“This is the real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”
PORTFOLIO
Along with 1-1 leadership coaching and regenerative consulting, my work has taken many forms. Whether as programmes, summits, events, gatherings, retreats, experiments, projects, experiences or through designing, interviewing and writing, I’ve been following a creative impulse for over 20 years.
Below are some examples of projects I’ve worked on. It is anything but linear and so while it doesn’t reflect the courses I’ve been lucky enough to attend, the work that couldn’t get completed, the personal heartbreaks, the once-offs, the burn-outs, the global shifts, the moves, the losses, the lessons - it is a start, which seems quite fitting.
2020-2025
Themes of work: Regeneration | Education | Climate | Philanthropy | Entrepreneurship | Leadership | Systems Sensing
Agrifood Systems Change Consortium - Europe
Leading gatherings on deep regeneration in both Italy and Germany as well as online - bringing together diverse agrifood leaders committed to keeping living systems at the centre of their decision making
Facilitator Mentoring - Online
Mentoring facilitators and teams in the design, development and delivery of transformational retreats, gatherings, processes and programmes
Open sessions - Online
Various gatherings including "Listening Beyond Words" - bringing together leaders from across systems to reflect and practice together.
Responsible Leaders Network - Berlin
Hosted the annual Network Drivers Meeting for the ecosystem in Berlin.
European Forum Alpbach - Austria
Hosted the first lab for 30+ Climate Leaders in 2021, then led multiple events and labs included: Climate Opportunity Leaders Labs, Beyond Siloes, Regenerative Ag, Leadership Circles, Bold Approaches to Systemic Funding and more.
BOLD Campus Frankfurt - Germany
Guided the RESPOND Responsible Leaders' Retreat for Climate Tech leaders and industry experts - an experiential gathering focused on connection, collaboration and climate tech innovation.
Raffles Institution - Singapore
Co-led a Systems Change Design Studio immersion on the Future of Education and Teaching - working with people from across the education system on transforming learning approaches.
Sagana - Spain
Guided a Learning and Development Journey online with in person team retreats in Mallorca.
Sarsen | Light - Iceland/London
Hosted an immersive journey in Iceland for 60+ young people on Inner Work for Outer Impact in partnership with Leaders Quest.
Family Businesses & Inheritors - UK/Global
Working across generations with inheritors and their leadership and impact journeys.
BMW Foundation - Berlin
Strategic Planning workshop with Collective Intelligence team in early 2024 - strategy sessions with the CI team.
Generation Pledge Global Gathering - UK
Designed and hosted the first in person retreat and gathering for GP's global community.
Ashoka - Italy/Austria
Hosted the Global Gathering in Rome and two European Forums in Rome and Vienna for the global social innovation network.
BARA (Business Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture) - Netherlands
Facilitated the founding gathering for a new alliance of regenerative agriculture businesses.
Radicle - Dubai
Co-developed provocations & a systems map with Dark Matter Labs for the RewirEd future of education conference, including interviews, events and research with leaders from within and across the education system.
Summit Junto - US/Global
Launched and facilitated Summit Junto's inaugural year and its initial 300+ members.
The Well Being Project - Online
Online community events for the global ecosystem during the pandemic.
Before 2020
Ashoka's American Express Leadership Bootcamp - Berlin (2017)
Led intensive leadership development program bringing together emerging social innovators from Ashoka’s network.
Create Meaning - Berlin (2016 -)
Partner in design, strategy and consulting along with hosting events, workshops and retreats including the launch of the Cocreation.loft in Berlin, working with Ekskaret Foundation and 29k in Sweden.
ISSOS Youth Leadership Programme - Scotland (2015)
Created an experiential leadership curriculum for the International Summer School for young leaders inspired by the work of the Foundation for Transformational Leadership (FTL).
Metta Network - Edinburgh (2015)
Co-launched community for changemakers building a better world through business as an extension of the work with Power of Youth.
Power of Youth - Edinburgh | Global (2011 - 2016)
Director & Lead Facilitator of PoY which was dedicated to "building a better world through business" for young entrepreneurs. The work included organising and leading Global Summits in Scotland, England, Cape Town, Beijing, Delhi, Berlin and Bangalore - and developing an ecosystem of of purpose-driven entrepreneurs both locally and globally.
Asha Centre - UK (2011- 2016)
Lead Facilitator for Erasmus+ programmes: Social Entrepreneurship | Entrepreneurship & Creativity | Peace and Change | Dance4Life Youth Council | Peace Education and Non-Violent Action. The Asha Centre is UK charity and retreat centre in Forest of Dean working for youth empowerment, sustainable development and peace & reconciliation.
