With a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Southern California (USC), her first experience in the dietary supplement was an internship at Amway’s Nutrilite.
“That was my first exposure into the dietary supplement space,” she said. “I was really intrigued by that experience…because it opened my eyes to the power of nutrition and the power of botanicals in health.”
But that wasn’t her first taste of natural products. Her role at Nutrilite sparked a memory from her childhood in Nigeria:
“I was very sick and my mom took me to this guy that made up this concoction that tasted so bad,” she said. “I had a very bad fever and then he made me drink it. I had to drink it because my mom was there, and I drank it three days in a row, and I felt so bad, but I took it and it took away the fever.
“As a nine-year-old, it left an impression in my heart as to what was it about those botanicals, those leaves that that man put together and made me drink? What was it about them that gave them such healing effects?
“But then I forgot all about it, and so, fast forward many years down the road, I now did this internship at Nutrilite. And then I remember that experience at the age of nine and it all began to make sense.”
Dr. Ikonte also noted the critical role of women’s health in protecting the well-being of families and communities. She highlighted the need for more open discussions and better access to healthcare and nutritional products across women’s diverse life stages. She also discussed the health inequities faced by women, particularly women of color, who are often underrepresented in clinical studies, limiting understanding of how products may impact them
When asked about key qualities in leadership, Dr. Ikonte replied that being able to listen and find opportunities to bring out the best in people is essential.
“As you grow higher in your career, remember to send the elevator down so that others can come up as well,” she said. “So I am very passionate about building leaders at every single level in the organization because that’s where the magic starts. When you have leaders at every level, then you can multiply and replicate and then the work is a lot easier for everyone.”
