Maxwell Leadership Certified Coach & Trainer
From Refugee Camp to Freedom Architect.
I help leaders transform adversity into purpose, lead through pressure, and build legacies that outlive them.
Keynote Speaker · Executive Coach · Leadership Trainer · U.S. Navy Veteran
My Story
27 years of displacement. 5 separations. One unshakeable calling.
I was born in 1973 at a Rwanda–Uganda border clinic during anti-Tutsi violence. Across 27 years and five separations — through Nshungerezi, Rwanda, and Nakivale Refugee Settlement — I lived the reality of displacement. No stable school. No certainty about tomorrow.
But someone chose to invest in me. That single act of belief changed the entire trajectory of my life. It led me through the U.S. Navy, into a doctoral journey in leadership, and into a calling to develop leaders.
Today, I help others make the same journey — from surviving their story to leading with it.
Read the Full StorySignature Framework
The GPS Leadership Model
A proven framework that gives leaders clarity of direction, honest self-awareness, and adaptive execution.
Goal
Where are you going? Clarity of direction cuts through confusion. Define the destination before choosing the path.
Position
Where are you now? Honest self-awareness reveals the gap between your current reality and your potential.
Strategy
How will you get there? Adaptive execution turns vision into daily action. No theory — only movement.
Speaking & Training Topics
Signature Talks & Training Experiences
Every talk is customized to the audience, theme, and goals of the event. Explore Dr. Yohana's six signature speaking and training topics.
From Refugee Camp to Freedom Architect
The signature keynote. A powerful journey through displacement, service, and transformation — showing audiences that their greatest challenges can become their greatest leadership assets.
Best for: All audiences
The GPS of Leadership
An interactive framework session teaching leaders to find clarity (Goal), honest self-awareness (Position), and adaptive execution (Strategy). Audiences leave with a personal action plan.
Best for: Corporate, conferences, leadership retreats
Leading Through the Fire
How adversity forges the leaders the world needs most. Drawing from refugee camps, Navy service, and prison chaplaincy — a raw, honest look at resilient leadership.
Best for: Military, correctional, faith-based
Service to Significance
For those who've spent their lives serving others and are ready to build something of their own. Identity, purpose, and the courage to lead with your story.
Best for: Veterans, faith leaders, community entrepreneurs
The RICH Methodology
Beyond emotional intelligence — relational intelligence that transforms organizational culture. How to build teams, communities, and movements that last.
Best for: Corporate, nonprofit, church leadership
Lead Through the Storm™
A practical, trauma-informed keynote and leadership training experience that equips leaders to remain grounded, communicate clearly, and guide their people through pressure, change, conflict, and uncertainty. Drawing from post-traumatic growth research, proven leadership principles, and Dr. Yohana's lived experience in high-stakes environments, participants learn five practical leadership practices and leave with a focused 48-hour action plan.
Best for: Corporate teams, nonprofit leaders, government agencies, faith-based organizations, military and correctional professionals
See Dr. Yohana Speak
A Story Your Audience Will Never Forget
Watch Dr. Yohana deliver the message that has moved conference rooms, church congregations, military bases, and correctional facilities.
Want to see Dr. Yohana speak at your event? Request speaking availability →
Why Organizations Choose Dr. Yohana
Not Just a Speaker. A Partner in Transformation.
Organizations book Dr. Yohana because he delivers more than a keynote — he delivers an experience that changes how leaders think, decide, and act.
Lived Credibility, Not Theory
27 years of displacement. U.S. Navy service. Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspective. Dr. Yohana teaches leadership from experience, not a textbook.
Maxwell Leadership Executive Director
Certified Coach and Trainer since 2018, serving at the Executive Director level within the Maxwell organization — a globally recognized standard in leadership development.
Frameworks That Stick
The GPS Leadership Model and RICH Methodology give audiences practical tools they can apply the next morning — not just inspiration that fades by Friday.
Customized for Every Audience
Every keynote and workshop is tailored to the specific audience, theme, and outcomes of the event. Corporate, faith-based, military, correctional, or nonprofit — the message lands.
Story-Driven Delivery
Audiences connect with stories, not slides. Dr. Yohana's keynotes blend lived experience, proven frameworks, and transformational storytelling that resonates at every level.
Trusted Across Sectors
Organizations return and refer. Speaking clients range from corporate leadership summits to veteran service organizations to faith communities to correctional facilities.
Credentials & Institutional Credibility
Trusted Credentials. Real-World Impact.
Dr. Yohana's authority is built on lived experience, formal credentials, and ongoing service across multiple sectors.
Maxwell Leadership
Executive Director — Certified Coach & Trainer since 2018
U.S. Navy
Veteran — leadership forged under pressure
Christ Embassy Church Phoenix
Lead Pastor — multicultural church serving refugees and immigrants
ASPC Perryville
Clinical Correctional Chaplain — serving incarcerated women
Doctor of Leadership
Global Perspective — trauma-informed leadership & post-traumatic growth
Speaking Fee Range
$2,500 – $7,500 per engagement, customized per event
Organizations Dr. Yohana Partners With
Your story is not over. It's just getting started.
Whether you need a keynote that moves a room, coaching that transforms a leader, or a framework that builds a legacy — let's talk.
Every great leader had a moment where they chose to invest in themselves. This is yours.