EP 119: From Immigrant Beginnings to Culture Strategy — Identity, Human Behavior, and Leadership with Adriana Vaccaro

In this episode of Thriving in Intersectionality, Dr. Lola Adeyemo sits down with Adriana Vaccaro to explore how her leadership has been shaped across identity, culture, and the systems she has navigated over time. Adriana shares her journey from Bogotá, Colombia, to U.S. corporate spaces and how those early experiences shaped how she learned to communicate, show up, and make sense of the unspoken rules of the workplace. As her career evolved, so did her perspective—moving from navigating those systems to understanding the human behavior behind them, and eventually to helping organizations think more intentionally about how culture is actually experienced. Through her story, we explore the intersection of immigrant identity, voice, and visibility, and organizational systems—and how those layers continue to shape the way she leads today. This conversation offers a closer look at how leadership is not just developed through experience - but shaped by how we interpret and respond to the environments we move through. What You’ll Hear in This Episode How immigrant identity shapes communication, confidence, and workplace navigation The transition from observing systems to understanding human behavior within them Why doing good work is not always enough to be seen or advanced How voice and visibility evolve over the course of a leadership journey The gap between stated workplace values and lived employee experience Why culture is always being shaped—whether intentionally or not What it means to move from adapting to systems to influencing them About the Guest Adriana Vaccaro is an entrepreneur and organizational culture strategist, and the Founder and CEO of Culture Redesigned. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, her work focuses on helping organizations align people, performance, and culture through a deeper understanding of human behavior and workplace systems. About the Podcast Thriving in Intersectionality explores how identity, lived experience, and leadership intersect in today’s workplace. Through conversations and reflections, host Dr. Lola Adeyemo uncovers insights, challenges, and leadership lessons that help professionals not just survive in the workplace but truly thrive. Each episode invites leaders to define intersectionality in their own words and reflect on how their layered identities shape how they navigate, lead, and build impact within organizations. If this episode resonated with you: ⭐ Check out Dr. Lola’s reflective deep dive on Substack ⭐ Share with a colleague or leader ⭐ Leave a review to help others discover the show Send us Fan MailSupport the showThank you for listening to Thriving in Intersectionality with Dr. Lola Adeyemo.This podcast explores how identity, lived experience, and leadership intersect in today's workplace and beyond. Through conversations with leaders, founders, educators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, we uncover stories and insights that help people thrive across the many intersections of their lives.💬 Have a thought about this episode? Send a Fan Mail message directly through Buzzsprout. I'd love to hear what resonated with you.❤️ If you find value in these conversations, consider becoming a supporter of the show. Your support helps us continue amplifying diverse voices, meaningful stories, and leadership insights from across industries and experiences.⭐ Follow, share, rate, and review the podcast to help others discover these conversations.📬 Continue the conversation - read the companion reflections on Substack🌍 Immigrants and first-generation professionals can join our free community at:www.immigrantsincorporate.orgConnect with Host Dr. Lola Adeyemo on LinkedIn.Keep thriving in your intersections. Your story matters.