From Life Sentence
to Keynote Speaker From Life Sentence to Keynote Speaker

Sentenced to sixty-five years in a Texas prison, Damon West once had it all.

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker and 3 x Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His bestselling business book, The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, was listed by Forbes’ in the “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.”

His autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, vividly tells how he transformed the pot of boiling water that is a Texas maximum-security prison into a pot of coffee.

At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hardcore drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today.

The Coffee Bean message has inspired thousands. Damon’s clients include hundreds of companies, such as Walmart, State Farm, Wendy’s, Stryker, and sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Timberwolves, Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. The U.S. Army has even incorporated the #BeACoffeeBean mindset into their resilience training. Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally.

He is passionate about the Coffee Bean message and loves sharing how it changed his life and how it can change yours, too.

His Wall Street Journal bestselling book, The Locker Room: How Great Teams Heal Hurt, Overcome Adversity and Build Unity, is being optioned for film adaptation.

His children’s book, The Coffee Bean for Kids, is the genesis for Coffee Bean Clubs being started by students at schools all over America.

Today, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, sharing his story all over the world. Of all the hats Damon wears, however, the two most important to him are being a husband to Kendell and a stepfather to Clara.