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Maja Kazazic

Genocide Survivor; Business Strategist; Scale-Up Expert

Maja Kazazic is a genocide survivor, business strategist, and global keynote speaker. At 16, she survived a grenade attack during the Bosnian War, later immigrating to the U.S. and founding a tech company. Featured by major media, she now helps leaders build resilience, momentum, and scalable growth.

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Bio

Maja Kazazic is a genocide survivor, business strategist, and global keynote speaker who helps organizations turn adversity into momentum. At 16, she survived a grenade attack during the Bosnian War that claimed her leg and the lives of her closest friends. After immigrating to the U.S. and receiving a prosthetic leg, Maja rebuilt her life—eventually founding a successful tech company and advising Fortune 100 leaders.

Her story has been featured on the BBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, Good Housekeeping, Discovery Channel, and more. She’s also the author of Scale Up Blueprint™, a breakthrough business framework used to build leadership, resilience, and scalable momentum in teams.

Maja’s unforgettable story—coupled with her sharp business acumen—makes her one of the most unique voices in leadership, human potential, and growth. Whether she’s working with executives, entrepreneurs, educators, or healthcare professionals, Maja brings powerful transformation to every room.

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Keynotes

Featured Keynote

Leading From the Inside Out: Building Strong Cultures Through Vulnerability and Grit
What if being real—not perfect—was the greatest leadership strength of all? In this powerful keynote, Maja helps leaders unlock connection, trust, and performance by embracing authenticity and emotional intelligence. Through gripping personal stories and practical insights, she teaches how vulnerability-based leadership creates stronger teams, better decisions, and cultures that thrive—even in times of uncertainty.

Audience Outcomes:
- Lead with vulnerability to build trust and loyalty
- Strengthen team cohesion and psychological safety
- Elevate performance through authenticity
- Integrate purpose-driven leadership routines
- Bridge emotional intelligence with strategic execution

Perspective is Power: Redefining Positivity After Trauma & Change
Perspective is Power: Redefining Positivity After Trauma & Change
Focus: Resilience • Mindset • Emotional Wellbeing • Reframing

Most people chase perfection to cope with pain. But true resilience starts with perspective. In this transformative keynote, Maja Kazazic draws from her harrowing experience as a war survivor and amputee to deliver a message that’s both emotionally raw and deeply practical. She shows how leaders and teams can reframe hardship into forward momentum—without bypassing the emotional truth. Audiences walk away with tools to lead and live more fully, even in uncertainty.

Audience Outcomes:

Reframe adversity into growth

Embrace authentic optimism, not forced positivity

Use small daily practices to rebuild clarity and confidence

Cultivate emotional flexibility under pressure

Foster a culture of resilience from the inside out
Scale Up Blueprint: The 7 Essential Building Blocks for Unstoppable Business, Leadership, and Life
Scale Up Blueprint: The 7 Essential Building Blocks for Unstoppable Business, Leadership, and Life
Focus: Business Growth • Leadership • Reinvention • Sustainable Momentum

When your entire life is shattered in a moment, how do you rebuild—let alone grow? In this high-impact keynote, Maja Kazazic shares her extraordinary journey from surviving a grenade explosion during the Bosnian War to launching and scaling a successful tech company in the U.S. Blending personal storytelling with practical frameworks, this talk introduces her Scale Up Blueprint™—a proven model based on seven essential building blocks that create real traction in business and life. This isn’t just inspiration—it’s structure for sustained scale.

Audience Outcomes:

Shift from survival mode to sustainable scale

Reframe setbacks as strategic data

Build team clarity, ownership, and daily traction

Replace burnout with structured momentum

Integrate a scalable framework to drive long-term growth

Topics

Business Growth Strategies & Trends Trending
Leadership Trending

Motivation
Navigating Change & Uncertainty Trending

Demo Reel

Genocide and Happiness: The Power of You | Maja Kazazic | TEDxOneonta

2026 Scale Up Blueprint: 7 Essential Building Blocks for Unstoppable Business, Leadership, and Life

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Maja's an incredibly compelling speaker, and not just because her story is as inspiring as it is heart-wrenching. Her style is a perfect balance of tenderness and blunt reality, and she manages to maintain a commanding presence. I appreciated her willingness to adjust her presentation and approach to fit our event's broader themes. I recommend her highly, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with her again in the future.

