Focus: Leadership
Summary:
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
Focus: Resilience • Mindset • Emotional Wellbeing • Reframing
Summary:
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.
Focus: Business Growth • Leadership • Reinvention • Sustainable Momentum
Summary:
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.
Maja Kazazic is a survivor of the Bosnian genocide, a successful tech entrepreneur, and the author of Scale Up Blueprint™. After losing her leg in a grenade attack and immigrating to the U.S., she rebuilt her life and went on to help Fortune 100 companies scale during times of challenge and change.
Her story featured by the BBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, and Discovery Channel is a powerful testament to resilience, purpose, and human potential. Today, she delivers deeply moving, results-driven keynotes that help leaders and teams grow through grit and grace.
Her story blends personal resilience with practical business insights, making her a sought-after keynote speaker for global audiences seeking inspiration, tools for navigating change, and actionable frameworks for scaling success.
Maja Kazazic is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, renowned for her resilience and transformational journey from being a survivor of the Bosnian genocide to a powerful advocate for the disabled community. Her experiences of overcoming unimaginable hardships, including losing her leg in a bombing at age 16, have given her insights into the power of human resilience, adaptability, and hope.
Today, she inspires audiences across the globe, helping them find strength, embrace adversity, and foster a sense of community and inclusivity. Maja’s story resonates deeply with audiences, reminding them of the importance of courage and perseverance.
As a genocide and disability survivor, Maja Kazazic brings an unparalleled depth of understanding to discussions on resilience, adaptability, and overcoming trauma. Her background speaks volumes—after surviving a horrific bomb explosion during the Bosnian war that took her leg and forced her to flee her homeland, she rebuilt her life from scratch in a foreign country. She not only learned to walk again with a prosthetic leg but also gained a new sense of purpose in helping others rise above their challenges.
Maja Kazazic’s extensive knowledge is drawn from both her personal and professional life. She combines her lived experiences with a commitment to learning about trauma recovery and resilience-building. Her background includes collaborations with therapists, medical professionals, and social organizations, where she gained insights into the psychological effects of trauma and strategies for mental well-being.
Maja Kazazic’s authority as a genocide survivor and a leading disability advocate is widely recognized. She has addressed audiences at Fortune 500 companies, global conferences, universities, and nonprofit organizations. Maja’s firsthand experience with trauma and recovery, coupled with her deep empathy and understanding, gives her a unique edge in conveying powerful, memorable messages.
Maja’s message of resilience speaks to people from all walks of life. Her experience of surviving the Bosnian genocide and losing her leg gives her an unparalleled perspective on overcoming adversity. Event planners looking to inspire their audiences with a story of hope and strength will find in Maja a speaker who embodies both.
As a prominent voice for the disabled community, Maja promotes inclusivity and the importance of creating spaces where everyone feels valued. Her speeches inspire organizations to embrace diversity and foster a culture of empathy and understanding, making her an ideal choice for events focused on social responsibility, diversity, and inclusion.
Maja’s speaking style is as engaging as it is relatable. She combines humor, warmth, and authenticity, creating a comfortable environment that allows audiences to connect with her on a personal level. Her unique ability to turn tragedy into a source of motivation makes her speeches deeply impactful and memorable.
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Maja Kazazic shares her journey from surviving the Bosnian genocide to empowering leaders with resilience and growth strategies.
This demo highlights the remarkable journey of Maja Kazazic, whose life was forever altered at age sixteen when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded in her courtyard during the Bosnian War. The blast killed five of her closest friends and left her with devastating injuries, including shattered legs and shrapnel wounds to her face and arms.
Treated in a makeshift hospital with no proper supplies or anesthesia, Maja endured excruciating surgeries that ultimately led to the amputation of her left leg. Close to death, she was evacuated for treatment abroad with nothing but a teddy bear, a t-shirt, and a small rock to carry from her destroyed home.
From this trauma emerged a story of extraordinary resilience. After immigrating to the United States, Maja rebuilt her life and became a successful tech entrepreneur. Drawing from both her personal survival and business experience, she now teaches audiences how to adapt, overcome, and scale during times of crisis.
Her Scale Up Blueprint™ framework offers practical tools for leaders facing disruption, blending inspiration with actionable strategies for transformation. The video positions her as both a motivational storyteller and a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 companies, demonstrating why organizations turn to her to guide them through uncertainty.
