Partnership Pathfinders: Career Accelerator Program

Lana J. Manganiello is the Managing Director with Equinox Strategy Partners, providing service professionals and firms with strategic counsel to increase market visibility and drive revenue.

Trained and certified through Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion, Lana is committed to working with law firms to attract and develop diverse professionals and improve diversity in leadership within our client’s firms and ultimately the legal profession. Manganiello and her team developed the Associate Advancement Accelerator to realize a professional’s full potential early on in their career and thwart the root causes of burnout. She found that career satisfaction and retention increase when firms invest in training and development programs that facilitate meaningful relationships internally and further the skills and techniques required to develop and expand a book of business.  As remote and hybrid work environments become the norm, these facilitated opportunities to connect and learn are more significant than ever.

For over 15 years, Lana has been a leader in professional service sales and sales management. A graduate of the University of California, Irvine, Lana began her career building a financial planning practice with Northwestern Mutual.  Following this success, she moved into leadership positions within two Fortune 500 companies; first with MassMutual as a Brokerage Director, and then with The Guardian Life Insurance Company as a Managing Director. She’s devoted over 10 years to coaching new and experienced service professionals on topics related to annual business planning, business development coaching/training and marketing.

Lana is a volunteer in various organizations throughout Southern California. She currently serves as President Elect on the Board of Directors for the Counsel for Justice, LA County Bar Association’s pro-bono arm, providing equal access to legal services in our community by raising funds and directly contributing at the frontlines of justice in four key areas: domestic violence, support of our veterans, immigration assistance and AIDS services. She serves on the Leadership Advisory Board for Vista del Mar, a non-profit organization providing programs and services for children with mental health and behavioral disorders throughout LA County. Lana is the membership chair of the Los Angeles Steering Committee for the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) and is an active member of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).  She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Westside Family Health Center, a community clinic providing low and no cost health care to children and families in Los Angeles.

Most recently, Lana was recognized for the Diversity, Equity + Inclusion “DEI Community Impact Award” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.  In 2021 she received an “Inspirational Woman Award” from Los Angeles Times Magazine and the Los Angeles Business Journal selected her as a Women’s Leadership Awards “Woman to Watch.”

Lana is an avid traveler and loves living in Southern California with her husband, two young daughters and rescue dog.