Turning Discrimination into Opportunity: Elevating Leaders and Cultures through Inclusion – with Nicole Smart

From immigrant roots to industry-leading influence, Nicole Smart shares how purpose, identity, and intentional leadership shaped her journey into DEI, executive coaching, and transformative workplace culture.

Nicole Smart, Founder and Principal Consultant of Smart EDI Solutions LLC and the coaching platform Purpose Tracks, brings over a decade of cross-sector experience rooted in advancing equity, leadership excellence, and intentional culture-building. As a daughter of Trinidadian immigrants, she credits her parents’ service-driven careers for instilling the work ethic, integrity, and sense of purpose that continue to define her approach today. Now an adjunct faculty member at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport, Nicole integrates her professional sports background with her passion for developing leaders who create environments where people and performance thrive.

Nicole reflects on pivotal moments that redirected her path, from experiencing early discrimination after immigrating to New York, to pursuing law school before ultimately discovering her place in professional sports. A crucial conversation with a WISE mentor helped her see that purpose doesn’t require a predetermined roadmap, leading her to pursue a master’s degree at Cornell rather than a traditional legal route. Through these experiences, she learned that nonlinear journeys often reveal the most authentic destinations.

Nicole shares a wealth of insights, including her “smart intention” practice centered on intentionality, redirection, and positivity. She reframes DEI as an inclusive, identity-aware framework that benefits everyone, emphasizing the competitive advantage that diverse perspectives bring to leadership and organizational success. With research showing that over 90% of women in the C-suite played sports, she highlights how athletic environments offer powerful case studies in resilience, teamwork, and leadership development.

She also speaks to the evolving landscape of workplace culture, noting how globalization, AI, and shifting societal expectations require leaders to adapt and act with greater self-awareness. Despite political pressures and DEI rollbacks, Nicole remains focused on tangible, human-centered practices that cultivate belonging, value, and psychological safety. Listeners will walk away inspired to rethink traditional career paths, embrace identity as a leadership strength, and approach their work with purpose-driven intention.

Tune in to hear Nicole’s powerful story and her practical wisdom on leadership, identity, and shaping equitable workplaces that help people thrive.

Chapters

👋 00:47 Meet Nicole Smart and Her Journey from Crown Heights to NYU

🔗 01:26 Publish your book at https://leveragepublishinggroup.com/

🌟 02:23 Nicole’s Story of Family, Integrity, and Hard Work

🎯 06:00 Nicole’s Career Path from Law Aspirations to DEI Leadership

📝 12:46 Find support for writing your impact-driven book at booksthatmatter.org

🏈 21:27 The Business of Sports and Fan Engagement

🏆 22:15 Leadership and the Cultural Impact of Sports

🤝 24:08 Diversity Equity and Inclusion in Sports

🏢 32:20 Navigating DEI Challenges in Today’s Workplace

💡 34:50 If you are a leader or changemaker looking for support, check out geniusdiscovery.org 

🌱 37:40 Personal Growth and the Journey of Professional Development

🎙️ 44:02 Want a podcast just like this one? Check out podcastsmatter.com 

Links
Website: https://www.smartedisolutions.com/ 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nssmart/
Check out Nicole Smart’s work at Smart EDI Solutions and connect with her to deepen your leadership journey and build more intentional, inclusive environments. 

Connect with Ron: www.linkedin.com/in/rapatalo
Check Out Ron's Book: www.amazon.com/dp/1613431473 

Leverage Publishing Group: www.leveragepublishinggroup.com
Publish a Book That Matters: http://booksthatmatter.org
Start a Podcast That Matters: http://podcastsmatter.com
Go from Expert to Thought Leader: http://geniusdiscovery.org 

For more great podcasts like this one, visit: https://podcaststhatmatter.org/