Servant Leadership Expert & Healthcare Innovation Leader; Director of Strategy Management Services at Mayo Clinic; TED Talk Speaker; President of La Crosse-Rochester Project Management Institute Chapter

Rochester, MN, USA

Walé Elegbede Biography

Walé Elegbede is a servant leadership expert, TED Talk speaker, social justice advocate, and healthcare leader with a career spanning more than two decades across healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, and consulting. Elegbede has extensive experience in project portfolio management, business administration, information technology, retail, supply chain, and manufacturing. He shares a personal story of leadership, service, and family loss under military dictatorship. Born in Nigeria, Elegbede witnessed the regime of General Sani Abacha and later lived in Togo under President Gnassingbé Eyadéma. He immigrated to the United States at age 21, self-funding his college education through perseverance and hard work.

Elegbede serves as director of strategy management services at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he leads planning and strategic execution of healthcare diagnostics solutions and emerging technologies. His work in healthcare includes involvement with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T-cell therapy) for adults with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Elegbede is president of the La Crosse-Rochester Project Management Institute chapter and teaches graduate project management at Viterbo University. He holds an M.B.A. with an emphasis in ethical and servant leadership and a Doctor of Education degree.

Elegbede was selected to deliver a TED Talk available on TED.com through a partnership between TED and Project Management Institute. In his talk, he addresses social injustice and emphasizes that social justice is a collective responsibility. He discusses how his community in La Crosse, Wisconsin, formed an interfaith group in response to Islamophobia and racism, highlighting the importance of community engagement and equity.

Elegbede has received the Innovation and Leadership in Education Award from Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and the Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Wisconsin La Crosse. He serves as president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Rochester, Minnesota Branch, and as Olmsted County Human Rights Commissioner. As an interfaith leader, Elegbede is a founding member of the La Crosse Interfaith Shoulder to Shoulder Network, which works to end anti-Muslim sentiment, Islamophobia, bias, and intolerance. Viterbo University named Elegbede as commencement speaker for its graduation ceremony. Elegbede is recognized for his work in leadership, equity, healthcare innovation, and community transformation.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/28/2026.

Walé Elegbede Speaking Topics

  • Servant Leadership: The Power of Human Connection and Building a Brighter Future

    In this riveting keynote presentation, Walé Elegbede shares a deeply inspirational story of leadership, service, and personal family loss at the hands of a military dictatorship. He connects these captivating stories to principles of servant leadership and inspires positive transformation in organizations, communities, and within audiences. Wale believes education is a true difference maker and shares about the Mayo Clinic and Rochester Branch of the NAACP’s RISE for Youth Program which he co-founded.

  • TED Talk: It Takes a Community to Eradicate Hate

    Standing up to discrimination and hate should be everyone's business, says community activist Wale Elegbede. In this vital talk, he shares how his community in La Crosse, Wisconsin came together to form an interfaith group in response to Islamophobia and racism -- and shows why a mentality of caring for your neighbors can make life better for everyone.

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Walé Elegbede Videos

Walé Elegbede - "Almanac "

Walé Elegbede - "Almanac "

Walé Elegbede gives reaction to NAACP lawsuits against the Trump administration, attacks on immigrant students, DEI and shares how community can...

Walé Elegbede - CNN

Walé Elegbede - CNN

Walé Elegbede shared why charges need to be filed in the Shiloh Hendrix racist attack on a young boy in Rochester, Minnesota, and the dangerous...

Wale Elegbede | Servant Leadership

Wale Elegbede | Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership: The Power of Human Connection and Building a Brighter Future - Walé Elegbede Fireside Chat: Walé Elegbede and RISE...

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Walé Elegbede is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Servant Leadership: The Power of Human Connection and Building a Brighter Future, TED Talk: It Takes a Community to Eradicate Hate, The Art of Strategic Servant Leadership, Techquity: The Digital Divide, Innovation and the Role of Trust and Unleash Your Superpower for Social Justice. The estimated speaking fee range to book Walé Elegbede for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Walé Elegbede generally travels from Rochester, MN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Blair Imani, Linda Sarsour, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Bernice King and Dr. LaTanya White. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Walé Elegbede for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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