In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality, Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Olufunke Olufon — communications strategist, TEDx speaker, and founder of IWA Consulting — for a rich conversation on purpose-driven communication, leadership presence, and navigating career pivots without shrinking who you are.

Olufunke’s career spans some of the world’s most influential institutions — from directing executive communications at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to serving as a spokesperson at the World Bank, to leading transformation-era communications at EY. Across industries and continents, her work has helped translate complex ideas into narratives that move people to action.

Together, Lola and Olufunke explore what it means to show up with layered identity in corporate America, how culture shapes leadership, why relationships are career currency, and how the Yoruba concept of “IWA” (character) becomes a powerful lens for brand, reputation, and credibility.

This episode is for anyone navigating reinvention — especially professionals who want to communicate with clarity, lead with confidence, and align their voice with their purpose.

• What intersectionality means in real life — and why it matters at work
• The experience of navigating corporate America as a Nigerian woman
• Why culture and language shape how we lead, communicate, and take risks
• Olufunke’s nonlinear career pivot from chemical engineering to international relations
• How to know when it’s time to pivot (and stop waiting for permission)
• Why clarity is a career advantage — not a luxury
• The power of relationships as “career currency” (the human way)
• IWA (character) and why reputation is simply character revealed
• The cultural connection question: why Funke brings Nigerian jollof rice to work

Olufunke “Funke” Olufon is a communications strategist, TEDx speaker, and founder of IWA Consulting, where she helps mission-driven leaders and organizations find, refine, and amplify their authentic voice. Her work spans global communications, executive positioning, and narrative strategy across major institutions including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and EY.

Dr. Lola Adeyemo is a workplace inclusion strategist, author, speaker, and CEO of EQImindset, and founder of Immigrants in Corporate Inc. She helps organizations build communities of belonging through strategy, storytelling, and systems change.

For HR & DEI Leaders (ERG/BRG strategy support, workshops, or fractional partnership): 📩 Lola@EQImindset.com

For Immigrants & First-Gen Professionals:
Join the free community: www.immigrantsincorporate.org

Go deeper on Substack (extended reflections + community):

Connect with Funke / IWA Consulting:

• Website: www.iwaconsults.com

Intersectionality, workplace inclusion, communication strategy, leadership, cultural background, career pivots, authentic voice, Yoruba culture, corporate America, storytelling, purpose-driven leadership, mentorship, relationships, entrepreneurial journey, IWA Consulting.

In this final Veteran & Military Family Appreciation Month spotlight, Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Tahnohn and Sherry Hayes — a dual-military couple, proud parents, and the founders of NutFrusion, a San Diego–based handcrafted snack company rooted in resilience, clean ingredients, and purpose.

Their story spans deployments, parenthood, medical transition, entrepreneurship, and faith — offering a raw, inspiring look into what it means to rebuild after service and create a business grounded in health, community, and lived experience.

• The Intersections That Shape Them
  From race, culture, faith, service, and parenthood to caregiving and entrepreneurship — how identity has guided every chapter of their lives.
• Military Life as a Dual-Service Family
  Navigating deployments, relocations, raising three children, and finding stability in community support networks.
• Rebuilding After Medical Retirement
  How Tahnohn’s MS diagnosis shifted everything — identity, purpose, and the path forward.
• The Origin Story of NutFrusion
  Born from necessity: clean-ingredient trail mixes and fruit chips created to support health during a major life transition.
• Entrepreneurship with Purpose
  How they’ve built NutFrusion into a beloved local brand while balancing full careers, teaching, parenting, and community leadership.
• Advice for Young Professionals
  Community-building, understanding your strengths, embracing pivots, asking for help, and leading with authenticity.

Tahnohn Hayes – U.S. Navy Veteran & Founder, NutFrusion

A Navy veteran whose career was cut short by a sudden MS diagnosis, Tahnohn rebuilt his life one decision at a time, ultimately founding NutFrusion — a handcrafted snack company focused on flavor, clean ingredients, and wellness. Through entrepreneurship, he reclaimed purpose, control, and a mission to serve others through nourishing food.

