As COVID-19 brought the sports world to a halt, Adeshola, head of U.S. sports and partnerships at Twitter, spearheaded efforts to connect fans with their favorite teams virtually. This included featuring tweets courtside in the NBA bubble and printing tweets on the starting line at the Daytona 500 and on Super Bowl confetti. 

Amid the change to the name, image and likeness rules for college athletes, Adeshola’s team struck a partnership with Opendorse, an agency that helps secure athletic endorsement deals, to provide student-athletes with a pathway to monetize video content on Twitter. 

Twitter has also looked to prioritize women’s sports, which the 38-year-old Adeshola calls “a North Star for us.” To this end, his team worked with the WNBA to design a QR code-powered hoodie that brings attention to the league’s and players’ social justice causes.

Having a diverse team that’s reflective of Twitter’s user base is a pillar of Adeshola’s leadership. Outside of his day-to-day responsibilities at Twitter, Adeshola is an executive advisor to Blackbirds, Twitter’s resource group for Black employees. He is also a member of Minorities in Sports; volunteers with DreamWakers, an educational nonprofit; is a member of the Arctos Advisory Board; and is on the advisory board for the development of basketball in Nigeria. 

If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Fela Kuti, an artist, Nigerian activist and musician, who passed away tragically amid political duress in Nigeria. 

What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis?

Twitter and Twitter.

What’s currently on your bedside reading list?

“Ride of a Lifetime,” Bob Iger’s book. 

What was the last show you binge-watched?

“Ted Lasso” and “Snowfall.” 

At what age do you hope to retire?

I am really particular about doing work that I love because oftentimes if you do work that you love it doesn’t feel like work. So when I think about retirement, I always believe I will be in the area of sports, because sports is something I love. If there is work that allows me to tap into that fandom, I will be around for a long time. 

See Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list here.