Joseph Oubelkas
Joseph Oubelkas delivers a powerful keynote on resilience, injustice and rebuilding life after years of wrongful imprisonment.
Why book Joseph Oubelkas for your next event
- A gripping true story that shows how mindset, discipline and purpose can carry you through extreme adversity and uncertainty.
- Offers practical insights on resilience, adaptability and mental strength, drawn directly from years of wrongful imprisonment.
- An authentic, moving speaker who connects deeply with audiences across business, education and public institutions.
Non-binding request for Joseph Oubelkas
Author and keynote speaker on resilience, adversity and personal leadership
Joseph Oubelkas is an author and keynote speaker whose life story leaves a lasting impression. At just 24, while running a successful IT startup, his life was turned upside down during a business trip to Morocco. Wrongfully convicted without evidence, Joseph was sentenced to ten years in prison. What followed was a harsh and unjust reality that tested his resilience, identity and belief in the future. Rather than surrendering to despair, Joseph found ways to grow, lead and create purpose under the most extreme circumstances. Today, he shares his story worldwide, inspiring audiences with powerful lessons on perseverance, responsibility and rebuilding life after profound injustice.
Joseph Oubelkas – from entrepreneur to prisoner
Joseph Oubelkas was building his future early. After completing his studies in IT, he founded a successful IT company and was on a clear path as a young entrepreneur. In 2004, during a routine business trip to Morocco, everything changed. Joseph was arrested and accused of smuggling hash. There was no evidence, no proper investigation, and no fair trial. Despite this, he was sentenced to ten years in prison.
The Dutch authorities were convinced of Joseph Oubelkas’ innocence but were unable to change the verdict. What awaited him was a harsh prison system and years of uncertainty, fear and injustice. Overnight, Joseph lost his freedom, his business and the life he had worked so hard to build.
Surviving and growing in captivity
Prison life pushed Joseph Oubelkas to his limits. The conditions were severe, and the lack of control over his own future was mentally exhausting. Yet it was here that Joseph discovered the true meaning of resilience and personal leadership. Instead of allowing bitterness to take over, he relied on the same entrepreneurial mindset that once drove his business success.
Joseph set goals, created structure and found ways to contribute, even with almost no resources. He built a small flower garden inside the prison walls and taught Moroccan language courses, drawing on his own Moroccan background. These acts were not small gestures; they were survival strategies. They gave him purpose, dignity and a sense of progress in a place designed to strip those things away.
Joseph Oubelkas spent four and a half years in prison before his release. Those years shaped his understanding of adversity, responsibility and inner strength in ways few people ever experience.
Life after release and rebuilding identity
Freedom did not mean an easy return to normal life. After years in captivity, Joseph Oubelkas faced a new challenge: rebuilding his identity and place in society. He speaks openly about the fears, insecurities and frustrations that followed his release. Trust had to be rebuilt, confidence restored and a future reimagined.
Joseph’s story does not end with survival; it continues with growth. His journey after prison highlights the importance of self-belief, adaptability and perseverance when life forces an unexpected restart. These experiences form a central part of his keynotes and resonate strongly with audiences facing change, pressure or setbacks of their own.
Keynote themes and audience impact
When you book Joseph Oubelkas for your event, you invite an honest and deeply human story into the room. His keynotes address themes such as:
Dealing with sudden and uncontrollable change
Mental resilience under extreme pressure
Personal leadership when systems fail
Turning setbacks into sources of strength
Joseph speaks to audiences across business, education and public institutions. His talks are relevant for leaders, teams, students and professionals who want to strengthen resilience and perspective in challenging environments. His calm, authentic delivery ensures that the message stays with the audience long after the event ends.
Author of 400 Letters from My Mother
Joseph Oubelkas is also the author of 400 Letters from My Mother, published in 2011. The book tells his story through the correspondence he shared with his mother during his imprisonment. These letters reveal vulnerability, hope and the power of human connection in the darkest moments. The book became a Dutch bestseller and has since been translated into English, allowing his story to reach an even wider audience.
Book Joseph Oubelkas for your event
Joseph Oubelkas is a speaker who does not rely on theory or abstract motivation. His insights are lived, tested and deeply real. When you book Joseph Oubelkas for your event, you offer your audience a rare perspective on resilience, injustice and the human ability to rebuild. His story challenges assumptions, inspires reflection and encourages people to take responsibility for how they respond when life takes an unexpected turn.
Keynotes
Keynote by Joseph Oubelkas:
Resilience – Strength When Everything Is Taken Away
Resilience is not about being unbreakable; it is about learning how to stand back up when life pulls the ground from beneath you. In this keynote, Joseph Oubelkas shares how he survived years of wrongful imprisonment by creating structure, purpose and mental strength in an environment designed to break people down. Through powerful personal moments, Joseph shows how resilience can be trained, even when circumstances feel hopeless. Audiences leave with a deeper understanding of endurance, focus and the small daily choices that make a decisive difference under pressure.
Audience Takeaways
Understand how mental strength is built through daily structure, discipline and conscious choices.
Learn how to stay focused and motivated during long periods of pressure and uncertainty.
Gain tools to maintain perspective and energy when circumstances cannot be changed.
Keynote by Joseph Oubelkas:
Personal Leadership – Taking Responsibility Without Control
What does leadership mean when you have no power, no freedom and no certainty about the future? Joseph Oubelkas explores personal leadership from a place few have experienced. During his time in prison, leadership was not about titles or authority, but about responsibility, self-discipline and moral choices. This keynote challenges traditional ideas of leadership and shows how influence starts with mindset, behavior and accountability. A compelling talk for leaders and professionals who want to lead themselves and others with integrity, even in difficult conditions.
Audience Takeaways
Learn how to take responsibility for your actions and mindset, even without authority or control.
Understand how values and behavior shape credibility and influence.
Discover how self-leadership creates stability and direction in challenging situations.
Keynote by Joseph Oubelkas:
Dealing with Change – When Life Takes an Unplanned Turn
Change often arrives without warning. In this keynote, Joseph Oubelkas tells the story of how his life shifted overnight from successful entrepreneur to prisoner. He shares what it takes to mentally survive sudden, irreversible change and how to adapt when there is no roadmap forward. Joseph offers practical reflections on flexibility, acceptance and redefining goals when the future looks completely different than planned. A powerful session for organizations and individuals navigating transformation, uncertainty or disruption.
Audience Takeaways
Learn how to mentally process sudden and disruptive change.
Understand how to let go of old expectations and redefine goals.
Gain insight into rebuilding confidence and identity after major transitions.
Keynote by Joseph Oubelkas:
Communicating, Collaborating and Working Together – Connection in the Most Difficult Environment
Even in prison, survival depended on communication and cooperation. In this keynote, Joseph Oubelkas shares surprising insights into human interaction under extreme conditions. He explains how trust, respect and collaboration can emerge in unlikely environments and why communication becomes even more important when stress is high. Joseph translates these lessons into practical takeaways for teams, organizations and leaders. A compelling keynote on empathy, cooperation and working together when differences, tension and pressure are unavoidable.
Audience Takeaways
Learn how clear communication reduces tension and misunderstandings under pressure.
Understand the role of trust and respect in effective collaboration.
Gain practical insights into working together across differences and challenging circumstances.
Joseph Oubelkas on Unthinkable Leadership
Watch Joseph Oubelkas in action!
