Taking the First Step Into Technology, Building a Career in UX and Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation of Designers

French and Education were her academic background, but design became the language through which she found her way into technology. The Women Techsters Fellowship helped Adedamola Oyewale turn self-taught curiosity into a career in UX and, eventually, a platform for empowering more than 300 emerging designers.

I'm Adedamola Oyewale, and curiosity about design became my first step toward the technology industry. With a background in French and Education, I did not have a traditional connection to tech, but I was curious enough to begin teaching myself design and exploring where it could lead. This curiosity eventually led me to the Women Techsters Fellowship, where I joined the Product Design track, an opportunity that would become an important foundation for my career.

Through the Fellowship, I gained a strong foundation in design, product strategy, and other core skills that have continued to shape my professional journey. The experience also gave me opportunities to develop my leadership skills, as I served as a class representative and graduated as the Valedictorian of my cohort in 2022. These experiences strengthened my confidence and helped me recognize that I could contribute meaningfully within the technology space, even though I had started from a completely different academic background.

Since completing the program, I have built a career in User Experience (UX), working across industries including finance, health, AdTech, and decentralized technology. I also founded a design studio in Web3, creating another avenue through which I could apply my skills and contribute to the growth of the design community. Today, I am pursuing a master’s degree in UX at Arizona State University as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar.

One of the achievements I am most proud of is being able to multiply the impact of the skills and opportunities I received through the Fellowship. Through my community-building initiatives and the design studio I founded, I have trained and equipped over 300 emerging designers, some of whom are now building careers in design.

The Women Techsters Fellowship was an important step in my own journey, but its impact has extended beyond me. Being able to use what I learned to create opportunities and help others grow has given that experience an even greater meaning.