Tools & Inspiration to help you unlock your Potential
I'm Mawi. I went from a refugee camp to Harvard to helping millions of people discover what they're capable of. For 25 years, I've created tools and frameworks that help people grow. Join my free newsletter to get inspired and unlock your best.
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FIND YOUR SUNLIGHT™
How to Increase Your Energy, Joy, and Impact Every Day
Organizations of every kind are facing unprecedented challenges — and unprecedented opportunities to grow and innovate. The path forward isn't just to put our heads down and grind. It's to consistently energize ourselves so we can show up as our best selves — and sustain it.
The most powerful metaphor I've found for doing that is Sunlight. Just as a plant needs sunlight to grow, every person needs regular doses of Sunlight — the people, activities, and places that energize them. In the Find Your Sunlight program, I introduce the Four Sources of Sunlight — Art, Relationships, Experiences, and Self-Care — and show audiences why most of us are living on one or two sources while the others sit empty. I also name the Black Holes: the habits, devices, and relationships that quietly drain us.
Across years of delivering Find Your Sunlight to schools, districts, and companies, my team has collected thousands of responses on where people actually find their energy. Educators and executives answer very differently — which is why every session is built around the room in front of me.
Every participant leaves with a personal Sunlight plan and one goal: at least fifteen minutes of Sunlight every day. That practice is where real resilience comes from. Energy fuels success — not the other way around.
Available as a keynote, or as a keynote plus the Sunlight Gallery Walk workshop. For districts and organizations ready to go deeper — full-staff programs, the Sunlight Assessment, and books for every team member — let's talk.
Delivered to Chicago Public Schools, Prince William County Public Schools, The Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, and education conferences nationwide since 2021. The Find Your Sunlight book arrives October 2026.
Practical Tools to Help You and Your Team Grow
I fled a civil war in Ethiopia as a child and spent three years in a refugee camp before my family was resettled in the United States. Language barriers, financial struggles, and the loss of my brother created obstacle after obstacle. But with the help of educators, mentors, and a few practical tools that I still teach today, I found my footing and eventually earned a scholarship to Harvard — where I gave the commencement address to 30,000 people at my own graduation.
That season of growth set the course for everything that followed. For the past 25 years, I've dedicated my life to helping people unlock their potential, just as others once helped me. I've spoken to more than a million people and written 12 books that have sold over a million copies.
I also founded Mawi Learning, a pioneering EdTech company that delivered online leadership courses to millions of students. We won the CODiE Award for innovation, earned the highest CASEL efficacy designation, and in 2019, I led the successful acquisition of Mawi Learning by ACT.
Today, I write Find Your Sunlight, a free newsletter about practical habits that help us manage our energy, build resilience, and keep growing — at work and at home.
I speak to organizations around the world on energy and resilience, leadership in uncertain times, and personal agency — including my signature program, Find Your Sunlight.
My passion is simple: I want to help people grow. Whether you are looking for tools in your inbox, a book to read, or a keynote speaker for your team — let's connect!
You can learn more about my personal story through the articles below from Oprah, ESSENCE, and Harvard Magazine.
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