Lana Mendis

Lana Mendis is a transformational leader and justice reform advocate whose work is grounded in lived experience and driven by a commitment to systemic change. As Leadership Training Manager at JustLeadershipUSA, she designs and delivers leadership development, strengthens communication across staff, alumni, and partners, and supports advocacy efforts that elevate the expertise of system-impacted leaders nationwide.

A 2022 Leading with Conviction™ alumna, Lana has advanced reentry and healing through roles with Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s Chopping for a Change program (culinary training and trauma recovery) and as a mentor and ambassador for the Prison-to-Professional PhD initiative. She is a member of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, a Community Ambassador for the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, and a published author.

With more than two decades of leadership experience in finance—including Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and CBOT—Lana brings strategic insight, operational rigor, and heart-centered execution to every endeavor. She holds a B.A. in Leadership & Ministry, an MBA in Organizational Management, and is pursuing an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership at the University of Dayton.

Her journey from incarceration, abuse, and homelessness to national leadership reflects her resilience and unwavering belief in redemption and human potential.