Sherry Hayes – U.S. Navy Veteran, UCSD Lecturer & Operations Leader

Sherry served 21 years in the Navy, advancing from Hospital Corpsman to Environmental Health Officer, with assignments across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Today she is a Continuing Lecturer at UCSD Rady School of Management, a project management & public health expert, and the operations backbone of NutFrusion.
Her certifications include PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, CPH, and she is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.

NutFrusion – Handcrafted Trail Mixes & Fruit Chips

Website: https://www.nutfrusion.com
Instagram: @nutfrusion
Facebook: NutFrusion
LinkedIn (Sherry): https://www.linkedin.com/in/servewithexcellence

Tahnohn and Sherry are featured in the 2025 Military Shoppers Guide, a curated collection of veteran-owned businesses, gift ideas, and resources designed to support military families and entrepreneurs.

👉 Download the 2025 Military Shoppers Guide (PDF)

Dr. Lola Adeyemo is an Inclusive Workplace Strategist, author, and CEO of EQImindset. She helps organizations build communities of belonging through ERG/BRG strategy, leadership development, and storytelling.

Connect with Dr. Lola on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

✨ Your intersections are powerful. Your story matters. Keep thriving. — Dr. Lola Adeyemo

In this episode, our spotlight series continues with our veteran guests. Host Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Dr. Keith Dorsey — a board strategist, researcher, executive advisor, and author of The Boardroom Journey — to explore how identity, service, and intentional growth come together to form a successful and fulfilling professional journey.

From the U.S. Air Force to nearly three decades in corporate America to doctoral research on corporate board diversity, Dr. Dorsey’s story is a masterclass in clarity, reinvention, and using lived experience to create impact.

He brings a rare intersection of perspectives as a veteran, a Black executive, a turnaround specialist, a multi-board member, a global search leader, and now a portfolio-career strategist whose work is centered on leadership, governance, and generational impact.

✅ Identity & Intersectionality in Leadership

How Dr. Dorsey’s intersections — from military service to corporate leadership to academia — inform how he shows up, leads, and serves today.

✅ Three Career Chapters & the Power of Reinvention

A journey from the Air Force ➡️ corporate executive ➡️ board strategist and researcher — and why he calls this season not retirement, but rewirement.

✅ Education Beyond the Classroom

Why he earned his bachelor’s degree in his 40s, how he completed an MBA surrounded by other executives, and what it means to be a lifelong learner in the real world — not just on paper.

✅ Becoming a Turnaround Specialist

How investing in himself, reading voraciously, and studying his craft helped him lead large teams, solve people/product/process problems, and transform underperforming business units.

✅ What a Portfolio Career Really Is

He breaks down how he built a career that includes board service, executive advising, writing, speaking, consulting, and research — all aligned under a single theme of leadership and governance.

✅ Reflection, Pruning & Finding Your Joy

His philosophy on reflection, identifying what energizes you, pruning what doesn’t, and uncovering your “secret sauce” to guide your next chapter.

✅ Reverse Engineering Success

Why successful people do what others won’t — and how clarity + intentional action can make your goals inevitable.

✅ Food, Culture & Conversation

What he would bring to share with colleagues — and how even a simple meal can spark connection, inclusion, and rich conversation.

Dr. Keith Dorsey is a board strategist, researcher, and executive advisor with decades of leadership experience across military service, corporate America, executive search, and governance. He is the author of The Boardroom Journey and has published work in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, Directors & Boards, and more.

Dr. Dorsey holds a doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC and an MBA from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Dorsey on LinkedIn
🔗 Explore The Boardroom Journey

Dr. Lola Adeyemo is a workplace inclusion strategist, author, and CEO of EQImindset.
She helps organizations strengthen ERG/BRG programs and build cultures of belonging through strategy, storytelling, and systems change.

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: Dr. Lola Adeyemo

For HR & DEI Leaders:
Need ERG/BRG strategy support or fractional partnership?
📩 Lola@EQImindset.com

For Immigrants & First-Gen Professionals:
Join the free community for networking, resources, and peer support:
👉 www.immigrantsincorporate.org

Want to Dive Deeper into this Conversation and Engage?

Follow on Substack for extended reflections, storytelling, and community insights tied to every episode. Your story matters. Keep thriving in your intersections.
— Dr. Lola Adeyemo