240: Breaking Barriers: How Cultural Identity Drives Innovation in STEM Leadership with Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya

In this episode, I sit down with Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya, a trailblazing STEM leader, engineer, and advocate for diversity in STEM. From her early years in Nigeria to her leadership role in the U.S. energy sector, Adaeze shares how she navigated challenges, broke barriers, and turned her cultural identity into a powerful asset for innovation and leadership.

We explore the role of mentorship, representation, and community in career success, along with her mission to uplift African women in STEM. Whether you're an aspiring engineer, a STEM professional, or a leader looking to foster diverse perspectives, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

We dive into:

• Adaeze’s career journey from Nigeria to leadership in the U.S. energy sector
• Overcoming challenges as an African woman in STEM
• How cultural identity plays a powerful role in innovation and leadership
• The importance of mentorship and community in professional growth
• How she founded African Women in STEM and her vision for global impact
• A real-world example of using cultural perspectives to resolve project conflicts
• Actionable advice for aspiring STEM leaders
• And more

"Your Leadership Readiness Checklist" is a free resource designed to help ambitious professionals ensure all aspects of their careers are aligned. https://link.africanwomeninstem.com/LeadingWomenInTechPodcast

**Useful links**

• Connect with today’s guest and sponsor, Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya:
  • Website address: https://africanwomeninstem.com/
  • LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaeze-iloeje-udeogalanya/
  • Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/africanwomenin_stem/
  • Check out Adaeze’s ‘Leadership Readiness Checklist’:  https://link.africanwomeninstem.com/LeadingWomenInTechPodcast
• Adaeze’s current read: Be your future self now by Dr Benjamin Hardy
• If you are ready to uplevel your career, get unstuck or you are simply ready to unlock those leadership time-management techniques then join us in my monthly career & leadership coaching program exclusively for women in tech: https://www.tonicollis.com/academy 
• Catch the show notes, and more details about today's episode here: https://tonicollis.com/episode240
• Check us out on Youtube.
• Join the Leading Women in Tech community in Slack where we discuss all-the-things for women’s tech leadership, covering everything from early-career leadership to C-level executives.
• This episode was sponsored by our guest, Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya. Thank you Adaeze for helping to bring Leading Women in Tech to this community!