Desange Kuenihira’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Desange Kuenihira. Check out our conversation below.

Desange, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me right now is a mix of focus, creativity, and connection. I usually start my mornings reflecting and planning the day—sometimes with a cup of coffee in hand and a bit of quiet before the world wakes up. Most of my day is spent working on Speak UnDEfeated, whether that’s connecting with our team, coordinating programs for women and youth, or building partnerships to grow our impact.

I also make time to check in with our students and supporters—hearing their stories reminds me why I do this work. Evenings are a mix of planning, learning, and a little self-care to recharge. Every day feels full, challenging, and incredibly rewarding, because I get to turn passion into action and see real change happen.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Desange Kuenihira, the founder of Speak UnDEfeated, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and youth to find their voices, tell their stories, and step confidently into their futures. At Speak UnDEfeated, we believe that every person has a story worth sharing, and that storytelling can be a powerful tool for personal growth, leadership, and social change.

What makes our work unique is that we don’t just teach skills—we create a supportive community where participants can explore their potential, gain confidence, and connect with mentors who guide them along the way. Right now, we’re working on expanding our programs, connecting more students to scholarships and resources, and sharing inspiring stories that amplify voices that are too often unheard.

Our mission is simple but powerful: to help every individual we work with realize that they are unDEfeated, no matter the obstacles they face.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that my voice didn’t matter—that what I thought or felt wasn’t important enough to share. I often thought that my dreams were too big or out of reach, and that I had to stay small to fit in or avoid failure.

Now, I no longer believe that. I’ve learned that every voice matters, including mine, and that sharing your story can create connection, change, and opportunity. I’ve realized that my dreams are valid, and that stepping boldly into them—even when it feels scary—is exactly how growth and impact happen.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized that keeping it inside only held me back. There wasn’t a single moment—it was a process of reflection, courage, and finding safe spaces to share my story. I began to see that my struggles weren’t weaknesses, but experiences that shaped who I am and could inspire others.

I started using my pain as power when I chose to turn those experiences into action—creating Speak UnDEfeated to empower women and youth to find their voices. Each challenge I faced became a tool to connect, uplift, and help others realize that they, too, can rise above what’s tried to break them.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
In many ways, yes—the public version of me is the real me. The passion, the purpose, the love I have for empowering women and youth… that’s all genuine. But I’m also human. There are parts of me that are tender, private, and still healing, and those pieces don’t always show up on the surface.

What people see publicly is the version of me that has learned to lead with courage and hope. But the full me also includes the quiet moments, the doubts, the growth, and the soft spaces I protect. I don’t see them as two different people; they are just different layers of the same truth.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am doing what I was born to do. There was a time when I followed what I thought I was “supposed” to do—expectations, norms, what others thought was right for me. But over time, I realized that my true purpose isn’t defined by anyone else.

Founding Speak UnDEfeated and dedicating my life to empowering women and youth is the work that feels deeply aligned with who I am at my core. It’s challenging, messy, and incredibly rewarding—but it’s mine, and it’s exactly what I was meant to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.speakundefeated.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/undefeated_ug/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desange-kuenihira-undefeated/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desange.kuenihira.9
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@unDEfeated_ug