About Amanda
I built this space because I couldn't find it anywhere else.
I'm Amanda Lentz — keynote speaker, podcast host, and breast cancer survivor. I speak and create for the one conversation survivorship culture keeps not quite having: what happens after.
The story behind the space
My life has been shaped by cancer, caregiving, and the deep identity shifts that come with walking through seasons you never expected. Like many others, I learned firsthand that when life changes everything, you often have to rediscover who you are — and who you're becoming.
"For a long time, I searched for spaces where people could speak openly about these experiences without being rushed, minimized, or 'fixed.' I wanted conversations that honored both grief and growth. Both heartbreak and hope."
That's why I created Who We Become. This podcast is my way of holding space for stories that deserve to be heard — stories of courage, rebuilding, and finding meaning after life takes an unexpected turn.
Listen to the latest episode →When I'm not recording conversations about resilience and becoming, you'll find me here:
Professional background & training
The frameworks behind the conversations.
Three graduate degrees give these conversations structure most speakers don't have. But it's the lived experience that gives them weight.
I/O Psychology
Graduate degreeDeepened understanding of human behavior, motivation, identity, and how people adapt under pressure. The research backbone of every keynote.
Training & Development
Graduate degreeGrounding in how adults learn, grow, and perform inside organizations — the academic foundation behind work helping leaders navigate change and the rebuilding that follows.
Business Administration
Graduate degreeThe organizational and strategic lens that grounds conversations about identity in real-world professional contexts.
HR Business Partner
Supporting organizations and leaders through strategic transformations, cultural change, and workforce development. This background brings structure, research, and practical tools to conversations about resilience and identity — while always keeping people at the center.
The journey
Three moments. One story of becoming.
The after looks different for everyone. This is what it looked like for Amanda.
Last day of chemo
Celebrating the end of one chapter — and the beginning of figuring out what comes next. This was the moment that made clear that surviving and becoming are two different things.
NCSU Play for Kay
Representing the 0–2 year survivors at the NCSU Play for Kay basketball game — finding community in the in-between, and proof that the in-between has a name.
Arches National Park
Hiking Arches celebrating a decade of marriage and being cancer-free. This is what the after looks like when you do the work.
