The CEO of Sleep Number returned to her alma mater on April 22 for an award presentation in LaRose Digital Theatre where she encouraged students to embrace risk, lead with a people-first mindset and take ownership of their paths.[
Elon University honored alumna Linda Findley ’95 with the Elon University Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership in a ceremony that challenged students to take risks, stay curious and lead with humanity.
An accomplished business leader whose career spans global technology, consumer brands and corporate turnarounds, Findley accepted the university’s top award for entrepreneurship on April 22 inside LaRose Digital Theatre.
Findley currently serves as president, CEO and director of Sleep Number and has held leadership roles at Alibaba, Etsy and Blue Apron.
Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book presented the medal alongside Haya Ajjan, dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.
The ceremony opened with a video tribute featuring remarks from Book, Ajjan, Elizabeth Caran and Jeffrey Pugh, former Distinguished University Professor and Maude Sharpe Powell Professor of Religious Studies at Elon, both of whom were in attendance.
Caran, Findley’s sister, emphasized her sibling’s commitment to making people feel heard and included. Pugh described Findley as someone who “makes everything better wherever she goes,” guided by both intellect and a strong moral compass.
In her remarks, Findley reflected on what entrepreneurial leadership has come to mean in her own life and career.
“When you told me I was receiving the medal for entrepreneurial leadership, I’ll be honest, I had a moment of pause,” said Findley. “Because when I think about entrepreneurs, I think about founders. People who start companies from scratch. And that’s not my path.”
Instead, Findley said, her career has been defined by stepping into companies in moments of change and choosing to lead with ownership, resilience and a willingness to act before feeling fully ready.
“Entrepreneurial leadership isn’t really about whether you started something,” she said. “It’s about how you show up, the risks you take, the responsibility you assume and how you bring people along with you.”
Findley, who grew up in nearby Greensboro, told students that Elon played a transformative role in helping her see herself and her future differently. She described struggling academically and socially in high school before arriving at Elon, where she found an environment that encouraged exploration, curiosity and growth.
“Elon didn’t just teach me what to learn,” Findley said. “It taught me how to think.”
She credited the university’s interdisciplinary approach, study abroad opportunities and especially a set of religion courses with Pugh for reshaping her perspective.
“Those classes exposed me to such a broad world of ideas, perspectives, modern views on longstanding concepts,” she said. “That changed everything about how I thought of myself and what I could do in the world.”
That openness to possibility would later shape major decisions in her career, including a move to Hong Kong without a job lined up after finding it difficult to break out of communications roles in the United States. The leap eventually led to a role at Alibaba and marked a major turning point in how she thought about risk.
“You don’t wait until you’re ready,” Findley said. “You go. You do. You open yourself up to learning. And that’s what makes you ready.”
Throughout the evening, Findley returned to the idea that leadership is less about titles and more about how people are treated along the way. She said one of the reasons she wanted to become a CEO was her belief that companies can succeed without losing sight of the people who make that success possible.
“Customers and teams matter most, and you could build a successful company while still treating people like humans,” she said.
That people-first approach also shaped how she described her leadership style during a question-and-answer session with students. Rather than entering organizations assuming she has all the answers, Findley said she tries to create the conditions for others to do their best work.
“My assumption is that everyone else in the room knows more than I do,” Findley said, “and my job is to get out of their way and get everything else out of the way so they can do it.”
Students asked Findley about topics ranging from career pivots and leadership style to failure, resilience and decision-making. In response, she emphasized the importance of core values, communication and internal resilience, especially when navigating uncertainty.
“You’re never going to please everyone,” she said. “You’re never going to make everyone happy, and you’re never going to have respect from everyone. But you will get respect for actually making a decision and making a change and taking action when people don’t like it.”
She closed her remarks by offering students three challenges: take one real risk in the next 30 days, put yourself in rooms where you are not the most qualified person, and act like an owner before you ever receive the title.
“Entrepreneurial leadership isn’t about starting companies,” Findley said. “It’s about taking responsibility for outcomes, for people and for your own path.”
About the Elon University Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership
The Elon Medal Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership is co-presented by the Love School of Business and the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Since 2009, the award has been given to an entrepreneur who is a leader in industry and who exemplifies the values of Elon University. These values include integrity, innovation and creativity, passion for lifelong learning, and a commitment to building a dynamic community.
About the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established by an endowment gift from Ed and Joan Doherty, entrepreneurs from Saddle River, N.J., and parents of Kerry Doherty Gatlin ’07. The Dohertys have served on the university’s Parents Council, and Ed Doherty currently serves as an Elon Trustee. Their company, Doherty Enterprises, Inc., is one of the nation’s leading franchise operators of quality family restaurants, including Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, Panera Bread and Chevy’s Fresh Mex.