Welcome to Resilient Interview, an initiative by Resilient Immigrant where we document the full truth of the immigrant journey, not just the challenges, but the resilience, strategy, and impact. By sharing your story, you’re helping shape how immigrants are seen, understood, and remembered. Your story has the power to inspire, empower, and shift narratives.

In this feature, we highlight Dr. Lola Adeyemo, an inclusive workplace strategist, author, speaker, founder of EQImindset and Immigrants in Corporate, and city commissioner in San Diego. Below is her complete, unedited interview detailing her journey from Nigeria on an F-1 student visa to building platforms and systems where immigrant professionals can belong, lead, and thrive.

Where are you from, and what year did you immigrate?

"I am from Nigeria and moved to the United States in 2009 on an F-1 international student visa for my masters. My immigrant journey has never been just about relocating; it has been about learning new systems, finding my voice in unfamiliar rooms, and building a life of contribution without losing the foundation of where I come from."

What do you do today, and how would you describe the contribution you are making?

"Today, I am an inclusive workplace strategist, ERG strategist, speaker, author, podcast host, and founder of EQImindset and Immigrants in Corporate. My contribution is helping organizations and communities see immigrant professionals as leaders, builders, innovators, and strategic contributors. Through my work, I create systems, programs, and conversations that move immigrant talent from being underestimated to being recognized, developed, and positioned for impact. I also serve as a commissioner in my city of San Diego and on nonprofit boards that align with my passion for gender equity and education access."

What moment or experience tested you the most during your immigrant journey? (Share a specific situation rather than a general challenge.)

"One of the experiences that tested me most was fielding biased questions and assumptions about who I was, what I was capable of, and even my family’s status. I learned quickly that being qualified was not always enough; I also had to understand the unwritten rules of visibility, self-advocacy, relationship-building, communication, and leadership in a system I was not raised to navigate. I found myself correcting assumptions about my skills, my background, and my family’s economic reality while still striving to secure opportunities I knew I was qualified for. Those experiences were humbling, but they also became fuel for my work. They showed me that many immigrant professionals are not lacking talent; they are navigating unfamiliar rules while carrying the invisible pressure to prove they belong."

What did you do differently that allowed you to move forward? (Think in terms of a decision, a mindset shift, or a specific action.)

"What allowed me to move forward was deciding not to spend my life only correcting assumptions; I would build evidence of my contribution. I became more intentional about learning the systems around me, asking better questions, building relationships, advocating for my value, and stepping into visibility even when it felt uncomfortable. I also stopped seeing my immigrant background as something I had to explain away and started seeing it as a leadership lens. That mindset shift helped me move from trying to prove I belonged to creating spaces where others could belong, lead, and contribute too."

What has your immigrant background given you that you would never trade?

"My immigrant background has given me cultural richness, adaptability, and a boldness I do not think I would have developed the same way otherwise. I am a Naija girl to the core, and that means I carry faith, rhythm, community, resilience, and pride in where I come from. When you have uprooted your life and moved countries, it builds you differently. It teaches you how to take risks, rebuild, learn quickly, and find your footing in unfamiliar places. I would never trade the way my journey has shaped my perspective, deepened my leadership, and reminded me that I carry more than one culture, one story, and one way of seeing the world."

What is an achievement you are proud of that people don’t fully understand the weight behind? What did it actually take to get there?

"An achievement I am proud of is becoming a mother without forfeiting my career dreams. For many women, especially immigrant women, the choice is not always presented as both/and. It can feel like you have to choose between family and ambition, between being present at home and being powerful in the world. It took faith, sacrifice, support, discipline, and the courage to keep redefining success in each season of my life. I am proud because I did not abandon my dreams to become a mother; I allowed motherhood to deepen my purpose, sharpen my leadership, and expand the legacy I am building."

How are you actively shaping how immigrants are perceived through your work, leadership, or presence?

"I am actively shaping how immigrants are perceived by building and bridging relationships, communities, and access so immigrant professionals do not have to navigate their journeys alone. Through Immigrants in Corporate, I create pathways for immigrant and first-generation professionals to connect with mentors, resources, career navigation, and a community that understands both their ambition and their lived experience. Through my speaking, consulting, and workplace strategy work, I help organizations recognize that immigrant professionals are not just adapting to systems; they are contributing to, strengthening, and leading within them. My work challenges the idea that immigrants are only trying to find a place; many of us are also building the spaces where others can belong, lead, and thrive."

What do immigrant professionals need to hear early that they are almost never told? (Be honest and direct.)

"Immigrant professionals need to hear early that being excellent is not always enough if no one knows how to see, understand, or sponsor your excellence. You have to learn the system, build relationships, communicate your value, and advocate for opportunities before you feel completely ready. Do not wait to be discovered, and do not mistake silence for humility when visibility is part of how opportunities move. You can adapt without erasing yourself, and you belong in the room before you have proven yourself ten times over."

Describe your immigrant journey in one word. "Rooted"

Complete this: “I am a Resilient Immigrant, and I belong where I ______.” "I am a Resilient Immigrant, and I belong where I can stay rooted in who I am while becoming more grounded, more purposeful, and more committed to building room for others."

Dr. Lola Adeyemo’s story proves that true leadership begins when you stop explaining away your identity and start building undeniable evidence of your contribution. By moving immigrant professionals from underestimated to recognized, she continues to turn lived experience into systemic impact.

The Resilient Interview series is a living archive of identity, strategy, and unfiltered truth. Read more stories or submit your own journey to help us document how immigrant leaders are building and leading across communities.