For this installment of Five Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Liz Lund, Senior Director of Philanthropy at Medtronic Communities Foundation, which is working to propel 1 million students from low income households into life-changing careers in health tech – transforming their futures, their families, and their communities.

We asked Liz about expanding science, technology, and engineering opportunities for underrepresented populations, her leadership style, and the subtle shift from being solely a funder to becoming a service provider.. 

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: What brought you to the field that you’re in right now? Was there a moment, a relationship, or an experience that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action?

Liz Lund, Senior Director of Philanthropy, Medtronic Communities Foundation: I am not a stranger to the impact non-profit and community-based organizations can have. I grew up in a modest household and relied on a range of programs that helped shape my path. One of the most formative experiences was joining Inroads in high school, where I learned how to navigate professional spaces and prepare for college. With the support of incredible mentors, I secured a four-year internship at Target, which laid the foundation for my business career.

Years later, when my mother had a stroke that left her paraplegic, I once again turned to the nonprofit sector for help. Organizations like Courage Kenny and the United Way connected me with critical resources as I stepped into a caregiving role. These experiences deeply ingrained in me the importance of giving back—through time, service, and philanthropy. Eventually, I transitioned from a traditional business role into community relations at Target, bringing my career full circle and solidifying my commitment to this work.

NationSwell: How would you describe your leadership style? What is it about the way that you lead in the space that makes you an effective leader?

Lund, Medtronic: I try to be a very thoughtful leader — to really make time and space to understand the goals and objectives of not only the work, but of the people that work with me. 

I also fundamentally understand that the work doesn’t get done by any one individual, it gets done by a collective, so the health of the collective is what’s critically important to achieving great results. I really try to understand the culture, what the needs are, what the opportunities are, what the skills of the collective are, and what role can I play in helping to grow. 

I consider myself to be a continuous learner; I’m learning things every single day from the people that work for me in addition to the subject matter experts that I work with in this space, and I find that exhilarating.  I fundamentally have an operations brain, so I’m always trying to figure out how things come together. I love problem solving, and so I love collaborating with people that work with me that are undaunted by the problem. 

NationSwell: Is there a particular program, a signature initiative, or some facet of the work that you would like to spotlight for us that you feel is particularly exemplary or differentiated?

Lund, Medtronic: When I joined the Medtronic Foundation, one of my early projects was assessing our program portfolio to determine where we should focus long-term. I’m a whiteboard person, so I mapped out an idea to concentrate more intentionally on expanding STEM opportunities for underrepresented populations. Then COVID hit, and that plan went on the back burner. But what we did during the pandemic became one of the most meaningful efforts of my career.

We pivoted quickly from traditional grantmaking — long applications, financial analyses, six-month review cycles — to something radically different. In 12 countries, we launched virtual interview-based applications to rapidly support nonprofits identified by our employees. We did our due diligence on the back end and got funding to our partners within six weeks. Even more importantly, we let nonprofits define what success and impact looked like. It was collaborative, fast, and deeply human. The feedback we received from our partners was overwhelmingly positive.

That experience shifted how we approach grantmaking even today. It showed us the power of trust, flexibility, and partnership. 

NationSwell: You’ve mentioned all the ways that you moved with agility and speed to fast track different approval processes. How much of that is carried over to the new, post-COVID modus operandi?

Lund, Medtronic: What’s really carried over is the belief in the art of the possible. We’re now operating with a 10-year commitment from our board — something we’ve never had before, and that’s rare for corporate foundations, especially those tied to publicly traded companies. Social impact takes time, and historically, corporate timelines haven’t always allowed for that. But we’ve done things differently, experimented, and brought our board along with us. That long-term commitment is a powerful reflection of the trust we’ve built and the results we’ve started to show.

Another key lesson is knowing when to step back and let subject matter experts lead. As funders, one of our greatest responsibilities is to listen — really listen — so we can make informed investments that actually move the needle. That mindset shift started during our COVID response and continues to guide how we work today: stay open, trust the people closest to the work, and fight for what matters.

NationSwell: Finally, what are some of the challenges you’re facing? How can NationSwell’s social impact community help you with those challenges?

Lund, Medtronic: The biggest opportunity we have right now is tied to a major shift in how we operate. Historically, the Medtronic Foundation — like many others — focused on making direct financial investments in nonprofit organizations delivering services. But we’re now building and executing our own programs, moving from being solely a funder to also becoming a service provider.

This is a significant pivot, and it means we need to absorb as much insight as possible to do it well. We’re especially focused on workforce development — from early stage learning to a career — and committed to continuously refining our programs to ensure they’re designed for real, lasting impact.