00:00–01:20 – Opening introduction; Maja shares how her life changed at age sixteen
01:21–04:30 – The Bosnian War context and the grenade attack that killed five of her friends
04:31–07:10 – Severe injuries, makeshift medical treatment, and loss of her leg without anesthesia
07:11–09:45 – Evacuation for treatment; leaving home with only a teddy bear, t-shirt, and rock
09:46–12:20 – Transition to life in the United States and the challenges of starting over
12:21–15:00 – Becoming a successful tech entrepreneur and developing the Scale Up Blueprint™
15:01–17:30 – Speaking on resilience and leadership for Fortune 100 companies
17:31–18:36 – Closing message of hope, perseverance, and practical strategies for scaling through adversity
Maja Kazazic recounts surviving the Bosnian genocide, the loss and recovery that followed, and the vision that drove her to teach others how to rise and scale.
Maja Kazazic opens by locating her origin in Bosnia and describing the extreme conditions her community endured during the Bosnian War: daily bombardment, no food, water, electricity, or medicine, and mass civilian casualties and displacement. At age sixteen she was with five friends when a rocket propelled grenade detonated six feet away, killing them and leaving her severely wounded.
Treated in makeshift conditions without anesthesia or antibiotics, she faced repeated debridement to fight infection until her leg required amputation. During a critical choice window she and her parents decided she should leave for medical evacuation. She recounts the emotional conflict of leaving family behind and her father’s promise that he would find her again. Her father then gave her a vision: after recovery and learning to walk on a prosthetic she should come home running to inspire others.
That image sustained her through more than a hundred surgeries and a 15-year journey to run again. Maja closes by connecting personal survival to universal challenges, business failure, illness, relationship struggles arguing that the same tools of vision, persistence, and incremental progress apply whether rebuilding a life or scaling an organization.
00:00–00:25 — Opening: Maja’s origin and context of the Bosnian War.
00:26–01:05 — Siege conditions: lack of food, medicine, and constant bombardment.
01:06–01:40 — The grenade blast: five friends killed, Maja severely injured.
01:41–02:25 — Makeshift medical care: surgeries without anesthesia and fighting infection.
02:26–03:00 — The decision to evacuate: family meeting and the emotional choice to leave.
03:01–03:40 — Father’s promise and vision of returning with a prosthetic and running.
03:41–04:30 — The 15-year journey: more than 100 surgeries and the long path to running.
04:31–05:15 — Universalizing the lesson: applying resilience tools to business and life.
05:16–05:35 — Closing note: the worth of perseverance and the payoff of victory.
This powerful feature shares how Maja Kazazic’s journey of survival after the Bosnian War took on new meaning when Rosie, her service dog, entered her life.
The story of Maja Kazazic and her service dog Rosie highlights the profound intersection of survival, resilience, and healing. At age sixteen, Maja survived a rocket-propelled grenade attack during the Bosnian War that killed five of her closest friends and left her critically wounded. Following the amputation of her leg and over one hundred surgeries, she began the long process of physical and emotional recovery.
Years later, she was matched with Rosie, a Labrador trained as a service dog. Rosie became more than a mobility aid she offered companionship, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose. Together, Maja and Rosie forged a bond that carried her through challenges, public speaking engagements, and daily life.
Their story demonstrates not only the capacity of humans to rebuild after trauma but also the vital role animals can play in emotional recovery and resilience. The video underscores the importance of courage, connection, and adaptability in overcoming hardship and inspires audiences to embrace sources of strength in unexpected places.
00:00–00:40 — Introduction to Maja’s background as a genocide survivor and amputee
00:41–01:20 — The challenges of recovery and long-term impact of trauma
01:21–02:00 — Enter Rosie: how she was trained and paired with Maja
02:01–03:00 — Daily life together: independence, confidence, and emotional support
03:01–03:40 — Public speaking and advocacy: Rosie as part of Maja’s mission
03:41–End — Closing reflections on resilience, healing, and the human–animal bond
A: She speaks on resilience, leadership, scaling businesses through adversity, and her Scale Up Blueprint™ framework.
A: Yes, she customizes her talks to align with specific industry challenges and organizational goals.
A: Engagements are usually 45–60 minutes, with optional breakout workshops or executive sessions. Virtual formats are also available.
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