Ilana Golan is someone who goes first.
She was the first female commander in the Israeli Air Force F-16 simulator, and that experience set her up for a career filled with blazing trails and then creating a wider path for others to follow. From her start at Intel in Israel to the work she is doing now with her firm Golan Ventures and her new endeavor, Homrun, she’s taking her vast knowledge of startups and technology and easing the way for Israeli entrepreneurs to build a network and open doors so their startups can grow in the US.
“There’s just so many unknowns and so many hurdles, but when you actually try to also cross the ocean, you don’t have the network, you don’t have the language, you don’t have … You know, there are just so many barriers, you don’t the market fit, and I can go on and on, and you’re actually starting with such a disadvantage that it’s almost unfair, and the idea was to make the playing field a little easier and a little more fair to that extent and use a huge network of phenomenal business leaders that can open doors, can help with strategy, can help as advisory, can help with investment, and can really help those startups grow here in North America.”
So many great takeaways from this conversation. Listen to the episode in the player above, or download and enjoy it on iTunes. If you’re so inclined, please leave us a review!
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
- Ilana Golan – Website | Twitter | LinkedIn
- Golan Ventures
- Homrun
- Homrun Video – Bridging Israeli Innovation
- Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
- The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use Entrepreneurial Management to Transform Culture and Drive Long-Term Growth by Eric Ries
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 94: Bethany Quam
- Build an A-Team: Play to Their Strengths and Lead Them Up the Learning Curve by Whitney Johnson
- Download a free chapter from Build an A-Team
