes, factories and organizations. I hope that the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo can spread this model in other cities that take part in this program.

The idea stems from a long-standing desire to expand the possibilities of design and creation from the very things that people and factories weave. In recent years this passion has met with the climate crisis, and especially with the consumer culture and the landfill crisis in the State of Israel.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

We have a very high motivation to establish reuse complexes – inspiring and mind-altering – where there will be a variety of opportunities for reuse and upcycling. We have already seen that there are such places in Europe, and we dream of establishing such in Israel as well.

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I am an engineer who has graduated from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, the Polytechnique School of Montreal University in Canada with an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering, and Tel-Aviv University with a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering. During my master’s degree, my research focused on optimizing prices and vehicle routing for delivery problems. My Ph.D. thesis proposed mathematical models for optimizing balancing problems in bike-sharing systems. My recent research presents new mathematical bi-level models aimed at improving the well-being and flexibility of employees in the workplace. I am currently a senior lecturer at Afeka College of Engineering in Tel-Aviv, teaching in the school of Industrial Engineering.

PROJECT

Creating shade in public spaces is a critical factor in enhancing quality of life and public health, particularly in countries like Israel that experience high temperatures for a significant part of the year. Currently, there are no shade solutions in place in all types of public spaces. The project aims to optimize public space shading in a city, taking into account a specific budget, the density of the area, climate conditions, and various types of shading. This project was undertaken by two of my students under my supervision. We developed a mathematical optimization model for planning public shading spaces and conducted simulations using data from the city of Rishon LeZion. The project will benefit citizens by increasing the shaded areas in public spaces, including along streets. By providing shading solutions in public spaces, it’s possible to reduce sun exposure, encourage physical activity, and create a more comfortable microclimate. The temperature in a shaded area is significantly lower compared to an area exposed to the sun, depending on the type of shading (e.g. trees or artificial shading).

During the hot months of summer, as I walked on the streets trying to escape the scorching sun, I often wondered why so many public spaces and streets lacked shading. While it would be ideal to plant trees in all streets, this is not possible due to various constraints such as the width of the street, the depth of the ground, budget, and population density. This sparked my interest in finding a solution to this problem using mathematical programming (operations research), so I proposed this project to my students and we worked together to build a model. I am now working on an improved model that takes into account a wider range of parameters and hope that it will assist decision-makers in optimizing shading in existing areas and be incorporated into the planning of future projects.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

My motivation is to enhance the daily lives of citizens by adapting cities to the effects of climate change. Otherwise, in the future, people in the Middle East and other parts of the world will be confined to air conditioning for the majority of the year, leading to issues such as loneliness, lack of physical and social activities, increased energy consumption, etc. When it comes to shading, there are different types, but it has been shown that trees are the most effective in significantly reducing temperatures. That’s why I believe that optimizing shading by planting trees in strategic areas sends a powerful message about the importance of our connection to nature. We cannot live disconnected from nature and need it for survival, and we must respect it. I hope that as a society, we can work together to implement the best solutions before it is too late.

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I am extremely passionate about restoring and preserving nature – that’s what motivated me to co-found Albo Climate in 2020. My academic background is in economics and international relations, and I hold an MBA. Originally from the USA (Boston), I moved to Israel in 2014. Aside from working 24/7 on Albo, I also love painting, running and climbing.

PROJECT

Albo Climate is a Seed-stage climate tech startup developing novel AI and satellite powered technology for measuring and monitoring carbon sequestration in nature based climate solutions, such as regenerative agriculture and reforestation. The Women4Climate – C40 mentorship program opens up an incredible network, a supportive community of women leaders, and ample opportunity to hone in on key business goals, such as our Go-To-Market plan, and a potential partnerships with the Tel Aviv municipality, where we are based. We are delighted to be part of this international, climate focused and women-led cohort.

I met our CEO, Jacques Amselem, through Techstars, where I was working before co-founding Albo Climate with Jacques and our third co-founder, Marco Calderon. I knew that I wanted to build a climate startup, and manage fundraising and growing the business. Jacques had the original idea of using satellite images and AI to identify a variety of parameters on the face of the earth and Marco is an environmental scientist and modeler. The three of us had excellent synergy and really completed one another as we embarked on our journey in the carbon space.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

Working in the climate space for me is unlike any other job. I am extremely motivated to work day in, day out on a venture that has positive impact on climate change mitigation and on preserving biodiversity, and the most vulnerable natural areas on earth. For me, climate issues are all encompassing – they touch every aspect of society – health, the economy, security, wellbeing, ethics and our attitude towards humans and every living creature. Working in this field, I am convinced that we can deeply integrate climate-positive thinking, as well as diversity and inclusion, into an extremely successful business model.

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