Willy was born in Rusizi, Rwanda. He studied clinical psychology at the National University of Rwanda as an undergraduate, where he was specifically interested in the mental illnesses that resulted from the 1994 genocide. Upon graduation, Willy co-founded the Health Promotion Unit (HPU) with fellow classmates. HPU focuses on health promotion and research design activities for various communities. Willy also founded the Excellence Consulting Group before going on to work as a research assistant for different government and nonprofit organizations, including the Ministry of Health, Health Development Initiative, and Health Partners, among others.