As a self-proclaimed ‘curious rebel’, Yemi Penn is changing the world one conversation at a time by helping businesses, communities, and individuals live their most fulfilling lives.
The dynamic entrepreneur, author and public speaker is known for her life-changing work in leadership and personal development. With a background in engineering, Yemi has founded several businesses and is passionate about empowering others to unlock their potential.
She’s a champion for diversity and inclusion, using her platform to inspire change and build resilience. Her engaging speaking events and workshops focus on transforming mindsets and overcoming challenges, making her a highly sought-after figure in both corporate and community spaces.
Yemi’s story
One of seven children, Yemi was born in the UK, spent her early childhood in Nigeria, then moved back to Brixton. Growing up in a Nigerian West African family, her experiences motivated her to advocate for diversity, acceptance, and breaking free from cycles of oppression. Though she faced expectations that she’d follow traditional gender roles, Yemi forged her own path, and her curious spirit led her to earn a First-Class degree in mechanical engineering. “We were progressive in that we were encouraged to pursue education. I’m so grateful for that privilege,” she says.
Yemi inspires people of all ages to embrace their differences as their superpower. Her experiences growing up with extended family and living abroad have greatly shaped her worldview.
“As a child, I lived with my grandmother in Nigeria for a few years and then with a foster parent (a white lady in the UK), with my two older brothers and my younger sister. Many Nigerian and Ghanaian parents did this ‘farming’, where kids stayed with white families, possibly to help them acquiesce, which now seems wrong but made sense back then.
“I’m okay sharing this but always do it with love because living in the Western world, we often think ‘our way’ is the only way. But there isn’t one blueprint; one family can be a mix of many identities, cultures, and races. It’s beautiful and why we need to love each other. If we could embrace all different ways of parenting, that could help heal the world,” Yemi shares.
Yemi’s journey to parenthood was “definitely not traditional”. Seventeen years ago, she fell in love with a charming guy in the UK and joyfully planned for her daughter, Leah, while navigating cultural expectations to marry first. After Leah’s birth, life became challenging — Yemi found herself homeless and separated from her partner when Leah was 18 months old.
“It was rough from the start because sleep deprivation can make you feel like you’re losing your mind, and at that stage, we didn’t have enough grace and empathy for each other. No one can truly explain the magnitude of caring for someone else when you’re still learning to care for yourself,” Yemi says.
After the separation, Yemi returned to university for her master’s, and it was suggested that Leah live with Yemi’s grandmother in Nigeria. While traumatic at the time, Yemi views it as a gift that allowed them both to grow.
Yemi met her son Levi’s dad online before they married and lived together in Japan — but she returned to the UK when she fell pregnant with Levi. She later moved to Australia while allowing Levi’s dad to continue his military career when they eventually separated. Yemi recently married her long-term partner, and she embraces the complexities of raising five kids between them who have different cultures and experiences.
“We were back in Nigeria at the end of last year to visit my grandmother. My daughter couldn’t remember having lived there, but she felt the love was there. My son, who had never been to Nigeria, said he felt like he’d been there before. It was probably the most divine experience I’ve ever had, not just as a mother, but ever,” she reflects.
From experience to impact
Yemi’s diverse career spans many roles including systems engineer, project manager, consultant, gym owner, cafe owner, author, documentary producer, and internationally sought-after speaker. It was in 2018 that she realised, “I found out two decades into my engineering career that I’m actually in the business of people, and not much matters without them.”
Yemi blends her analytical skills with her passion for filmmaking. She aims to shine a light on important issues, helping heal individual and community traumas — a vital step in taking control of your own life.
“Like many people, I experienced a traumatic event as a child. As a woman, I already felt behind the eight ball, and the trauma amplified that, as I felt like I lost my voice. I started to carry the identity of being shy — when in fact, I’m an introvert, but I’m not shy. That childhood incident probably makes me more vocal now, so I explain things to my children and stress the importance of using their voice. How we use our voice matters, and my trauma shaped how I present myself as a person, woman, Black woman, mother, and partner,” she explains.
Now, she’s pursuing a PhD at La Trobe University in Melbourne, researching the alchemy of transmuting pain into power while challenging the status quo. Through documentaries, speaking to thousands yearly, and collaborating with brilliant minds, she’s spreading her message.
“Honouring all parts of yourself is about grace and compassion. Forgiveness may not be possible for everyone, especially when it comes to parents, who are a part of you in many profound ways — genetically, energetically, vibrationally across the spectrum of science and mysticism — so instead of forgiving, practice grace and compassion. This doesn’t mean accepting everything; it means acknowledging and respecting your experiences — send some love back in time and space — so you can move into your most powerful self,” Yemi says.
Yemi acknowledges that healing from her traumas is an ongoing journey, finding joy in simple ways to ground herself.
“When I dance, I reconnect with who I am and enter a state of flow where all my identities — mother, woman, wife, engineer — come together. It aligns with my work on trauma; our bodies remember not just the pain but also the wisdom and joy, so dancing reminds me that every part of me is valuable. And I like to also remember to be kind to myself — when I know better, I’ll do better.”
Join Yemi in igniting your rebellious curiosity and exploring new ways of being! To learn more about Yemi and opportunities to gain from her magical insights, visit yemipenn.com