Allyson Ensinger, Experiential Director, Octagon

She had the attendees captivated and focused from the very beginning through the end of the presentation. [She] had us all leaving feeling there isn't anything that we can't conquer in life with resolve and determination. That's the way we like to end our meetings.

Clark Muligan, President, Laboratory Products Association

Her talk was extremely relevant, timely and most of all moving. Her ability to share her story with such honesty while driving home the message of empathy was incredible. We have received over the top feedback from so many attendees and her impact is being felt throughout the enterprise.

Jen Farmer, Caterpillar

Maja is not only great at speaking but she is also a wonderful listener when it comes to preparing to speak to your group. She took the time to really understand my group and the message I wanted her to emphasize with them while telling her story. Her story was very down-to-earth, touching, and encouraging. I personally walked away with an inspirational message as well as a set of tools to follow in my own path to success.

Jessie Schneider, ABWA

She had the room riveted with the tales of her life experience -- and how those experiences relate to our current context. She put our important work of education in context, while motivating us to do more as individuals. She tells a critical message in this time of political division.

Katy Anthes, Ph.D., Colorado Commissioner of Education

You are so inspirational and a testimony to a positive mindset. thank you so much for sharing your story and I hope to send you more folks to have you join our LinkedIn family again and again.

Lisa Barlow, LinkedIn Talent Solutions

We can't thank you enough for sharing your story with our audience, and we want you to know what a great pleasure it was to have you at our event. We have received so much positive feedback from attendees, sponsors — and a lot of their praise was directed toward you and your compelling story. Your support of this event and the YMCA makes [this] uplifting and truly an enjoyable event.

Mary Roberts, District Vice President, YMCA

Thank you for sharing your story. I appreciate your willingness to join us for this special event. Your work to inspire people around the world is truly admirable. You should be very proud of all you have accomplished. Keep up the good work and know that we appreciate all that you do. Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you.

Mike Fasano, Florida State Senator

Maja was completely different. She was absolutely amazing. Maja's message of overcoming any hardship in life with a positive attitude was exactly what our team needed to hear. I would recommend her for any type of event, and will be recommending her for future events.

Sara Levinson, HR Director, Nevada Donor Network

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Maja Kazazic

Bio

Keynotes

Leading From the Inside Out: Building Strong Cultures Through Vulnerability and Grit

Topics

She had the attendees captivated and focused from the very beginning through the end of the presentation. [She] had us all leaving feeling there isn't anything that we can't conquer in life with resolve and determination. That's the way we like to end our meetings.

Her talk was extremely relevant, timely and most of all moving. Her ability to share her story with such honesty while driving home the message of empathy was incredible. We have received over the top feedback from so many attendees and her impact is being felt throughout the enterprise.

She had the room riveted with the tales of her life experience -- and how those experiences relate to our current context. She put our important work of education in context, while motivating us to do more as individuals. She tells a critical message in this time of political division.

You are so inspirational and a testimony to a positive mindset. thank you so much for sharing your story and I hope to send you more folks to have you join our LinkedIn family again and again.

Maja was completely different. She was absolutely amazing. Maja's message of overcoming any hardship in life with a positive attitude was exactly what our team needed to hear. I would recommend her for any type of event, and will be recommending her for future events.

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Maja Kazazic

Bio

Keynotes

Leading From the Inside Out: Building Strong Cultures Through Vulnerability and Grit

Perspective is Power: Redefining Positivity After Trauma & Change

Scale Up Blueprint: The 7 Essential Building Blocks for Unstoppable Business, Leadership, and Life

Topics

She had the attendees captivated and focused from the very beginning through the end of the presentation. [She] had us all leaving feeling there isn't anything that we can't conquer in life with resolve and determination. That's the way we like to end our meetings.

Her talk was extremely relevant, timely and most of all moving. Her ability to share her story with such honesty while driving home the message of empathy was incredible. We have received over the top feedback from so many attendees and her impact is being felt throughout the enterprise.

She had the room riveted with the tales of her life experience -- and how those experiences relate to our current context. She put our important work of education in context, while motivating us to do more as individuals. She tells a critical message in this time of political division.

You are so inspirational and a testimony to a positive mindset. thank you so much for sharing your story and I hope to send you more folks to have you join our LinkedIn family again and again.

Maja was completely different. She was absolutely amazing. Maja's message of overcoming any hardship in life with a positive attitude was exactly what our team needed to hear. I would recommend her for any type of event, and will be recommending her for future events.

Similar Speakers

Anthony Trucks

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Let's find your perfect speaker!

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Keep Up To Date