Her Story
About Victoria
Victoria Makanjuola has built a multifaceted career spanning creative fields for over 10 years and recently moved into technology. She has held roles in marketing, broadcast journalism, design studios, social media management, and as a junior publicist at a Black-owned public relations firm, along with earlier experience in retail and fast food. Her educational background includes a bachelor's degree in journalism from George Washington University, from which she graduated in 2021, and two master's degrees, one of which is in integrated design, business, and technology from the USC Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre Young Academy. This training enabled her to pursue tech-focused positions at startups beginning in August 2025 and her current remote role at Meta. Her main areas of expertise are storytelling and human-tech interaction. Notable achievements include being nominated as the graduate student speaker for her college at USC and speaking at graduation in May 2025, as well as being invited to a youth mental health forum at the White House. She is a member of organizations such as the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Broadcasting Society, and various alumni associations. Victoria maintains a podcast called Feel Your Feelings focused on high achievement and mental health. She credits her success to her parents, both educators, and her faith as a spiritual person who values alignment and manifesting.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Victoria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my parents who are both educators and encouraged me to return to school, as well as my faith as a spiritual person who believes in alignment and manifesting.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to expect nothing from my dean at USC. It taught me not to put high expectations on myself or beat myself up if things don't happen right away, and to be patient because something better may be meant for me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Take your time, do your research, and follow up heavily. Stay in touch with connections from conferences, school, LinkedIn, and coffee chats even months later, as it builds a supportive network.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include finding stable work that pays what your skill set deserves and avoiding scams in AI training roles. Opportunities exist for anyone willing to learn, even without formal degrees, to train AI models and get a foot in the door at companies like OpenAI through connections, with real human feedback needed.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Personally, family, faith, and self-expression are most important. Professionally, I value adventure, stability including financial and job stability, alignment with my passions and growth, and purpose.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.