Jillian Goldberg Came to Israel for a One-Year Master's Degree, Now She's a Cyber Defense Exec and an Israeli Ninja Warrior - Yalla, Let's Go! | Lyssna här

In this episode of Yalla, Let's Go!, Erica and Abbey sit down with Jillian Goldberg — olah from Cincinnati, former CRO of Israeli automotive cybersecurity startup EcoMotion, Teach For America alum, powerlifter, and Israeli Ninja Warrior contestant — for a wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation about reinvention, belonging, and building an unlikely life in Israel.

Jillian came to Israel for a one-year master's degree at Tel Aviv University and never left. She joined her professor's startup as its first non-technical employee, grew into the global CRO, and quietly built and sold cyber products to the U.S. Army — all while becoming a powerlifter with Israeli national records, competing on Ninja Warrior, and playing on the national flag football team. After October 7th, she jumped into crisis communications for hostage families, working closely with the U.S. government before anyone had heard of the Hostage Forum.

Also in the episode:

From inner-city Dallas classrooms (Teach For America) to Israeli cybersecurity startup CRO

Building and selling U.S. Army cyber products from Tel Aviv — before defense was sexy

October 7th hostage communications: doing the work before the Hostage Forum existed

Israeli Ninja Warrior: competing on a course she'd never seen before

Marrying into an Ashkenazi-Mizrahi family: Ariel, Ladino, and trial by fire

Why Israel gave her opportunities America never would — and what she still misses

This is a bold, funny, and deeply personal conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the life you build when you show up with everything you've got.

Subscribe for more conversations with people who live, work, build, and stay in Israel.

#JillianGoldberg #Israel #Aliyah #IsraeliTech #October7 #HostageAdvocacy #Cybersecurity #TeachForAmerica #YallaLetsGo #LifeInIsrael #WomenInTech #Powerlifting #NinjaWarrior #MakingAliyah

KEY TOPICS

0:00 - Intro

1:07 - Jillian Goldberg: Olah from Cincinnati, Former CRO, Powerlifter, Israeli Ninja Warrior

3:09 - From Teach For America Teacher in Dallas to Master's Degree at Tel Aviv University

5:52 - First Non-Technical Hire at EcoMotion: Growing into Global CRO of an Israeli Cybersecurity Startup

6:01 - Why She Made Aliyah: One-Year Master's Program, Ten Years Later Still in Israel

7:01 - Israeli Ninja Warrior, Israeli National Powerlifting Records, and the National Flag Football Team

9:53 - Career-Building in Israeli Tech: Nevo Network, Olim Networking, and Growing into CRO

11:50 - From Startup CRO to Investor: What She Learned from the Founder's Seat

13:35 - October 7th Hostage Communications: Working with Families and the U.S. Government Before the Hostage Forum

16:44 - Psychological Cost of October 7th: Six Months Without Crying and a Year of Rebuilding

18:23 - American Olah in Israeli Tech: How Speaking American Became a Career Advantage

20:25 - How She Met Her Israeli Husband at a CrossFit Gym in Tel Aviv

22:04 - Ashkenazi-Mizrahi Marriage: Merging an American Reform Jewish Family with a Libyan-Bulgarian Israeli Household

23:55 - Has She Ever Considered Leaving Israel? Her Honest Answer

25:26 - What She Loves About Israel: Shared Identity With Every Person on the Street

26:06 - Aliyah Advice: Jump In, Ask for Help, Don't Be Afraid to Fail

27:10 - At 80, Looking Back: The Friendships in Israel That Became Family

27:47 - Rapid Fire: Krembo, Tachles & NFL Sunday

RESOURCES

Follow Jillian on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-m-goldberg/

Subscribe to Yalla, Let’s Go here: https://www.aleph.vc/yalla-lets-go

Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@yallaletsgopodcast

Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph

‍Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/

‍Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/

CREDITS

Hosts: Erica Marom, Abbey Onn

Executive Producer: Sarah Bard

Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider

Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar

Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg

Design: Nimrod Sapir

Rss Apple Podcaster