Thriving in Intersectionality

How much of someone's story do we really know from their role or the work they do? In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo welcomes Dr. Nneka Oluoha , a Nigerian American physician, mother, and novelist, to talk about identity, career transitions, cultural expectations, and the many parts of ourselves that aren't always visible to others. Nneka's journey...

We all bring a culture into the workplace. But how often do we stop to understand the experiences that shaped it? In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Omar L. Harris , former global pharmaceutical executive, culture systems architect, and author, to explore how identity, lived experiences, and career journeys shape the way we see the world, lead others...

What if becoming a better leader isn't about having more answers, but learning to ask better questions? In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo welcomes Mike Lynch , leadership advisor, executive coach, author, and founder of MJL Consulting Group, for a conversation about identity, curiosity, career transitions, and the experiences that shape how we lead. Mike&apos...

What happens when what you know is bigger than what you can communicate in the moment? Executive communication coach Douglas Brewer works with accomplished non-native English-speaking professionals who are already fluent—but don't always feel like the full version of themselves when the stakes are high. It's an experience he understands from his own journey: growing up in North Carolina,...

Sometimes the person who changes the direction of your life enters it when neither of you knows what that moment will become. Before Dr. Desiree Williams built a 20+ year career in healthcare leadership, she was a teenage mother and later a motel general manager. One day, a woman staying there with her young son told Desiree she couldn't afford to remain until her next paycheck. Desiree found...

What happens when you've built a successful career—and finally ask whether the life you're building is actually the one you want? Trisha Daho had done what many professionals spend years working toward. She made partner at a Big Four accounting and advisory firm, built multimillion-dollar practices, led large teams, and developed leaders who went on to become executives themselves.  But...

What does it look like to pursue exceptional business results without sacrificing the people responsible for producing them? Kathy Miller started working on a factory floor at 17 years old. She went on to lead global operations across automotive, aerospace and industrial manufacturing—including responsibility for billions of dollars in operations and thousands of employees. But some of the experie...

What if the parts of your career that look disconnected on paper are actually the experiences that make you uniquely equipped for the work you're doing now? Kim Peirano's career has been anything but linear. She studied television production, business and art. She became an acupuncturist, built businesses, founded a nonprofit, worked in nightlife and eventually returned to school to stud...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Joaquin Martinez, global energy leader, entrepreneur, author of The Super Generation , and founder of Mariposa Energy Consulting. Joaquin grew up in a low-income single-parent household in Southern Arizona and became the first person in his family to attend college. As a young engineering student, he entered profess...

What does it take to create environments where people can actually thrive? For Dr. Melissa Durham , the answer has been shaped across many different parts of her life—as a woman, single mother, healthcare professional, educator, clinician, and organizational leader. In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Dr. Durham, Associate Professor of Clinical Pharma...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Kelly Schuknecht —marketing strategist, author, podcast host, and founder of Two Mile High Marketing—for a conversation about what it really takes to become a trusted voice without losing yourself in the process. Kelly shares how years of working behind the scenes in marketing eventually led her to build a business...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Ashley Gibson —founder of Meaning in Practice, psychotherapist, and former marketing executive—for a conversation that challenges many of the assumptions leaders make about resilience, workplace culture, and employee well-being. Before becoming a therapist, Ashley spent more than a decade leading marketing for missi...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with technologist, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and Avatar Buddy co-founder Stephanie Sylvestre for a conversation that goes far beyond artificial intelligence. Growing up in Belize, Stephanie imagined one day returning home to help build her country's future. But when an unexpected political shift changed those plan...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with speaker, author, former Apple and Xerox sales executive, and transformational coach Lauretta Zucchetti for a deeply personal conversation about identity, self-worth, resilience, and the courage to rewrite the stories we've inherited about ourselves. Growing up in Italy, Lauretta learned early how family dynamic...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with educator, researcher, and founder of Working with Delia , Delia Saenz Skinner , for a deeply personal conversation about identity, belonging, education, and what it means to come home to yourself after years of learning to survive. The conversation begins where every episode of Thriving in Intersectionality begins—w...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with integrative physician, leadership advisor, and founder of The Mind Re-Mapping Company, Dr. Maiysha Clairborne , for a thoughtful conversation about identity, psychological safety, trauma-informed communication, and what it means to truly create environments where people feel seen, heard, respected, and valued. The c...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with leadership consultants, podcast hosts, and co-founders of ASQ Empowerment, Dr. Jessie Ferreira and Omar Ferreira , for a thoughtful conversation about identity, leadership, organizational culture, and the experiences that shape the way we lead. The conversation begins where every episode of Thriving in Intersectiona...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with leadership researcher, executive coach, and bestselling author Dr. Elizabeth Pritchard for a conversation about identity, authenticity, confidence, and what it truly means to lead from the inside out. The conversation begins with an honest reflection on intersectionality itself. Elizabeth shares why she has a compli...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality, Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with entrepreneur, immigration strategist, technologist, and human rights advocate Vas Ramakrishnan for a conversation about identity, visibility, opportunity, and navigating systems that were not always designed with everyone in mind. The conversation begins with an exploration of intersectionality through Vas's own...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Russell Van Brocklen, dyslexia educator, researcher, and advocate, for a conversation about learning differences, identity, confidence, and human potential. The conversation begins with a reminder that intersectionality extends beyond the identities we immediately see. Learning differences, educational experiences,...

What happens when the career you've always dreamed of no longer fits the life you're trying to build? In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Shannon Russell, Strategic Leadership and Team Facilitator, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and host of the Build Better Teams podcast. Shannon shares her journey from a 16-year career in television product...

  In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Amy Lenius for a conversation about identity, self-worth, personal growth, and the many layers that shape how we define success. Amy shares how the different roles she has held throughout her life—from daughter, partner, entrepreneur, speaker, coach, and leader—have influenced how she sees herself and the work she...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Nicole Johnston for a thoughtful conversation on her intersections and key insights on invisible labor, workplace expectations, leadership, and the hidden experiences that shape how women navigate work and life. Nicole shares how growing up with two educator parents—working at opposite ends of the educational spectr...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Hanna Curman to explore how identity, lived experience, biology, and leadership intersect—especially under pressure. Hanna shares how her own journey was shaped by family history, entrepreneurship, creativity, motherhood, and years of working in male-dominated corporate environments. She reflects on what it meant to...

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality , Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Rachel Edmondson Clark to explore how identity, lived experience, and internal patterns shape how we lead—especially under pressure. Rachel shares a deeply personal journey, from growing up observing human behavior in her mother’s salon to quickly rising through corporate leadership roles—and eventually experiencing...