Leadership, Innovation & Resilience Expert; Founder of Nordic Future Labs & Kidnovation

Stockholm, Sweden
Live Event: $10,000 - $20,000 Virtual Event: $5,000 - $10,000 More Fee Info

Imad Elabdala Biography

Imad Elabdala is an extraordinary voice in leadership, innovation and human resilience whose journey spans from the challenges of a war zone to advising boardrooms, governments and global institutions. Elabdala is an award-winning crisis leadership and resilience speaker who helps leaders build clarity, courage and impact in times of uncertainty. A former engineer turned behavioral science innovator, Elabdala is the founder of Nordic Future Labs and Kidnovation, an internationally recognized children's mental health organization.

Elabdala's work has earned prestigious recognition, including Sweden's Change Leader of the Year in 2017, the Royal Award of Entrepreneurship from the King of Sweden in 2018, and the United Nations Global Innovation Award in 2020. Elabdala has spoken at major institutions and global stages such as TED and the Arab Thought Foundation, and in the Lithuanian Parliament at the invitation of the Nordic Ministers' Council.

Elabdala delivers practical frameworks for high-stakes decision-making, human resilience, navigating uncertainty and innovative leadership. His talks equip audiences to lead with clarity and confidence in a rapidly changing world.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 12/16/2025.

Imad Elabdala Speaking Topics

  • Future Ready Leadership in the Age of Disruption

    The world is changing faster than organizations can adapt. This keynote gives leaders the clarity, strategy, and mindset needed to guide their teams through disruption with confidence. Imad Elabdala shows how to turn uncertainty into direction, and volatility into opportunity. It is a blueprint for leadership that is prepared, grounded, and future focused.

    Who This Keynote Serves:

    • Executives
    • Senior leaders
    • Government officials
    • Transformation and innovation teams
    • Boards and institutional decision makers
    • Any organization facing rapid change, digital acceleration, cultural shifts, or strategic uncertainty benefits directly from this keynote.

    Key Value Delivered:

    • A simple and actionable framework for leading through disruption
    • Clarity on how to anticipate change and prepare teams before crises hit
    • A future focused mindset rooted in human behaviour and systems thinking
    • Tools for decision making under pressure and communication during uncertainty
    • A leadership model that blends purpose, resilience, and strategic foresight
    • Participants leave with practical methods they can apply immediately.

    Formats Available:

    • Keynote sixty minutes
    • Keynote plus panel with internal leadership
    • Half day workshop on future readiness and strategic clarity
    • Full day leadership training on scenarios, culture, and adaptation
    • Optional individual executive sessions for deeper alignment

    Imad brings a rare combination of global perspective, scientific thinking, and lived resilience. He has worked with leading institutions including the United Nations, WHO, and Karolinska Institute. His innovation work has been recognized with the Royal Prize of Entrepreneurship by His Majesty the King of Sweden and the United Nations Global Innovation Award.

    His leadership philosophy was shaped through real experience. He led through extreme uncertainty, rebuilt life across continents, and created award winning organizations in new environments. This gives him an authenticity and depth that resonate immediately with leaders who face pressure, instability, or transformation.

    Imad speaks the language of strategy and the language of humanity. He connects long term thinking with psychological insight, and future trends with the reality of people who must lead others through change. He inspires trust because he has lived what he teaches.

  • The Green Desert Model for Innovation and Sustainable Transformation

    This keynote introduces the Green Desert Model, Imad Elabdala’s signature framework that helps organizations transform challenges into engines of innovation and sustainable impact. It shows leaders how to build cultures that stay relevant, adaptive, and creative in an era of rapid global change. The model simplifies innovation into a human centered, bottom up approach that organizations can implement immediately.

    Who This Keynote Serves:

    • Leadership teams
    • Innovation and sustainability departments
    • Government institutions and public sector bodies
    • Urban development and planning organisations
    • Corporate transformation and culture teams
    • Any organization seeking resilience, relevance, and long term strategic transformation benefits directly from this keynote.

    Key Value Delivered:

    • A practical and tested system for creating a culture of innovation
    • Insights on how to embed sustainability into products, services, and operations
    • Tools for empowering employees at every level to contribute ideas and drive change
    • A clear understanding of how organizations stay on trend in evolving markets
    • A roadmap that links innovation to purpose, human behavior, and long term organizational resilience

    Formats Available:

    • Keynote sixty to seventy minutes
    • Keynote plus panel with internal innovation and sustainability leaders
    • Half day workshop on building bottom up innovation systems
    • Full day training on culture, team alignment, and sustainability integration
    • Optional advisory sessions for leadership teams

    The Green Desert Model is rooted in Imad’s lived experience building award winning social and sustainability driven organizations in some of the most challenging environments. His work has been recognized by the Royal Prize of Entrepreneurship in Sweden and the United Nations Global Innovation Award.

    His story gives credibility to the model. He learned how to innovate not from theory but from necessity, rebuilding systems and solutions under pressure. This gives audiences confidence that the model works in real life, not just in boardroom presentations.

Read More +

Imad Elabdala Videos

Imad Elabdala | TEDxUppsalaUniversity

Imad Elabdala | TEDxUppsalaUniversity

Vulnerability as a key to confidence. A story of resilience.

  • How do I book Imad Elabdala to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Imad Elabdala for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Imad Elabdala, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Imad Elabdala or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Imad Elabdala

    Speaking fees for Imad Elabdala, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Imad Elabdala are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Imad Elabdala, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Imad Elabdala speak about?

  • Where does Imad Elabdala travel from?

    Imad Elabdala generally travels from Stockholm, Sweden, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Imad Elabdala’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Imad Elabdala for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Imad Elabdala for your next private or corporate function.
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Imad Elabdala is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Future Ready Leadership in the Age of Disruption, The Green Desert Model for Innovation and Sustainable Transformation and Personal Brand and Thought Leadership for Modern Leaders. The estimated speaking fee range to book Imad Elabdala for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Imad Elabdala generally travels from Stockholm, Sweden and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sir Richard Branson, Rachel Druckenmiller, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Sylvia Acevedo and Josh Linkner. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Imad Elabdala for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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