Nicole Smart, a 2024 impact award recipient, is a professional with over 15 years of experience leading and facilitating strategic, operational, and cultural objectives for prominent national organizations such as the National Football League (NFL), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and Actors’ Equity Association. A seasoned expert in strategic planning, change management, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, she also excels in leadership development, procedure management, employee engagement, and consulting and advisory services. Her work has had a transformative impact on numerous organizations, driving success in DEIB integration and leadership development. In addition to her professional achievements, Smart is an adjunct faculty member at NYU- SPS, Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport, where she teaches graduate courses on the business of professional sports.

She serves on the advisory board for Cornell University’s Sports and Entertainment Executives (SEE) and is an executive committee member for both the NYU Alumni in Arts and Entertainment Network and the NYU Women’s Initiative. Additionally, she is a board member and former professional development chair for the Women in Sports and Events (WISE) – NYC Metro Chapter, where she has successfully spearheaded initiatives such as the "Dine and Learn" and "Financial Fitness" events. Through collaborations with organizations like the New York Jets and BSE Global, Smart has facilitated engagements with top executives in the sports industry. She has also served as Vice President of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Black Sports Professionals, where her leadership supported efforts to create more inclusive environments within the sports industry.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Leadership & Management Studies from NYU-SPS and a master’s
degree in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University – ILR School.