Walé Elegbede

Walé Elegbede believes in the power of human connection and ideas, and that connections and bridges must be made to improve our world. An internationally recognized expert in servant leadership, TED Talk motivational speaker, social justice changemaker, and distinguished healthcare leader, Walé Elegbede shares a deeply inspirational story of leadership, service, and personal family loss at the hands of a military dictatorship.

Growing up, Walé witnessed the appalling effects of prejudice and bias under autocratic rule. Born in Nigeria, he observed the tight grip of General Sani Abacha's military regime, and while living in Togo, he experienced life under the domineering regime of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who ruled for 38 years until his death. From his journey from riches to rags, and back to riches, Walé embodies resilience, courage, leadership, and excellence, motivating us to build a better future for everyone.

Walé serves as President of the Rochester Minnesota Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), focusing on ensuring social justice, equity, inclusion, diversity, and civil rights through advancing health equity, education, economic stability, public safety, voting rights, and youth engagement.

An innovative healthcare leader, Walé Elegbede also serves as Director of Strategy Management Services at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, leading efforts in the planning and strategic execution of transformative healthcare diagnostics solutions and disruptive technologies. He is the 2024 recipient of the Innovation and Leadership in Education Award from Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, the first black person to earn this award, and a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse.

A global thought leader and expert in leadership, project management, strategy execution, healthcare innovation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, one word that sums up Walé, is that he is all about positive transformation. Transformation in organizations, transformation in communities, transformation in the world, and transformation within ourselves. His presentation style and genuine demeanor captivate audiences and inspire them to be a positive force for good.

He is a lifelong learner committed to excellence in leadership, evidenced by his doctoral study in Ethical Leadership, and brings 22 years of experience and a demonstrated history of driving business results and strategies in the healthcare, information technology, retail, consulting, higher education, and manufacturing industries. In addition to leading major complex initiatives at the number one hospital in the nation and world, his leadership experience includes overseeing major initiatives for the largest home furniture manufacturer in the world.

Early in his professional career, Walé's innovative and entrepreneurial spirit earned him a noteworthy mention by Inc 5000 for software he developed, which increased operational efficiency and speed at a lumber manufacturing company during their growth to 84.3% and a sales increase of $30.3M. Walé is a visionary and co-founded the Mayo Clinic and Rochester Branch of the NAACP’s RISE for Youth Program, serves on the advisory board of Mayo Clinic’s Children Press, and is a board member of Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health (FAITH). He also serves on the Global Advisory Board for the International Institute of Medical Project Management (IIMPM), is Past President of the La Crosse-Rochester Project Management Institute (PMI) Chapter, and adjunct faculty of graduate project management at Viterbo University.

An interfaith leader, he is a founding member of the La Crosse Interfaith Shoulder to Shoulder Network (LISSN), a group established to empower people of all faiths or no faith to end anti-Muslim sentiment, Islamophobia, prejudice, and intolerance towards any group.