Mona Antwan is a trailblazing leader and the pioneering founder of Mindfulness Leader, NFP, an innovative educational program serving high school and college students. Once named a “bridge to humanity's higher self,” Mona developed a first-of-its-kind project-based curriculum that teaches young leaders 23 core principles grounded in three pillars: Inner Awareness, Physical Awareness, and Being Intentional.
Through a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) framework. Since 2017, Mona’s programs have transformed the lives of over 10,017 students and garnered recognition from both The White House and the Mayor's Office of Chicago.
Originally from Baghdad, Iraq, and a 6-year-old Assyrian/Chaldean refugee entering Chicago Public Schools in 1980, Mona’s personal journey fuels her unwavering commitment to making students feel heard and seen—something she lacked during her early years. In addition to her work in education, she has been advocating for young lives for over 30 years. Today, she balances her deep dedication to serving humanity with her life as a wife to her husband of 25 years and as a mother of two college students and two pugs.
Currently, a Chicago Peace Fellow with the Goldin Institute and a Force for Good with the Chicago Police Department, Mona continues to lead the charge in addressing the mental health and trauma crisis in schools. Through the Mindfulness Leader organization, she has launched a global technology platform and mindfulness-based SEL curriculum, available via the Mindfulness Leader App on the Apple Store and Google Play, sharing her transformative teachings with youth worldwide.