HRH The Prince of Wales and Sir Richard Branson are just two of the influential figures who have supported Linda Cruse in her mission to solve the most critical social, environmental and humanitarian problems around the world.
In 1996, Linda, a stressed-out mum working in a job she hated, was driving along a motorway in the middle of the night when she suffered temporary blindness. This terrifying episode led to a blinding insight: what is the point of living if life has no point? Determined to make a difference, Linda started a new life. This was the start of a scary, lonely, but always emotionally fulfilling job teaching skills and bringing aid, and above all, love, to war-torn refugees, the poverty-stricken and the victims of disaster.
Described as a pioneer and entrepreneur, Linda is a leadership expert, inspirational speaker and successful author. Working in extreme conditions for over two decades, Linda has dedicated her life to finding creative and sustainable economic solutions that have the power to lift communities from the grip of poverty and from the depths of disaster.
A storyteller with a unique and fascinating background, Linda captivates audiences with her extraordinary frontline adventures in some of the most challenging places on earth.
Following an earlier career as a nurse, a traumatic experience led Linda to reassess her life, sell everything she owned, and fulfill her dream of becoming an international humanitarian. Since then she has rejected all worldly possessions and headed wherever her skills are needed – from the snowy Himalayas to the jungles of the Amazon. She regularly lives with little or no access to clean water, electricity, dependable food supplies, or safe shelter. ‘Home’ is living among people in the most distressed places on earth: the aftermath of tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and typhoons, or working with survivors in refugee camps and war zones.
Linda’s journey is that of a single mother who tapped into her bravery to discover her real purpose and passion in life, and who has gone on to survive numerous near-death encounters that have taught her remarkable lessons about life, leadership and survival. Living and working on every continent, often in the face of extreme adversity, she has escaped from a rebel army, been held at gunpoint, caught in a landslide, survived severe hypothermia, sutured her own face and drank three-day-old urine to save a life.
Her groundbreaking approach to humanitarian uplift involves strategically engaging students and the private sector, showing that it is possible to change lives, restore hope and transform the most fractured communities with sustainable, economic uplift. She does this by providing innovative platforms for the best and brightest brains – students and business leaders – enabling them to hone their entrepreneurial and leadership skills and foster diversity and inclusion as they compete to solve critical issues. Resulting solutions are implemented in the community within days, leaving a real and lasting legacy.
Using thought-provoking insights and compelling frontline images and footage, Linda inspires and moves audiences as she shares her experience of a life lived on the edge. Listening to and engaging with Linda is a wakeup call to develop new concepts, uncover fresh ideas and discover your own purpose and passion in life.
