Echo Nomsa VanderWal, Speaker
Echo VanderWal is a global health leader, storyteller, and co-founder of The Luke Commission (TLC), one of Eswatini’s largest healthcare organizations. With two decades of experience transforming crisis into opportunity, Echo speaks with clarity and conviction about what it takes to build resilient, compassionate systems in some of the world’s most underserved settings. From pioneering mobile healthcare to spearheading rapid pandemic response, she brings powerful stories and hard-won insights that inspire action across sectors.
Speaking Topics:
Building healthcare systems in underserved, resource-limited environments
Operational excellence as a life-saving strategy
Leadership during crisis: From the AIDS epidemic to COVID-19
Turning vision into infrastructure: The story of Africa’s largest PSA oxygen plant
Innovation born out of necessity: Scaling from 8 to 700+ team members
Technology, teamwork, and trust: Breaking barriers to access
Rethinking global aid: A human-centered, sustainable approach
Faith, purpose, and perseverance in leadership
More about Echo Nomsa VanderWal
Executive Director, The Luke Commission (TLC)
Echo is a visionary leader in global health who has spearheaded innovative health and development solutions to serve isolated and underserved patients. Under her leadership, TLC has delivered comprehensive healthcare services through more than 1.5 million patient visits in Eswatini since 2005. TLC’s Miracle Campus, located in the center of Eswatini, includes a national referral hospital providing primary to tertiary care, Africa’s largest PSA oxygen plant, a world-class snakebite treatment unit, and the globally recognized Training and Leadership Center of Excellence for deepening and extending a culture of compassionate care.
Echo's passionate advocacy for equitable healthcare access has led to TLC's international recognition for addressing systemic challenges through the challenges of the HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commitment to aligning technology with community continues to shape public health, with plans to scale TLC's impact globally through strategic collaborations and scalable innovations.
On Air and On Stage
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Empowering Communities with Compassionate Healthcare
Leaders of Transformation Podcast
Oct. 29, 2024 -
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Scaling Compassion with Echo VanderWal
Lead with Heart Podcast
Sept. 24, 2025 -
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#70: The One with Echo VanderWal and the Unbelievable Growth from Compassion
The Storyfield Podcast
Aug. 22, 2024 -
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Faith in Action: Echo VanderWal's Journey with The Luke Commission
Exploring the Marketplace Podcast
July 24, 2024 -
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Serving Well When the Needs Seem Overwhelming
FrontStage BackStage with Jason Daye
Apr. 16, 2024 -
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The Joshua Principle: Empowering Change in Healthcare
Bench Builders Podcast
Dec. 6, 2024 -
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Healing Hearts and Lives Amidst the AIDS Crisis
Think Global, Do Justice Podcast
Oct. 1, 2024 -
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The Buzz Featuring Jenny Froome and Echo Nomsa VanderWal
Supply Chain Now Podcast
Aug. 23, 2024 -
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Impactful Digital Health Transformation through a Clear Vision and Values: Insights from Eswatini
Global Perspectives on Digital Health Podcast
Aug. 2, 2024 -
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Compassionate Leadership Story of Echo VanderWal
Once Upon a Leader in Africa Podcast
July 5, 2024
