Ro Adebiyi was born in Nigeria, but raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Michigan, where he was involved in local mentorship initiatives, Third-World development projects, and served as a two-year captain on the University of Michigan Men’s basketball team. Ro returned to the University of Michigan in 2005 to attend law school, after a stint as a paralegal at a Washington, D.C. law firm.
Following graduation from law school, he worked as an associate at a Houston law firm, started a web-based sponsorship/endorsement company with friends back in Ann Arbor, served as counsel for a small commodities trading firm just outside of New York City, and then moved to Minnesota to oversee state-wide voting initiatives as a senior staff member of the 2012 Obama Reelection Campaign. Minnesota immediately embraced and welcomed Ro, and following his post-election selection to the 2012 Inaugural Committee, he returned to Minneapolis to join the legal team at Thrivent Financial.
Ro previously served as the Senior Council, Insurance & Law Compliance for Thrivent and as the Chief Legal Officer for the brightpeak financial division of Thrivent Financial.
OTHER SERVICE
- AAU basketball coach and youth/career mentor
- Volunteer at the Salvation Army’s “Harbor Light House” kitchen
- Board member and volunteer of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest
- Board member of Reve Academy
- Board member of the Center for Economic Inclusion
- Board of Trustees for Twin Cities Public Television (Twin Cities PBS).