140. Women Leading Together: The dynamics of women working together explored with Iliana Montauk

This is the very first episode of the series, Women Leading Together, the one where we explore how women lead as a team in communities, companies or at home across different sectors, geographies and specialisms. In this episode Julia is joined by Iliana Montauk who shares the story of her partnership with Laila Abudahi, detailing how they’ve harnessed their distinct approach to leading to build a social impact startup. Iliana and Laila approach leadership differently, Iliana focuses on emotional nuance, and Laila on directness and efficiency. Even then they’ve learned to appreciate each other’s strengths. Together, they’ve faced challenges with resilience, unity and a fierce commitment to their mission. 

"There have been times when people have tried to divide us, and we're like a fierce lioness when that happens. We are each other's biggest defenders," says Iliana. 

Tune in to hear how two leaders with contrasting approach to leading work together to drive growth, support their team, and uphold shared values in a demanding geography. 

About the Guest:  

Iliana Montauk is the founder of Manara, a social impact startup dedicated to unlocking human potential by upskilling tech talent in emerging markets. With a focus on preparing computer scientists from the Middle East for global opportunities, Iliana has led Manara to achieve remarkable outcomes, including a 71% referral-to-hire rate at Google. Under her leadership, participants have experienced transformative career advancements, such as one individual increasing their salary from $16,000 to $100,000 in just four months, all while working remotely from Palestine. 

Iliana's commitment to making a difference is further highlighted by her previous accomplishments, including bootstrapping Gaza's first startup accelerator during wartime and managing talent at Upwork, the world’s largest talent marketplace. Her determination to create opportunities in challenging environments reflects her vision for a more inclusive and equitable future.