Ed Norwood, a champion in public policy, advocacy, leadership development and marketplace ministry has cultivated a distinctive network of professional and influential leaders across the country.
Ed is a radical example of his book, “Giant Killers” focus on defeating the giants in one’s life. He started life in San Francisco with an evangelist mother who had disturbing dreams of Jim Jones kidnapping his cousins and killing her family in a jungle. When his grandmother took him to the People’s Temple, his mother, Dr. Jynona Norwood, arrived to grab him and take him home. She received many death threats, so she moved the family to Daly City, reducing the frequency of her travels to protect him. Sadly, Ed’s family lost 27 relatives in the Jonestown, Guyana Tragedy in 1978. He says, “My mom took great care of me. We lived in strong communities during my adolescence. She was my greatest inspiration growing up and motivated me to excel. Growing up, my mom gave me radio experience on her weekly radio show. She used to tell me I could be President of the United States. While I didn’t make the Oval Office, I became president of multiple organizations.”
After joining the Melodyland Christian Center (now Healing Word) staff, his life was radically changed. He was discipled for the first time and held to greater accountability standards as a husband and father. He learned how to develop a prayer life and relationship with Jesus Christ under the late Dr. Ralph Wilkerson and current pastors Neville and Wendy McDonald. One day, while preaching, his pastor said: “You are called to preach whether or not people call you to your church to preach.” Inspired, Ed moved the pulpit from the church into the marketplace, transforming thousands of lives with motivational talks on how to confront giants in their life and industry.
In 2000, he organized The National Council of Reimbursement Advocacy, a healthcare advocacy organization, and in 2006 Champions Unleashed was birthed as a Marketplace Ministry. Through Champions, he wrote the weekly e-devotional, Champions BYTES, that later became the foundation for Champions Unleashed Radio Vignettes airing on over 190 radio stations empowering listeners how to break barriers, re-ignite their passion, master change, and become more influential and valuable (effective) leaders.
Ed has done hundreds of media interviews and lectures worldwide, focusing on the Jonestown Tragedy, public policy, healthcare advocacy and leadership development. He delivers a daring, transforming, no-nonsense message to bring practical solutions, inspiration and change to the workplace. Multi-faceted, with a creative ability to inspire his audience, Ed combines his business influence (and expertise) with his passion for ministry to help people flow in their dreams, destiny and delegated authority in the marketplace.
Whether it’s inspiration, change management, team or leadership development, Ed provides the electricity, motivation, ideas, tools and techniques to help people understand their calling. His motto is, “You are called to do awesome work, so humanity will stand in awe of you.” Ed and his wife Anu, have been married for 21 years and have three lovely adult children, Jasmine, Joshua and Josiah.
