Nicole S Smart

Nicole Smart is an accomplished leader with 15+ years of experience driving strategy, organizational growth, and inclusive culture across the global sports and entertainment industry. Her career spans a variety of organizations including Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, the National Football League (NFL), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and Actors’ Equity Association, along with consulting engagements focused on organizational strategy and leadership development.
 

As an Adjunct Faculty Member at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport, she teaches graduate-level courses on professional sports business, digital sports media and marketing, and organizational behavior in sports business. She brings industry to the classroom by hosting guest speakers and fireside conversations with executives from leading professional leagues, global events, and top sports organizations, connecting students to the decision-makers defining the future of sport.

  
Nicole serves in several leadership and advisory roles, including on the advisory board for the Cornell ILRAA Sports & Entertainment Executives (SEE). She sits on the executive committee of the NYU Arts & Entertainment Alumni Network and contributes to the NYU Women’s Initiative. She is a former board member, Vice President, and Professional Development Chair of WISE NYC Metro (Women in Sports and Events), where she led programs such as Dine & Learn and Financial Fitness. She also previously served as Vice President of the National Association of Black Sports Professionals – NY Chapter, advancing equity and inclusion in the sports industry.
 

Her commitment to elevating leaders and strengthening communities has earned notable recognition, including the 2025 Schnepps Media Caribbean Life Impact Award, honoring her impact in advancing workplace equity and empowering underrepresented communities.

She holds an MPS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University’s ILR School and a B.S. in Leadership and Management Studies from NYU-SPS, along with NYU certificates in Global Inclusive Leadership and Management (GILMI) and Inclusive Teaching.