Authority Magazine: Ilana Golan On 5 Ways to Make the Most of a Professional Business Network

In today’s fast-paced business world, professional networks are more than just a pathway to opportunities; they are crucial for growth, learning, and innovation. Whether it’s finding mentors, navigating career changes, or driving business success, the right network can be a game-changer. How significant are these networks, and how can professionals best leverage them?

As a part of this series, we had the pleasure to interview Ilana Golan.

Ilana Golan is a world-renowned expert on career reinvention and portfolio careers. She is the CEO and founder of Leap Academy, an award-winning career accelerator for driven professionals. Leap Academy is one of the only platforms in the world today that helps individuals build their AQ, reinvent themselves, create portfolio careers, and prepare for the new future of work.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I didn’t plan a career in reinvention and acceleration; it evolved through a series of “leaps” and one defining moment where I felt I had lost everything.

I started as an F‑16 flight simulator instructor and the first woman to become a commander in my squad, then moved into tech as one of Intel’s youngest hires and later a Silicon Valley executive. On paper, I had made it, but I felt stuck, burned-out. disconnected from my purpose, and like I was operating at a fraction of my potential.

That rock bottom became the catalyst for Leap Academy. I saw many brilliant professionals who knew they were meant for more but didn’t know what that looked like or how to get there. Traditional education wasn’t built for the new world of work or portfolio careers. My goal became clear: to show people what’s possible — how to reinvent themselves, their personal brand, and design portfolio careers with more freedom and impact. The introduction of AI has accelerated the need for reinvention, AQ (adaptability skill), and dealing with a mindblowing pace of change.

Today, my mission is to help driven people become their own economy and lead the future of work rather than just survive it.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Click Here to Read the Full Article →