Julie Edlund

Julie Edlund, CEO of Life Unlimited, Inc.

Julie Edlund is a mission-driven CEO and social entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience leading and transforming nonprofit organizations—most of those dedicated to the disability field. Since taking the helm at Life Unlimited in 2014, Julie has led the organization through a remarkable era of growth: four successful mergers, a 517% expansion in services, and a more than twofold increase in wages for frontline caregivers.

Under her leadership, Life Unlimited has become a regional force for innovation and inclusion, expanding housing, employment, day services, and community living supports across the Kansas City metro. Most recently, Julie launched The Trails Neighborhood—a groundbreaking 46-acre development that will bring 33 quality affordable and accessible homes to individuals living with disabilities, directly addressing the region’s housing crisis with a bold, community-centered solution.

Her leadership is marked not just by strategic execution but by deep compassion. She’s known for cultivating high-performing cultures where every voice is valued, excellence is expected, and belonging is real. From mentoring rising leaders to showing up for team members on their hardest days, Julie leads with authenticity, resilience, and heart.

Prior to Life Unlimited, Julie served as Executive Director of Special Kids and Families and founded Youth Visions in Memphis, Tennessee. She began her career as a college volunteer at Learning Disabilities Association of Tennessee, and the United Cerebral Palsy-Life Center.

Julie’s expertise spans strategic growth, organizational turnarounds, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, and operational excellence. But her mission is personal: to help build a world where everyone—regardless of ability—can live a life of unlimited possibility.