Thriving in Intersectionality — Dr. Lola Adeyemo on Redefining Immigrant Leadership in Corporate America
The Amazing Authorities Podcast with Mitch Carson
Episode Date: November 3, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features Dr. Lola Adeyemo, newly-minted PhD, entrepreneur, and author of Thriving in Intersectionality: Immigrants, Belonging, and Corporate America. Host Mitch Carson guides a candid and insightful conversation on the immigrant experience in the American corporate world—how intersecting identities (like being Black, a woman, and an immigrant) shape personal journeys, leadership, and inclusion. The conversation also exposes the complexities of race, ethnicity, and success in corporate spaces, offering strategies for thriving despite challenges.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Understanding “Intersectionality” and Dr. Adeyemo's Book
- Definition and Inspiration:
Dr. Lola explains “intersectionality” as a framework for examining how overlapping identities impact experiences, particularly within marginalized groups. Inspired by Kimberlé Crenshaw and other researchers, she uses it to address immigrant and corporate dynamics.
“What it really is, is a framework...for examining multiple layers that shape who people are.” —Dr. Lola [01:20] - Book Origin:
She published her book in 2022, after years of research and interviews with diverse immigrants in U.S. corporate settings.
2. Identity, Labels, and Assimilation
- Living Between Worlds:
As a Nigerian-born woman who’s spent 16 years in the U.S., Dr. Lola discusses the multiplicity of labels she acquired in America—Black, African, immigrant, and how these affect perception and selfhood.
“Coming into America and realizing that I’m Black...I’m not just Black. I’m a Black person in corporate America.” —Dr. Lola [04:04] - Complex Labeling:
Host and guest discuss America’s focus on racial and ethnic categories; Dr. Lola notes the pressure to “perform” American Blackness and the assumptions people make about her origins and knowledge.
“There was the assumption that I was born and raised in America...I almost pretended like I understood.” —Dr. Lola [06:18]
3. Immigrant Experience: Shock, Discrimination, and Microaggressions
- Early Challenges:
Despite English fluency and cultural familiarity, Dr. Lola encountered culture shock upon arrival in Texas, especially around accents and expectations.
“My first stop was Texas...I couldn’t understand what people were saying. And I felt so...looked down on because, ‘Oh, you have an accent.’” —Dr. Lola [10:32] - Campus vs. Corporate America:
She found comfort and acceptance in her diverse university community but faced microaggressions and exclusion in the corporate world.
“My campus experience was great...But then I got into corporate America is where the discrimination and microaggressions now started.” —Dr. Lola [12:17] - Impact:
These encounters initially silenced her and triggered a loss of confidence and voice.
4. Finding Support and Building Community
- Searching for Belonging:
Dr. Lola gravitated towards communities—especially churches and affinity groups—that offered cultural familiarity and support.
“I ended up finding an African church in Houston, and they come to pick me and they bring me back to my apartment, you know, so very welcoming.” —Dr. Lola [15:17] - Professional Networks:
She highlighted the power of immigrant and multicultural communities for growth and survival, both personally and professionally.
5. Leadership Philosophy and Professional Impact
- Corporate Inclusion Work:
Dr. Lola now lives in San Diego, running EQI Mindset (Equity and Inclusion Mindset), partnering with organizations to create genuinely inclusive communities, launch and develop employee resource groups (ERGs), and empower leaders.
“I help to launch the groups, I help to develop existing groups and to develop the leaders within these groups...That’s where I come in.” —Dr. Lola [18:14] - Recognizing Immigrant Voices:
She noted that existing affinity groups (e.g., Women’s, Black ERGs) often ignore immigrant-specific experiences—prompting both her book and the nonprofit Immigrants in Corporate.
“The black group didn’t really acknowledge my immigrant experience. It was a black American experience.” —Dr. Lola [19:15]
6. Intra-Group Dynamics and Resilience
- Black American vs. African Immigrant Experience:
Mitch explores potential tensions between Black American and African immigrant women in the workplace. Dr. Lola acknowledges friction and competition but emphasizes that immigrant success involves resilience and unique pressures—such as family obligations.
