Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiwalade Adeniji-adele.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a Design Engineer for an Oil & Gas company. As a proud graduate of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, I discovered my sense of nobility in positions where I was either influencing or developing others in academia. I am most drawn to areas where I can improve the quality of education for people in underrepresented areas. This same passion led me to (1) create the 501c(3) Adeiur in 2017, a nonprofit for women in underrepresented areas with a focus on education, empowerment, and elevation; (2) partner with The National Science Foundation and NBCUniversal on their engineering series to get more girls interested in engineering: (3) Found and serve as Operation Coordinator for the Women in STEM Banquet, a registered organization that bridges the gap between high schoolers, collegiate, and professional women in STEM at PVAMU; (4) work hand-in-hand with PVAMU’s College of Engineering to restructure the Supplemental Instruction Program for undergraduate students; and (5) recruit graduating high school students in lower socioeconomic areas as a PVAMU student representative.
In my current role at Chevron, I express my passion for education by mentoring and recruiting in addition to the daily demands of my engineering role. I gladly volunteer to restructure the technical portion of the onboarding competency training for Design Engineers and serve as a judge for Project Lead the Way for high school students interested in engineering. Through my nonprofit, Adeiur, I have been able to give out scholarships to deserving students in underrepresented communities. At Adeiur, we want to start a domino effect of women impacting their community in the space of education, empowerment, and elevation. With education, we want to expose women, ages 6-30, to a diverse career portfolio and introduce the tools necessary to attain higher education. In the space of empowerment, we want to enable women to feel empowered and take ownership of their lives. Lastly, with elevation we want to commission women to rise spiritually (Christian Faith), psychologically, and intellectually. I was that little girl in a small section of Houston, Texas known as Alief Texas where I saw drugs, gang violence and teenage pregnancy synonymous with being young and a minority. I witnessed some of my peers not make it to 18. Despite my experience, I was opportuned with a community outside of women that believed in me. Adeiur is just another way that I am passing that baton. I want women to know that they can step out of that cycle and empower other women to follow suit.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Can I be transparent? I am tired of women empowerment being associated with emasculation. Both of them have absolutely nothing in common! I founded Adeiur on the idea that women need to support other women on this journey called life. Being an African American Engineer in a predominantly white male field, it can be lonely and discouraging. However, it’s worth it when you have other minorities believing in themselves because of you. I’ve been told that I’m too outspoken and I’ve been questioned on my position in my field. Throughout my journey from growing up in Alief, to attending a PWI then PVAMU, I’ve been able to pick up on a few things. There is nothing like supporting your people! Minority women go through a number of physical, emotional, and mentally traumatic experiences. Then, we are told by society to suck it up and get over it. There are so many hurting women who just need a place to express themselves, feel loved and secure. This is the reason I founded Adeiur – to help show women in my community that they are intelligent, beautiful, and strong enough to not only make it through life but also bring other women along the journey.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Adeiur – what should we know?
I am the founder and director of Adeiur. At Adeiur, Our vision is to Educate, Empower, and Elevate women in underrepresented areas by providing resources for them to take ownership of their lives and giving them adequate tools necessary to achieve their career goals, commission them to flourish psychologically, and exposing them to different experiences. We launched in 2018, and we are currently based in Houston, Texas. Adeiur is sphere headed by our Board of Directors and our name, Adeiur, is derived from the Yoruba word, ‘Ade’ meaning crown, and the French word ‘Dieu’ meaning God. When the two words are combined, Adeiur is a term that symbolizes how women are ‘crown of God’ and should not only be seen as such but also hold themselves to such regards. Serving in this capacity, I create the programs and strategize our approach to tailor the programs to the needs of the community. Along with that, I gather data analytics on the effectiveness of Adeiur programs in order to solicit funds from public and private corporations. I manage an accurate record of all financial transactions and supervise all communication and publication associated with the organization. I also serve as head content creator and manager of all Adeiur marketing platforms. I am the liaison between Adeiur and all of our partners.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
My mother, along with the Onita sisters are my source of inspiration. My mother has taught me strength, compassion, and the value of education. Born in Lagos, Nigeria where the environment not only showed me but also told me that I was at a disadvantage because I was African and Female, my mother’s reassurance instilled an innate feeling that I was born for something great. That Vision did not make sense until June 3, 2012, when my mentors, Jennifer, and Anita Onita, passed away in the Dana Plane crash flight: 992 due to mechanical failure. After they passed, I had questions about the meaning of life and how to live a fulfilled one. The only answer that kept coming back to me was that a life of fulfillment equated to a life of service to others, an ideology taught to me by the Onita’s many selfless acts. From that point on, I have made it my life’s objective to help others achieve their goals like the Onita’s did for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: adeiur.org
- Phone: 832-372-9562
- Email: info.adeiur@gmail.com
- Instagram: @adeiur
- Facebook: Facebook.com/adeiur
- Twitter: @adeiur1
- Other: https://www.gofundme.com/adeiur
Image Credit:
Adeiur
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