Michael Maze

Board Member

Michael J Maze is a senior data and analytics leader currently serving as Senior Director of Credit Onboarding at Bill.com. He spent over ten years at PayPal in Israel, where he held leadership roles in risk management and machine learning, leading global teams across Israel, the U.S. and Europe.

Michael grew up in Austin, Texas, with parents very involved in Jewish communal life, including their conservative synagogue and Jewish Family Services. He was an active member in both Bnai Brith Youth Organization and the Zionist youth movement Young Judaea, attending Young Judaea summer camps and serving on the regional board of BBYO. Michael visited Israel for the first time in 1998 with Young Judaea summer programs, and was affected by the complexities he was suddenly exposed to, including an eye-opening meeting with three teenage Arab Israeli students from the village of Sha'ab, arranged by Moshav Shorashim. In 2000 he attended Young Judaea's gap year program in Israel, engaged in studies and community service in Jerusalem and Arad, and witnessed firsthand the harsh realities of life in the region during the Second Intifada.

Returning to the U.S., he attended the University of Texas, the profound experiences of the past year leading him to abandon his original course of study (electrical engineering) for the humanities. Michael was active in Jewish campus life through Hillel and as a board member of the local pro-Israel advocacy group. In 2004, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with Bachelors Degrees in History, Government and Hebrew Literature and Language.

Immediately upon completing his undergraduate studies, he moved to Israel, spending his first year as a student in Giva'at Haviva's intensive Arabic language program. He afterwards completed a Master's Degree in Modern Middle Eastern History from Tel Aviv University. Upon completing his compulsory service in the IDF, Michael worked at a small company providing research services for legal firms involved in terror finance litigation.

In 2011, Michael moved into risk management at PayPal, where he gained deep expertise in Israel's technology sector. While at PayPal, Michael worked on programs designed to better integrate Arab Israeli citizens into Israel's tech sector, including a partnership with Tsofen-Tashbik that involved mentorship of young Arab engineers and dedicated interview training sessions. In 2022, Michael, his wife Mara, and their three children moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where they live today. They are active members of Shearith Israel synagogue.