My name is Damilola “Lola” M. Adeyemo, and I am an American, an Immigrant from Nigeria, and the author of Thriving in Intersectionality. I wrote this book because of my personal experiences and the desire to inform and empower immigrant women in the workplace as well as international students who intend to get in, settle in and ultimately advance in the corporate workplace.

My hope is that, in reading this book, you will discover stories that you can relate to and that can also inform and inspire you to own your identity and help you thrive in the workplace. From my stories on my identity as a black immigrant woman, combined with all the multiple intersections of every single woman interviewed, I hope you get to know the individual women, the people behind the stereotypes, and the challenges and strengths of being an immigrant at work.

I am excited to finally bring these stories and these women to life for you and in the representation of every immigrant woman in corporate America who is struggling and yearning for true inclusion and belonging in the workplace. The goal is for this book to contribute to your knowledge and awareness of cross-cultural barriers in the corporate world. Ultimately, I want you to see this book as a tool to empower you as an international worker, expatriate, immigrant, or international student. I hope it helps you find a community, leverage the community, and own your authentic self so you can get to a place of belonging for yourself as well as continue to champion inclusion in your workplaces.