Jesse Leon is a highly sought‑after international motivational and TEDx speaker and the award‑winning bilingual author of I’m Not Broken and No Estoy Roto, published by Penguin Random House.

His powerful life story traces an extraordinary journey from surviving human trafficking, addiction, and homelessness to graduating from UC Berkeley and Harvard University.

Through his writing and speaking, Jesse inspires survivors of exploitation around the world to reclaim their voices, restore hope, and believe in the possibility of healing and transformation.

Buy I'm Not Broken
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Hope is actionable.

Jesse believes that authentic storytelling is future-building.

Self love, self care, community-building, and hope are ways to journey through life, not buzzwords.

“I want my words to be a breath of hope and an instrument of refuge for many who have experienced similar traumas so that they do not feel as alone as I felt for many years.”

Jesse Leon

Let’s Talk About Hope

A social impact consultant focused on the needs of our communities’ most vulnerable populations, Jesse Leon has taken a compassionate and studied approach to addressing mental health, substance abuse, and housing. 

In his first book, I’m Not Broken, Jesse recounts his personal history of brutal abuse and subsequent addiction which shattered his sense of self and identity.

He reveals his resilience. Through education, support, and faith, Jesse shows how we can suffer and survive, how we may be beaten but not broken.

How do you want to talk about Hope?

My message of Hope is about action and personal agency. We can put those into context together with your mission. However we engage, we will build a connection to my story that makes a difference.

Book Jesse

  • Guest Lecture

  • Panel Discussion

  • Interview

  • Book Signing

  • Motivational Speaker

  • Executive Coaching

  • Social Impact Consulting

Connect with My Story

“A book detailing Mr. Leon’s battles against unparalleled circumstances, from poverty to addiction to assault, can be at once a critical look at the ways in which we fail young people in our communities and also a story of how, by the grace of God, we find in our midst a man like Jesse Leon, making sacrifices so that others might not suffer.”

—Tarell Alvin McCraney, Academy Award winning screenwriter for Moonlight

Read

Jesse's Op-Ed in the San Diego Union Tribune on Fentanyl:

 “America’s fentanyl problem isn’t as bad as you think. It’s much worse.”

Jesse's Op-Ed in the LA Times on access to mental health:

“When my life came apart, I struggled to find the therapy I needed.”

Book Jesse