Oliviah Walker ’26

I’ve worked across tribal, local, and state levels of government for many years. I love the work that I do to advance health equity, and I felt it was time to learn more about opportunities for public-private partnership to address drivers of health. Public health work is critical yet under-resourced, making it challenging to address key drivers of well-being. Now is the time to reinvest in community-based and scientifically driven public health practices to improve health and protect the environment.

Through courses such as Carlos Reyes’ Sustainable Investing in Private Assets and Heather Tooke’s Corporate Finance, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how capital flows domestically and globally, as well as impact investing strategy. Doug Kysar’s Climate Change Policy course has been the highlight of my EMBA experience, helping me to strengthen my legal analysis to advance tribal sovereignty and build Indigenous power to address the climate crisis. I’ve also appreciated the opportunity to learn from my classmates. Their professional perspectives and diverse expertise have helped me grow as a leader.

I traveled to Pará, Brazil, for Global Network Week, an experience that inspired me to switch my EMBA specialization from healthcare to sustainability. My time in the Amazon rainforest included learning about the sheer biodiversity and importance of this region to global environmental balance, and how Indigenous and traditional riverine communities are adapting to climate changes while fighting for the rights of people and the land. Our discussions with leaders and communities reinforced how colonization contributes to the climate crisis through disenfranchisement and dispossession of Indigenous peoples, as well as destructive practices like deforestation and mining that further exploitation. The experience showed me how issues I grew up with in Iowa—a state that is shaped by the agricultural industrial complex—are playing out in communities across the world.

Witnessing the global consequences of extractive economies in the Amazon was a turning point, driving me to leverage partnerships and shift business strategies towards a worldview that prioritizes global environmental health. As a tribal citizen of the Meskwaki Nation—and as a mother, auntie and organizer—I am committed to adaptive leadership to ensure cultural and political continuity, so we can all thrive.

Building a just world through policy, advocacy, and strategy has always been at the center of what I do. The EMBA program has affirmed how I show up in the world and given me the business acumen to lead with confidence. This program is for people who want to lean into growth. It’s a chance to invest in yourself and make meaningful connections. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to build a platform for whatever’s next.