Damola Adamolekun is Red Lobster’s newly appointed CEO, accepting the position in August 2024 after the company overcame their former claims of bankruptcy. 

On Nov. 13, 2025, he spoke at NC A&T and shared powerful messages of entrepreneurship and resilience with the audience. 

Adamolekun is the youngest CEO in the seafood restaurant’s history and is determined to improve the overall customer experience. 

Prior to working at Red Lobster, he was the CEO of P.F. Chang’s, which shows his dedication to hospitality in the restaurant business. 

One of Adamolekun’s wishes is to revamp the look of the seafood restaurant and add new, innovative menu items that will keep customers coming back for more. 

Since Adamolekun has taken the helm at the chain, a variety of new items have been added to the menu—signature seafood boils being the most popular.

These seafood boils come in a variety of flavors, with the most popular being lemon pepper butter and Old Bay. 

Red Lobster has deep ties to the Black community, and he wants to honor that history while looking towards the future. 

The first Red Lobster was opened in 1968 by the founder of the brand, Bill Darden. 

Darden refused to follow segregation rules and made sure his establishment was a place where people of all backgrounds could enjoy good food, reasonable prices and real conversations. 

The greatest morsel that students took away from Adamolekun’s visit was that youth are the future. Young Black people are limitless, and there is no opportunity that is too far out of reach for Aggies intent on changing the world.

Adamolekun pays homage to his Nigerian heritage and is thankful for the sacrifices his family made to immigrate to America. This is one of the driving forces behind his fire for success. 

He wants students to have a vision for their future and identify their goals, by utilizing their resources to the best of their ability. 

Adamolekun firmly believes in the power of perseverance and encourages young individuals to pursue their aspirations without fear of imposter syndrome.

One of the quotes that the young restaurant mogul lives by is, “Competence builds confidence, and confidence builds competence.” 

He attended Brown University and was able to get an internship at Goldman Sachs during his undergraduate career before transitioning into a full-time staff member after completing his education. 

Through the conversation Adamolekun had with Craig Stokes, the moderator of the speaker event, Adamolekun was able to inspire those who attended. 

Cameron Sailsbury, a senior information technology student at A&T shares what she personally took away from this discussion. 

“You hear their personal stories and you get to see their personalities and it’s super relatable. My biggest takeaway was not to think small… anybody can do anything,” she remarks. 

It’s important that Aggies are reminded that they are capable of doing anything they set their mind to, especially if they find college to be discouraging at times. 

Postgraduate life can be a difficult time to navigate for many. 

Harmony Grandrson, a May 2025 graduate of A&T and a full time marketing agent, reflects on one of the many lessons she took away from this event. 

“He was talking about how you’re not really successful unless you’re creating a legacy,” she said. 

“It’s important to win in your season and encourage others to do the same—who are you going to take with you along the way and help rise as well? You’re not in it for the success of yourself, you’re in it for other people as well,” says Grandrson.  

Lessons learned are only just the beginning. The speaker series events allow students, alumni, and other guests to apply advice learned from guest speakers to their own life paths. 

Salisbury reflects deeply on what she plans to do differently in her life, especially being a senior preparing for graduation. 

“One thing I want to do differently is to think more and plan more for my future,” she shared. 

“I’m gonna start planning my steps for after I graduate, what am I gonna do after [to] get that job that I want? How am I gonna succeed in that role?” said Sailsbury. 

Grandrson expresses how she plans to apply Adamolekun’s advice in her day-to-day life within her career. 

“I can resonate [with] when he was talking about ‘be the best in the room, be the best you can be’,” she said. 

“Sometimes being the only female, only Black anything. Trying to be the best person in the room, regardless of what is going on—it’s really important,” Grandrson continued to say.

Events such as this are pivotal in how many college students and recent alumni are able to stay motivated and resilient during challenging times where they may find themselves doubting their abilities.

The guest speakers brought out by the university are able to highlight the importance of many different topics such as mental health, career choices, activism, and more. 

The discussion of these topics makes for well-rounded individuals who are able to face the world upon graduation.