The University of Iowa Staff Council had the opportunity to welcome back Eddie Etsey, former staff councilor, to present on his nonprofit organization, Eddies Teddies Incorporated.  Eddie is currently the University of Iowa associate athletics director for technology and data analytics, sport administrator.  Eddie was a staff councilor from 2008 to 2014 where he served on multiple UISC committees and participated in many community activities.   

Eddie began by sharing his story of moving to Iowa City from Ghana in the early 1990’s.  He went on to study computer science and mathematics at the University of Iowa, join the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in 2003, and then University of Iowa Athletics in 2017.  In his interview with The Technology Association of Iowa in 2019, he provided details about his journey to technology and philanthropic work.  To learn more, read the complete article.   

In his presentation to the Staff Council, he stated that the vision of Eddies Teddies Inc is to empower children to dream.  He then shared a story of how the simple act of giving a child a teddy bear brought him great joy and went on to inspire the name of the organization.  The mission of Eddies Teddies Inc is to provide resources to underprivileged populations and to institutions that serve these populations.  The purpose is to provide teaching and learning aids, educational workshops/seminars and/or medical supplies to communities where there is either limited or no access to education and/or healthcare.  He states on the organization’s Our Story webpage that Eddies Teddies Inc is a “byproduct of my interest in being an advocate for those without a voice, my passion for education, promoting diversity and intercultural awareness, empowering children and the youth; and bringing people together to create a global community where everyone is welcomed, understood and valued.”  The organization members have made several trips to Ghana and hope to return in 2022 as well as travel to Brazil in 2022/2023.  To learn more, visit Eddies Teddies Inc.   

In addition to his nonprofit work, Eddie also has a podcast called “On the Edge with Eddie: Detangling our Black Identities” where he explores different shades of black identities, has tough conversations and gives people a voice to tell their stories. The podcast which “bridges Black Americans, Black Africans and every melanin in-between” is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor and other podcast streaming services. You can also visit On The Edge with Eddie to learn more.