A Letter from Amy

When people ask me how I became a speaker on resilience and leadership, I tell them it all started with Katrina and my dedication to disaster relief.

After Hurricane Katrina, when my own home and community in New Orleans were underwater, I realized something that has shaped my life ever since: resilience isn’t built alone—it’s built in community. Strangers carried my ruined furniture to the curb, neighbors shared what little they had, and kindness became the spark that allowed us to begin again.

Out of that experience, I founded Fill the Needs, a nonprofit that mobilizes resources in the critical first 14 days of disaster. Since then, I’ve had the honor of working alongside volunteers and leaders responding to wildfires in Maui, floods in Iowa, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

What I’ve learned on those frontlines is simple but powerful:

• The people closest to the disaster are always the first and best responders.

• Trust is the real currency of recovery.

• Leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about showing up, listening, and serving.

• And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is to pick a corner and start there.

These lessons are the backbone of my keynotes and workshops. I don’t share theory—I share frameworks tested in the hardest days, when everything felt impossible but people still showed up for one another.

If you’re looking for a speaker who can bring both heart and hard-won tools to your audience, I’d be honored to share these lessons with your group. Together, we can spark conversations about resilience, trust, and the kind of leadership that carries people through chaos.

With gratitude,
Amy Sins