Thriving in Intersectionality

In this episode, Lola talks about visioning exercises and SMART goals as well as:  The intention behind goals as someone with multiple intersectional identities Using visioning to help you clarify and guide your next career move Breaking down your goals into different categories you care about when crafting your vision How to understand if your goals are actually achievable Why your career is not...

In this episode, we talk to Anjali Nair, the founder of The Immigrant Academy - a skill development and mentoring platform to help you restart your career in North America and help you in every phase of your immigrant life.  She's also a Product Marketing Manager during 9 to 5 and has supported over 1000 immigrants in 2 years with job search tips and courses. She lives in Florida with her hus...

In this episode, we talk to Isabel Ruiz, who manages an internal community for a Product and Content team at the cloud-based software company Mews. Isabel has over 9 years of experience working with industry leaders like Tableau, Intercom, and Pluralsight as a Senior Customer Success Manager; she's a former podcast host of CSM Toolbox as well as a 2021 Top 100 CS Strategist by Success Hacker....

In this episode, we talk to Marcos Navarro Garcia, a people and culture professional, currently specializing in employee engagement and diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging.  Marcos' passion for DEIB is grounded by his experience as a DACA recipient in the United States. He grew up being keenly aware that he was living a marginalized experience and dedicates his career to empowering o...

In this episode, we talk to Meenakshi Iyer, who thrives at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology. She is a T-shaped leader and community builder with a 25-year career spanning IT, Agile/Business Process Transformation, international healthcare, HR, and Training, in India and the USA. In this episode, we discuss:   The experience of working in India with a Stem degree Transitioning fr...

In this episode, we talk to Joyce Orishaba, a high school junior in north San Diego. She was one of 13 winners of the New York Times 100-word student essay competition out of more than 12,000 entries, writing a moving story about her earlier life in Uganda, which brought greater awareness to the plight of the indigenous Batwa tribe.   Orishaba is a member of the National Honor Society, a Civics Un...

In this episode, we talk to Cherita Washington, MBA, a Global DEI Strategist, and a consultant for executive leadership. She graduated from Lincoln University of Missouri with her undergrad in Journalism (2010) and MBA in Public Administration. She’s a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. At her current company, Cherita is the global co-president for the ERG supporting Black employe...

In this episode, we talk to Yolanda Stanton, a seasoned HR leader with over 15 years of experience. She was the first D&I Business Partner at Gusto and built the team from the ground up. She provided leadership, coaching, and guidance at every level in the organization by driving a collaborative, intersectional approach.  Prior to Gusto, Yolanda led the Talent Acquisition Programs for Uber &am...

In this episode, we talk to Vicki Ghaffarzardeh, a Regulatory Analyst with Valent U.S.A. With close to 10 years in ag chemical industry, she currently manages California registrations for both Valent U.S.A. and its sister company, Valent BioSciences.  Vicki presently serves as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council  for VGC. She is also a founding member and current Chair of the...

In this episode, In this episode, Lola talks about the Thriving in Intersectionality podcast theme for this month, "Embrace Equity", and examines why this is an important conversation in professional environments. Lola also touches on skills that are important to hone and understand when considering equity for all and gives examples of things everyone can do to incorporate equity. Connec...

In this episode, we talk to Rosalind Panda, a thought leader, visionary, and change maker who is here to inspire others to do what inspires them so that all of us together can make this world a better place. She is the CEO and Founder of Rosalind Business Group LLC., CEO of Rosalind IT Services, Founder of Rosalind Arts, CEO of Rosalind Constructions, and Founder of ROVA Token. She is a technology...

In this episode, we talk to Tomilola Kayode-Adedeji. Originally from Nigeria, Tomilola immigrated to the UK 12 years ago. She is currently a Planning Manager within the Oil and Gas industry with over 14 years of experience in project management, planning, and customer fulfillment.  She is passionate about mentoring, coaching, and empowering people to grow and bring out the best in themselves. In t...

