Oded Friedland

Oded Friedland, Monkey Business' founder and co-owner, has been a devoted surfer for years, and you can still find him at the beach when the surf is up. The sea is also where his design career started years ago, when he designed hundreds of t-shirts for the Gazoz Sunsation surfwear line, worn by almost every youth in Israel in the late 80's and early 90's. Oded studied Industrial Design at the Bezalel Art & Design Academy in Jerusalem but still has a soft spot for graphic design. He says his creative energy is a fusion of inherent need with opportunities and materials that everyday life throws his way. Ever since his first product, the Plughole Ashtray, he's looking for ideas by addressing everyday problems that haven't been dealt with, either functionally or aesthetically. Oded is the creative angle in family-run Monkey Business, where his wife Liat and brother Omri handle domestic and international sales. He teaches a course in Bezalel titled "VAT Included" about various aspects of design and entrepreneurship.