John Mwangi is a social change leader and lived experience expert whose recovery journey from depression and anxiety fuels his mission to transform how communities understand and respond to mental health. He is the founder of the Psychosocial Development and Response Organization (PDRO), based in Nakuru, Kenya . PDRO is a mental health organization that champions biosocial models and person-centered approaches, recognizing lived experience as a vital form of expertise. His work empowers people with psychosocial disabilities to become leaders, advocates, and experts by drawing from their lived experience–based knowledge. John is a 2025 Fellow in the U.S. Department of State’s Professional Fellows  Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement and a 2022 alumnus of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). John continues to advance youth leadership and inclusive mental health advocacy across Africa. As Africa’s only certified Living Proof Advocacy Coach, he coaches individuals with lived experience to share their personal stories powerfully to drive change.