# Omri Stern

> Omri Stern is the co-founder and former CEO of Jones, an insurance-verification software company serving construction and real estate. After building it with Michael Rudman from 2017, he initiated a 2026 CEO succession and moved to an active board role focused on long-term strategy and innovation. His Building Vertical AI newsletter documents product decisions, leadership lessons and founder transitions.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and Board Member at Jones
- **Organizations:** Jones, Zerofootprint
- **Nationality:** Israeli
- **Education:** BA in Government, International Affairs; cum laude, Reichman University (formerly IDC Herzliya), MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded Jones and led the company from 2017 to its 2026 CEO transition., Jones won the 2020 insurance-category Real Estate Tech Award., Jones reported 36,000+ projects and properties, 2.7 billion square feet and 231 employees in its January 2026 leadership announcement.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2013** — Worked in business development at Zerofootprint, an energy-management software business.
- **2015** — Completed Harvard Business School MBA and co-authored How Israeli Startups Can Scale with Jeffrey Bussgang.
- **2017** — Co-founded Jones with Michael Rudman; won the AXA InsurTech Venture Competition on February 24.
- **2020** — Jones won the Real Estate Tech Award in the insurance category.
- **2021** — Jones raised a $12.5 million Series A led by JLL Spark and Khosla Ventures.
- **2025** — Jones announced a $15 million Series B led by NewSpring on January 6.
- **2026** — Initiated CEO succession to Paul Szemerenyi, with a transition through March 31, and moved to an active board role.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Jones and led the company from 2017 to its 2026 CEO transition.
- Jones won the 2020 insurance-category Real Estate Tech Award.
- Jones reported 36,000+ projects and properties, 2.7 billion square feet and 231 employees in its January 2026 leadership announcement.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Published Built for the Bust on October 1, examining skilled-trades training constraints in the AI infrastructure buildout.
- **2026-07** — Published The Network Effects Blind Spot in Vertical AI on July 30 and an essay on technical co-founders on July 2.
- **2026-06** — Published What SaaS Left on the Table on June 11, discussing industry workflows overlooked by large software providers.
- **2026-04** — Published his 90-day CEO transition audit on April 30.
- **2026-01** — Jones announced Paul Szemerenyi as successor CEO on January 14, with Stern moving to the board.

## Links

- Website: https://omristern.substack.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omri-stern-81239613
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/omristern

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/omri-stern
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-12