Watchen Nyanue is an expert talent management strategist, speaker, and facilitator who helps Fortune 500 companies keep their employees from quitting. 

 

As the Founder and CEO of I Choose the Ladder, Watchen has been a guide for companies such as Nike, McDonald’s, and Best Buy as they redefine what it means to cultivate a global, inclusive, and innovative workforce. With over fifteen years of corporate experience, Watchen’s work sits at the intersection of talent, culture, and strategy.

 

Prior to founding, I Choose the Ladder, Watchen was the Senior Vice President of Marketing Partnerships for the 2021 WNBA Champions, the Chicago Sky. During the past 15 years of working in Corporate America, Watchen has had the privilege to work for many renowned companies, including Comedy Central, Hearst Digital, Yahoo!, and Johnson Publishing Company. Watchen has a proven track record of creating work environments where individual contributors and leaders alike are inspired to take action to shape the future of corporate America for all employees.

 

Watchen has been recognized as a Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 Honoree, a 2018 Chicago Business Journal Woman of Influence Honoree, a Biz Women 2018 Headliner, and a 2019 Black Women's Expo, Presented by BET Her, Phenomenal Woman Honoree, 2020 WVON presented by Ariel Investments 40 Gamechangers Under 40 Award, 2022 CMAC "Iconic 22" honoree. Watchen has been featured on Forbes.com, Black Enterprise, WGN, XONecole, Madame Noire, WVON, and Amsterdam News.

 

A proud immigrant, Watchen was born in Liberia and immigrated to Chicago in 1991 after living through the Liberian civil war. She is an alumnus of the Posse Foundation and holds a Bachelor's in Communication from DePauw University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.