Elevate with Robert Glazer Ilana Golan on Coaching Great Leaders, Building Leap Academy, and More
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Dec 16, 2025 Ilana Golan, a former Israeli Air Force flight instructor, is now an entrepreneur and founder of Leap Academy, which has transformed the careers of over 70,000 professionals. She shares insights on breaking barriers in leadership, the importance of personal branding, and experimenting with career paths. Ilana also discusses her challenging journey through startup failures and health crises, ultimately leading to her mission of empowering others to reinvent themselves and thrive in a rapidly changing workforce.
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Breaking The Air Force Ceiling
- Ilana became the first woman commander and instructor for F-16 flight simulators in the Israeli Air Force despite restrictions on women in combat roles.
- She trained pilots via classroom and simulators and emphasizes that great trainers need broad knowledge, not necessarily being the top performer.
Startup Raise Turned Personal Low
- Ilana raised $800,000 for a startup but was pushed out by her co-founder who kept the investment and removed her from the term sheet.
- Losing her job, startup, and identity forced her into a deep low that eventually catalyzed reinvention.
A Health Scare That Sparked A Promise
- A cancer scare marked Ilana's emotional bottom and motivated her to promise to do something bigger if she recovered.
- That promise later seeded the creation of Leap Academy to prevent others from feeling stuck.