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship - Oxford (2013 - 2015)
Co-hosted multiple annual community summits for Skoll Skollars - social impact centre at University of Oxford bringing together researchers and practitioners to advance social entrepreneurship.
Lila Poonawalla Foundation - Pune (2011)
Leadership training in Pune for some of the leading women from the foundation which was established by Padma Shri Lila Poonawalla, providing scholarships to academically outstanding girls from economically weaker backgrounds.
IkamvaYouth - South Africa (2011)
Strategic planning and leadership retreat for South African youth development organization - enables disadvantaged youth to pull themselves out of poverty through peer-to-peer tutoring, career guidance and mentoring.
enke: make your mark - Johannesburg (2010-2012)
Facilitator Training & Content Advisor - youth development organisation empowering young South Africans (15-35) to become authors of their futures through leadership development and social action programs.
Lucca SA - South Africa (2009 - 2012)
CEO & Course Director of the South African affiliate of Lucca Leadership: Programmes included various 7 day experiential courses for leaders from around South Africa: Leadership Foundations, Living Leadership, Leadership in Action, Catalyst, Catalyst 2.0, Dance4Life Mentor Training, Coaches Training, Power of Oneness etc.
Lucca Leadership - Global (2007-2012)
Course Director, Senior Coach, head of Ops and participants on transformational leadership programmes in Macedonia, Italy, The Netherlands, UK, Ireland. Lucca Leadership was a global organisation offering transformational leadership programmes for young people who were bringing about positive change through service and community leadership.
The Serotonin Project - South Africa (2005 - 2010)
Founder. Experimental project for "raising people's spirits" through comedy, music and fundraising. Created music shows Like Honey, Like Fire and Cape Town Rocks, co-produced the Cape Town Rocks CD, directed and produced the satire Eurafrica (Fleur du Cap winner), and organised conservation fundraisers.
Some snapshots
Over the years, I've had the incredible fortune of working with participants, teams, colleagues and clients around the world, including leading programmes in:
Singapore | Iceland | Spain | South Africa | Scotland | Germany | Austria | The Netherlands | Italy | Sweden | Ireland | America | India | China | Greece | Macedonia | England… and of course - Zoom.
Below is a collection of some of the projects I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work with over the last couple of decades:
Power of Youth Global Summit South Africa
"I have worked with Ilana for 13+ years and can truly say that she is one of a kind. Ilana’s expertise is so deep that it appears effortless, magical."
- Pip Wheaton, Director ASHOKA - UK
American Express Ashoka Leadership Bootcamp
"Ilana has an all-star line-up of business people around the world who will point to the impact she has made on their lives and their businesses but the most impressive results of her work won’t be seen for years as the Ilana effect continues to ripple round the world."
- Neil McInnes, CEO Umega Lettings - Scotland
Co-creation Loft launch in Berlin
“I have met no-one since who can as effectively unlock the potential within a group of people, no matter how diverse or potentially challenging. Her mix of deep intuition and experience mixed with her boundless creativity and energy create the perfect conditions for transformational experiences to happen in her company. Ilana is…quite simply the best facilitator I have ever worked with.”
- Adam Purvis, Co-founder Power of Youth and FutureX
Power of Youth Global Summit in Banglore
“The way Ilana facilitated these days has been absolutely fascinating and incredibly inspiring. It's a true gift to bring 20 persons from completely different backgrounds, with unique missions and experiences, together and still manage to create a connection that I don't think many of us have experienced in so short time.”
- American Express Emerging Innovators Bootcamp, Berlin
Peace Education training at the Asha Centre
"Ilana is unique in the field of leadership development. Her playful manner and shy smile belie her ability to captivate her audience completely creating a space where trust is absolute and strong and rewarding bonds are forged. Using a variety of deceptively simple games and discussions participants explore how to grow as a leader, inspire their team and drive their businesses forward. I have no idea how Ilana does it but it works – every time."
- Evelyn McDonald, CEO ScotEdge - Scotland
Skoll Summit in Oxford
"Ilana is a magician. You know when you’re in a crowd of people and you witness something absolutely amazing that nobody else sees – like a unicorn – but nobody else saw it so they don’t believe you? That’s how I feel that the world is going to feel like after my experience.
Thanks for letting me see a unicorn."
- Isabel Malone, IkamvaYouth - South Africa
"I am bedazzled by her approach. She is able to engage with all of us, reaching into the depth of our core."
- Khanita Khan, TSiBA University - South Africa
FOR MORE
Snapshots from around the world
A compilation of facilitaton footage
