Biography

Jude Nnadi is a visionary entrepreneur, consultant, and community advocate based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of EDACT, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved communities through strategic economic development, business support, training, and capacity-building initiatives. Under his leadership, EDACT has launched signature programs, including the Incubator & Accelerator Program for Nonprofits, the Economic Empowerment Program, and the EDACT Training Academy, which support hundreds of micro and small businesses in growing and thriving locally.

Jude also founded Paadio Consulting, an enterprise focused on advancing inclusive economic development by providing tailored professional development, mentorship, and strategic support to entrepreneurs and community organizations. Palladio boosts Paadio BizBlast, a digital platform designed to help small businesses excel in marketing, operations, and customer engagement.

With an academic foundation in engineering and an MBA, Jude combines analytical rigor with creative strategy to build cross-sector partnerships that strengthen economic opportunity and resilience. Before founding EDA and Paadio, he spent years in corporate roles spanning medical device and business management, contributing to devices and therapies that improve the health of millions of people, as well as enhancing organizational performance.

Jude’s leadership has earned civic recognition, including appointments by Governor Tim Walz to the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage (CMAH) and the recent past, the Governor’s Council on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

A dedicated community organizer and trusted advocate, Jude is a respected voice on social, economic, and policy issues affecting Minnesota’s African immigrant and broader communities. Known for his entrepreneurial spirit and collaborative leadership, he brings together government, nonprofit, and private partners to create tangible, lasting impact