“I felt like there was a lot of almost like pushback and suppression, even from black American women…because you have to be a doer, you have to be a go getter...that already places you at a very top percentage.” —Dr. Lola [21:29]
7. Cross-Cultural Commonalities among Immigrants
- Shared Challenges:
Interviews with immigrants from Asia, Europe, and Latin America revealed common hurdles—like hierarchical upbringing and difficulty asserting oneself with older colleagues.
“Culturally, we can’t speak when older people are speaking…That was a big challenge for me in the workplace.” —Dr. Lola [23:58]
8. Developing Leadership Across Generations and Cultures
- Leadership Style:
Dr. Lola draws on family example (her father’s leadership in Nigeria) and focuses on humanizing colleagues, building relationships regardless of age or role, and leading with empathy.
“I humanize the people that I work with so that it doesn’t matter what their role...I find commonalities.” —Dr. Lola [27:20] - Navigating Generational Differences:
She discusses bridging gaps between boomers, millennials (“culture translators”), and Gen Z/Alphas—balancing traditional values with new expectations around purpose and passion over job security.
“We still don’t get why people will quit a high paying job because they just don’t feel like it...we know the value of keeping a stable job.” —Dr. Lola [30:14]
9. Parenting as a First-Generation Immigrant in America
- Parenting Across Cultures:
Dr. Lola contrasts authoritarian Nigerian parenting with the information-rich, dialogue-driven American approach she’s using with her own children.
“People respond to being seen and being heard, which is the same thing that I struggled with...I connect, I show vulnerability, and I welcome it from them.” —Dr. Lola [35:00]
10. Finding Her Voice and Amplifying Others
- Vulnerability & Representation:
Dr. Lola chose to narrate her audiobook herself, despite insecurities about her accent, as a statement on vulnerability and authenticity. “This is a book about the immigrant experience...I wanted to record it myself because I wanted to be that vulnerable.” —Dr. Lola [37:11]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On discovering Blackness in America:
“I’m not just Black. I’m a Black person in corporate America. What does that even…” —Dr. Lola [04:30] -
On the immigrant professional experience:
“All of us struggle with that identity confusion. Because we are in America, in a country where things are kind of divided in a way, and America make it sound like we are the authority on how people should categorize themselves.” —Dr. Lola [08:05] -
On finding her voice:
“Those first few years in America, I started to shut down. To not want to talk, to not want to contribute when I’m outside campus...But then when I got into the workplace...it was like I’m losing my support network.” —Dr. Lola [15:45] -
On internalized tension within Black communities:
“There was a lot of almost like pushback and suppression, even from black American women, because…You think you’re better than us or you want to take something from us.” —Dr. Lola [21:35] -
On leadership and relationship building:
“I want to get to know people. I want to know people beyond their titles. And so I humanize the people that I work with so that it doesn’t matter what their role and their task or their responsibilities.” —Dr. Lola [27:33] -
On narrating her audiobook:
“I wasn’t comfortable with my voice...I said I wanted to record it myself because I wanted to be that vulnerable.” —Dr. Lola [37:11]
Important Timestamps
- 00:42: Dr. Lola introduces her book and the concept of intersectionality
- 04:04: Realizing Black identity and its function in America
- 10:32: Experiencing culture shock in Texas and language barriers despite fluency
- 12:17: Contrast between campus diversity and corporate microaggressions
- 15:17: Finding belonging in cultural/religious community
- 18:14: Work with EQI Mindset and focus on inclusion in corporate spaces
- 19:15: Lack of immigrant-specific support in traditional ERGs
- 21:35: Addressing intra-Black community tensions in workplace
- 23:58: Shared immigrant challenges across continents
- 27:20: Dr. Lola’s human-centric leadership philosophy
- 30:14: Millennials as cultural “translators” in the workplace
- 35:00: Parenting strategy as an immigrant in America
- 37:11: Recording her own audiobook as an act of vulnerability
Resources and Where to Find Dr. Lola's Work
- Book: Thriving in Intersectionality — available on Amazon (print, e-book, audiobook)
- Nonprofit: Immigrants in Corporate — support network and resource for immigrant professionals
- Consulting: EQI Mindset — Equity and Inclusion consulting for organizations
This episode offers a raw, nuanced look at immigrant leadership and identity, blending cultural commentary, practical workplace insights, and personal stories—an empowering resource for immigrants, corporate leaders, and anyone committed to true inclusion.