In this episode, we talk to Melissa Toledo, a proud Mexican-American navigating the corporate world while also learning to balance work and life to enjoy more time with her family, especially with her two-year-old son.   As a first-generation college graduate and corporate leader, she continues to grow her career within the tech world while also ensuring her passion for LATAM is involved. Melissa...

In this episode, we talk to Mercedes Soria the EVP, Chief Intelligence Officer at Knightscope. Mercedes is an expert leader working in Robotics, Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud technologies. She has 3 computer science degrees plus an Executive MBA and also attended Harvard and MIT. She truly believes that technology plays an important role in business success.      She has bee...

In this episode, we talk to Richard Nelson, V, a Mechanical Engineering with minors in Business Finance and Computer Science. Richard currently works at Motorola Solutions and has worked on redesigning and testing critical devices that play a crucial role in emergency environments and recently started a new role as Manager of DEI External Engagement.   In addition to his professional life, Richard...

In this episode, we introduce you to the new podcast, Thriving in Intersectionality, and explore the question this podcast is on a mission to answer: What are some of the issues that professional employees who exist at the intersection of multiple underrepresented identities face?     Connect with Lola: LinkedIn Immigrants in Corporate Instagram Apply to be on the podcast   More about Thriving in...

In this episode, we talk to Yanique DaCosta, the founder of YKMD and is a creative with an obsession for producing amazing brand visuals that transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary experiences. Yanique currently sits on the Executive Board of the Graphic Artists Guild, where she was elected National Treasurer by the organization’s membership. She is also the International Council of Design d...

In this episode, we talk to Patricia Vazquez Topete, who works in economic and community development efforts in the banking sector and previously held positions in the governor's office.    In this episode, we cover:   The importance of prepping for an interview and being over-prepared Applying for a fellowship and how it can improve your resume before getting a full-time position How an immi...

In our original series, Immigrants In Corporate, our mission was to amplify and empower the voices of immigrant working professionals looking for support at work.   In this episode, we talk to Limor Bergman Gross, who has worked in the tech industry for over 20 years as a software engineer, engineering manager, and Director of engineering. Limor has firsthand experience working in a male-dominated...

In our original series, Immigrants In Corporate, our mission was to amplify and empower the voices of immigrant working professionals looking for support at work.   In this episode, we talk to Bhawna Sharma Puri, a Bay Area resident who immigrated from India 19 years ago as a young girl all by herself. She lives here with her loving husband and is a mommy to two beautiful kids. She has built a suc...

In our original series, Immigrants In Corporate, our mission was to amplify and empower the voices of immigrant working professionals looking for support at work.   In this episode, we talk to Rosie Zilinskas, the Executive Career Strategist behind the “No Woman Left Behind” brand, which includes the “No Woman Left Behind” podcast, career-building services, mentoring support group, and consultancy...

In this episode, we talk to Farzad Khosravi, a coach, mentor, and 3x founder (most recently of Cicero.ly). Farzad considers himself a scientist at heart, and is an immigrant with a passion for politics and philosophy who believes we should leave the world better than we found it.   In this episode, we cover:   Reflecting on the experience of moving to the United States as a child and how it shaped...

In this episode, we talk to Urmi Hossain, a professional in the financial services industry. Urmi is a big proponent of self-investing and continuous learning and has a blog and Youtube Channel dedicated to that topic. In this episode, we cover:   The importance of learning the language of where you want to live and work How LinkedIn can help you find a new job or network, even if you have never u...

In this episode, Lola Adeyemo talks about the importance of community for immigrants in the corporate workplace and how companies can build employee resource groups to help everyone find belonging. Connect with Lola: LinkedIn Immigrants in Corporate Instagram Apply to be on the podcast More about The Immigrants In Corporate Podcast: Welcome to the “Immigrants in Corporate” podcast. A podcast about...

In this episode, we talk to Katya Stepanov a Belarusian-Jewish refugee who was born four days after the collapse of the Soviet Union and immigrated to the U.S. at the ripe age of 1 year old.    Katya is a facilitator, actress, speaker and entrepreneur who is passionate about culture change through storytelling. She is a co-founder of the Inheritance Project, an organization facilitating innovative...