Angi Yoder-Maina

About Angi Yoder-Maina

For 30 years, I\'ve asked: How do we build health systems that actually work in resource-constrained, inequitable contexts?I call it the \"cracked cup\" problem. Communities experiencing injustice, violence, and marginalization develop deep cracks. External aid pours in, but leaks out. Why? Because unprocessed collective and intergenerational trauma blocks communities\' ability to repair those cracks. Health systems, governance structures, and development programs fail not from lack of capacity, but from ignoring the collective trauma shaping every interaction.Director, FSU\'s Resilience Institute (RISE)| Founder & Executive Director, Green String NetworkI design healing infrastructure that repairs those cracks through: community-owned prevention systems, trauma-informed approaches embedded in health and governance, and evidence-based frameworks that honor cultural wisdom.EVIDENCE: My healing-centered peacebuilding framework operates across 11 LMIC contexts. trained facilitators, people reached, 5+ years internal sustainability. Springer Nature author, published researcher, guest lecturer at 15+ universities (NYU, Notre Dame, University for Peace), mentor to 45+ practitioners and researchers.INNOVATION: Visual storytelling methodology (1,500+ watercolor paintings with regional artists) makes complex trauma frameworks accessible across literacy and language barriers.POLICY INTEGRATION: National governance frameworks adopted by Somalia and Kenya; trauma-informed policing embedded in Kenya National Police; PACEs research reshaping how we understand Gen Z resilience.Core insight: When we train practitioners and researchers to work at the intersections of structural inequity, trauma, health systems, and governance—rather than as separate silos—we build systems where communities thrive.Let\'s connect to explore how these approaches can transform your organization or community.

Experience

1. Ustawi Thrive Innovation Lead

   Green String Network

   Nov 2021 — Present · Nairobi, KE

   Ustawi is an innovative virtual platform that combines mental health support with economic empowerment across Africa. This holistic approach goes beyond individual stress relief to create lasting resilience through collective healing and community connection. The platform integrates seamlessly with existing economic networks - including women\'s savings groups, agricultural cooperatives, artisan collectives, and youth entrepreneurship initiatives - ensuring mental health support reaches people through their established community structures.What makes Ustawi unique is its response to participants\' expressed needs: after engaging in collective healing processes, they consistently seek opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods. Ustawi bridges this gap by connecting them to relevant economic networks and opportunities. Through this integrated approach, the platform addresses both the immediate mental health impacts of systemic inequities and the longer-term need for economic empowerment, creating a comprehensive pathway to individual and community well-being.

Education

• Duquesne University

  Master of Arts - MA, Public and Social Policy with a certificate in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution

  1996 — 1998

• Manchester University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Poltical Science and Peace Studies

  1989 — 1994

• Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC) with Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS)

  Doctoral of Applied Conflict Transformation, Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations