Ilana Shapiro Yahdav, MPA, ACGRS (She/Her)

Ilana Shapiro Yahdav, MPA, ACGRS is the co-founder/owner of Yahdav & Hanlon Grief Support, where they offer individual and corporate grief support services, including grief courses, workshops, grief policy consultation, and program development. Ilana is an advanced certified grief recovery specialist at The Grief Recovery Institute and a certified grief recovery specialist at The Non-Linear Journey, LLC. Ilana also served as the memorial fund founder for the Eric A. Shapiro MD Memorial Fund at American Jewish World Service, where they raised funds to support students interested in healthcare to volunteer in summer programs in the developing world. Additionally, they have held marketing programs manager roles at Conversica and Guidewire Software, as well as a young adult community engagement professional role at Congregation Emanu-El. Ilana is a board member and head of the marketing committee at Peninsula Estate Planning Council and has worked as a bilingual consultant for ZiRu Productions. Ilana is dedicated to helping grievers work through their heartbreak and find positive outlets for their grief.

Ilana Shapiro Yahdav, MPA, ACGRS (She/Her) has an extensive education history. Ilana began their undergraduate studies in 2001 at Brandeis University, where they pursued a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in East Asian Studies, completing their degree in 2005.

In 2005, Ilana participated in two language-intensive programs to further their studies in Chinese language and cultural immersion. Ilana attended the Chinese language intensive program at Zhejiang Industrial University through Middlebury College for a brief period. Ilana then participated in a year-long Mandarin Chinese program and cultural immersion at the Capital University of Economics and Business through Hamilton College in 2003-2004.

Ilana furthered their education in Chinese and American Studies in 2005-2006 at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, where they obtained a Graduate Certificate. Ilana then continued their studies and earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY from 2010 to 2012. Ilana'sMPA focused on Homeland Security, Global Affairs, and Policy Analysis.

In addition to their academic achievements, Ilana has pursued various certifications to enhance their professional skills. Ilana obtained an Online Testing Certification from MECLABS in February 2015. In April 2016, they earned an ABM Certified Strategist certification from Demandbase - The Leader in Account-Based Marketing. Ilana expanded their professional repertoire with a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist certification from The Grief Recovery Institute in April 2017 and further advanced their skills with an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist certification in February 2019. Ilana also completed Complicated Grief Training I & II from The Center for Complicated Grief in March 2019. Additionally, they obtained a Foundations of Mindful Caregiving certification from Zen Caregiving Project in December 2018 and a Peer Grief Counselor certification from Kara in April 2018. Finally, they acquired an ABM Certification: Expert from Demandbase in August 2018.

Overall, Ilana Shapiro Yahdav has pursued a diverse and comprehensive education, combining East Asian Studies, Chinese and American Studies, and Public Administration. Ilana has also dedicated time to obtaining various certifications that have expanded their professional skills in areas such as grief counseling and marketing.