Journalist, author, philanthropist, and international speaker. Recognized for transforming an experience of extreme adversity into a lifelong commitment to resilience and social impact.

While working as a journalist, was kidnapped in Somalia and held hostage for 460 days, one of the most dramatic survival stories of our time. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, A House in the Sky, has remained a Top 10 title since its release. In the years that followed, Amanda rebuilt her life, dedicating over a decade to understanding the mindset that transforms adversity into growth. Today, she is one of the world’s most credible voices on resilience.

Through her Four Quadrants of Resilience framework, shared in more than 500 keynotes across 34 countries for organizations. Amanda reveals what navigating relentless change requires from someone who has lived it.

What makes her presentations so compelling isn’t what happened to her, but what she does withit. A gifted storyteller, who transforms extraordinary experience into practical strategies audiences can apply at work and home. She teaches that resilience is built through daily practice, reveals how to find meaning in challenges, and reminds us that we go further together.