Yemi Mobolade

Mobolade is from Lagos, Nigeria.[2] Mobolade's father worked in finance for ExxonMobil while his mother was a high school teacher. He has an older brother and two younger sisters.[3] In August 1996, Mobolade immigrated to the United States. He graduated from Bethel University in 2001.[4] He earned a master's degree in management and leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master of Divinity from A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary.[3][5]

In 2010, Mobolade settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He co-founded two restaurants and founded a church within the Christian and Missionary Alliance. He served as a ministry leader at First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs between 2015 and 2017.[3] He served as the vice president of business retention for Colorado Springs' chamber of commerce from 2017 to 2019 and small business development manager for Colorado Springs from 2019 to 2022.[3][6]

Mobolade announced his candidacy for mayor of Colorado Springs in the 2023 election as an independent politician in April 2022.[7] In the nonpartisan blanket primary, held on April 4, Mobolade finished in first place in the 12 candidate field with 29 percent of the vote, advancing to a runoff election against Wayne W. Williams, who received 20 percent.[8] Mobolade defeated Williams in the May 16 runoff election, 57 percent to 43 percent, and will become the first Black person elected mayor of Colorado Springs[lower-alpha 1][10] and the first elected mayor who is not a member of the Republican Party.[9]

Mobolade became a United States citizen in 2017. He and his wife, Abbey, have three children.[3]