Yoni AsserafSPEAKER · STORYTELLER

Stories that move people

The room is part of the story.

From real decisions under pressure to the questions that matter in your life. A keynote shaped by the people in the room, not just the person on stage.

Meet Yoni
Medal of Courage recipientSpeaking since 2007

Meet Yoni

A short introduction to Yoni, his journey, and the human connection he creates with audiences.

Meet Yoni Asseraf – click to play

What the audience experiences

Not a lecture. A conversation.

Through real stories and candid questions, Yoni makes room for people to consider how they lead, respond to adversity, and show up for each other.

One story-led keynote, shaped for the people in the room. Organizations, communities, universities and schools.

See him on stage

Leadership

Clarity when certainty disappears

Making choices when the plan changes and the stakes are real.

Resilience

Finding strength in what matters

Not being fearless, but finding a way forward without losing yourself.

Connection

The people who stand beside us

Why trust, humility and camaraderie change what we can face together.

See it for yourself

Moments from the stage.

Real audiences. Real questions. A glimpse of what it feels like in the room.

Resilience in Action

Fundraising Gala Event

Meaning Behind Questions

Community Gathering

Selected organizations & venues

A selection from Yoni's speaking journey

FIDF - Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
Stanford University
Hillel International
Shalhevet High School
Milken Community School
Hadassah

The story behind the speaker

In one moment, everything changed.

At 21, serving with the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit during the Second Lebanon War, Yoni faced decisions under intense fire that would change the course of his life.

For his actions, he received Itur HaOz, Israel's Medal of Courage. Since 1948, only 218 Israelis have received it — nearly one in three did not survive the act it honors. Yet the heart of what Yoni shares today is not the decoration. It's the people beside him, the responsibility we carry, and the choices that define us.

The fuller story
Itur HaOz Medal of Courage

RECOGNIZED IN 2007 · 1 OF 218 SINCE 1948

The Medal of Courage

Watch the story

View the original military citation
Original military citation for Itur HaOz

The people in the room

In their words.

Sometimes what stays after a talk is best described by someone who was there.

Yoni's superhuman heroism is matched only by his cool humility. He is a masterful storyteller, who artfully guides audiences through what most people can only imagine: what it means to be an ordinary guy fighting for your life with your back against the wall. I witnessed this firsthand during his October 2025 talk.

Eylon Levy

Former Spokesperson for the Israeli Government; Broadcaster, Commentator, and International Media Advisor

Yoni speaking with a large school audience

In the room

What stays is what we share.

“To truly move the emotional needle of an audience, you must partner with them rather than lecture them.”

Yoni Asseraf

The experiences behind the message

A Life of Decisions.

From decisions made under fire to those made in law, security and entrepreneurship, one question kept returning: what do we owe the people who depend on us?

Read Yoni's full biography

Service

Shin Bet

Worked in complex and sensitive environments around the world in Israel’s security service.

Law

Commercial Litigation

Three years handling complex legal disputes at a leading Israeli law firm, with academic backgrounds in law and business.

Technology

Startups & Venture Capital

Three years as a corporate attorney advising startups and venture capital funds through significant technology transactions.

Building

Entrepreneurship

Founded an urban-mobility venture and received patents in Israel and the United States.

Responsibility

Return to Service

Returned from Los Angeles after October 7, serving again across three fronts while continuing to share lessons of responsibility and connection.

How it works

Every gathering has its own heartbeat.

The goal isn't to deliver a perfect script. It's to create a meaningful exchange that fits the people and the moment.

01

Before we meet

We talk about your audience, your event and what you want people to take away. The experience is shaped around that room.

02

The story unfolds

Honest storytelling takes people into real moments of responsibility, risk, trust and choice.

03

The room joins in

Conversation and Q&A make space for reflection, genuine questions and the perspectives of the people listening.

Let's begin with a conversation.

The next conversation

Let’s make room for a story.

A speaking engagement, a community gathering, or simply a question. Tell me what you have in mind.

A good conversation starts here.

Email

speaking@yoniasseraf.com

Phone

+1 (323) 645-9803

Based in

Los Angeles, California

Stay connected

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