Mackinnon Engen, Executive Director at Watsi

As Executive Director, Mackinnon Engen is the driving force behind Watsi's mission to make healthcare accessible to the most vulnerable and in need around the world. With experience spanning non-profits, the United Nations, and academia, she has spent over fifteen years championing community-focused leadership and safe surgical access for all. After many years of globetrotting, she is now based back in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, finding joy in both her professional endeavors and her role as mom of two boys and a sweet pup named Frida.

What is your motto or mantra in life??

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Imagine a world where we have really unlocked the best of everyone. I want to be part of building a world and community where our actions each day — big and small — are oriented toward lifting others higher, cheering each other on, and intentionally relishing in moments of shared joy and human connection. This is one of the reasons I love getting to do what I do every day leading Watsi. As our co-founder Grace Garey says, “We have a front row seat to the best of humanity.”

In part because I already had this song on repeat, I can’t get this clip that Greg Isenberg shared out of my head. Pharrell Williams was visibly stunned by the brilliance of Maggie Rogers as a New York University music student, and his main critique: keep creating, keep building, and make your work unapologetically you and unique. There’s a special place in my heart for people, especially women, who have “made it” and use their position to bring others along on the ride with them. I see this so much from you, Tracy Young, and other inspirations like Christina Sass, Gina Sanders, and Stephanie Dodson Cornell.

What belief did you change over your career, and why?

Looking back, I can see two critical adaptations over my career:?

First, when I was younger, I said YES to everything. This served me well — I never knew what doors were going to open and what could come of walking through them. At 25, I was in a dream job, even helping to pen speeches for the UN Secretary-General that would be read from one of the world’s biggest podiums. I juggled multiple projects, got to see corners of the world I never thought possible, and teamed up with some of the brightest minds and biggest hearts. But now, as I take my place as a “geriatric millennial,” one of my greatest tools is learning to say no. I can find it hard, to be honest, but I know that being stretched too thin is not sustainable or enjoyable. I’m working to be more discerning and intentional, or as my favorite poet Mary Oliver says, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”

The other major change in my career developed when I joined as Executive Director of the health tech nonprofit Watsi. I finally shook off the need to have something perfect before you put it out in the world. I think this comes from Watsi’s roots in the start-up/Y Combinator world and being surrounded by people who are building in the open. It is so refreshing. If you are building something that hasn’t been done before, then of course there will be things that don’t work, but forward progress and learning from failure moves you closer to realizing your vision, and in our case, a world where healthcare is accessible for everyone.

What's one habit or practice you've adopted that has significantly improved your professional or personal life?

In 2023, I committed to 30 minutes of movement every day, and it changed my focus, energy, creativity, and overall well-being. In many ways, it felt like coming up for air. Moving out of the pandemic, my two young kids were both now in elementary school, and I was in year three of my new leadership role, so carving out 30 minutes for myself felt doable and essential.

What I didn’t know would happen is that by taking this time out of my day, I actually felt like it gave me more time back into my day — bringing more clarity, strategic prioritization, and fresh ideas. When our all-remote Watsi team finally gathered in person for the first time in years, we built in movement time together each day, and it is something that I encourage everyone to prioritize. Stagnation and burnout are real, and I’ve found movement (and a bit of sunshine) to be one of the best medicines.

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