Joshua “Dr. Strange” Adeoye

Stanford Graduate School of Business

“Adventurous ambivert who aspires for worldwide impact… but has yet to conquer white chocolate!”

Hometown: Mopamuro, Kogi State, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite author – I have read all 66 of her crime novels. Twice. And even more, for some of them.

Undergraduate School and Major:

• Undergraduate School: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
• Major: Dental Surgery

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

• Employer: Bayero University Kano/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano
• Title: Clinical Lecturer & Honorary Consultant, Dental Public Health

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far has been teaming up with a few friends last year to disrupt the Nigerian electoral space. We decided to tackle the unfortunate resignation that Nigerians worldwide have developed to the constant recycling of aged, low-quality candidates by political parties, occasioned by equally aged, usually nefarious, Godfathers. Our solution was a socio-political non-profit called the “Take-It-Back” movement, which registered a political party against all odds. We then proceeded to make a spirited run for the Presidency that made the news locally and internationally, for all the right reasons. I served as the Director of Operations of the campaign and Chief of Staff for the candidate.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Limitless Trailblazers!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? You mean, other than the echo of its unique “Graduate School of Business…” name? That would be its focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. The core of my being – and the trajectory of my education and career – has been about challenging boundaries and seeking unique experiences. The “GSB and I” have proven to be a match made in heaven.

What has been the most surprising thing you’ve found about Stanford GSB so far? How cold California could be sometimes! I came here thinking I would be wearing swimsuits all year!

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “What matters MOST to you and why?” Figuring out WHAT alone has taken me a few decades!

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

• Wharton Business School (Healthcare program)
• Harvard Business School

What is the biggest epiphany you’ve gained about yourself or the world since you arrived at Stanford GSB? Where do I start!? That “perfect” is sometimes the true enemy of good? That a calendar can LITERALLY save your life? That ALL development is intentional; nothing happens by chance? That I have learned more from my failures than my successes? Like I said, where do I start!?

What do you see yourself doing ten years from now? Again!? Okay, I’ll bite. Hopefully, leading a global organization and pushing the frontier on how business is done in the healthcare space.