Nicole Harris
Nicole Harris is a passionate nonprofit development and community engagement professional with a lifelong dedication to serving others through mission-driven work. She has always felt an innate calling toward the nonprofit sector, viewing her ability to work in this space as both a professional and personal blessing. Her journey began with volunteer service during high school before transitioning directly into the workforce, where she started as a Volunteer Coordinator at Hope for Miami. Through supportive leadership and mentorship, Nicole has grown into development and community engagement work, strengthening her ability to build partnerships, secure resources, and advocate for community needs with confidence and compassion.
Throughout her career, Nicole has developed strong communication and relationship-building skills, shaped by her experiences in sports, previous professional roles, and community service. She is particularly skilled at connecting with individuals where they are, clearly communicating organizational missions, and translating community needs into meaningful opportunities for support and impact. One of her most notable achievements is the creation of the Learning Lab, a project completed through a partnership with Leadership Miami’s nonprofit initiatives. Nicole helped lead the transformation of a literacy-focused learning space within a historic 1920s Baptist church building, redesigning the environment from the ground up. The project included installing new flooring, creating a mural, updating doors, and designing the space to resemble an inviting educational environment similar to an IKEA-style learning setting. The Learning Lab now serves as a “third space” for families, offering tutoring, financial literacy education, and language learning through programs like Rosetta Stone, helping families grow across multiple dimensions of literacy and life skills.
Nicole is deeply committed to long-term community impact, youth empowerment, and creating equitable access to educational resources. She continues to expand her work in nonprofit development, partnership building, and community programming through her role at Hope for Miami, where she contributes to initiatives that strengthen families and support youth success. Grounded in service, leadership, and collaboration, Nicole is passionate about creating opportunities that empower individuals to reach their full potential while building stronger, more resilient communities.
• Advanced Interpersonal Communication: First Impressions and Building Rapport
• Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Plan and Prioritize with Purpose to Improve Productivity and Peace
• Advanced Interpersonal Communication: Customers and Vendors
• Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED
• Understanding Psychotropic Medications
• Classroom Management
• Cultural Competency
• Trauma Informed Care
• De-escalation Training
• Concepts of TCI
• Serving Our Customers Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Troy University - BS, Psych
• West Coast University - BSBA
• Leadership Miami
• United Way Miami
• Best Buddies International
What do you attribute your success to?
Honestly, just the support that I've had growing up. My parents have always been my number one supporters in all that I do, and my siblings as well. My faith is very strong for me. And I'll say right now, the leadership we have at Hope for Miami has been crucial, because they allowed me to really grow within the role and run with certain things. They're like, right, you got it, Nicole, where I know in other places, it'd be like, yeah, we're not doing that. I have a phenomenal support system.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Be authentic and be genuine. Be you. We could have the same role, but the way that I'm gonna come across is much different than the person next to me. So I would say be authentic and work for an organization that you believe in their mission and vision.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Really give it your all. Continue to be authentic. Don't feel that you have to be in a cookie cutter. You are good enough as you are, and you will be known as you are. Really lean into that. Lean into who you are. I would also say to find that mentor, or find that colleague that you trust to really guide you and steer you in certain directions, especially as a female, because our experiences are different than males, and vice versa. I'm always about empowering women, and I always say empowered women empower women. So just ensure that you find that mentor or colleague and lock arms together.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say opportunities always, and that's just honestly about locking arms together. I'm always, and I'll always have been, just about empowering women, and I always say empowered women empower women. So just ensuring that you find that mentor, or you find that colleague that you trust to really guide you and steer you in certain directions, especially as a female, because our experiences are different than males, and vice versa.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say my faith, first and foremost. My family. Being honest, having a sense of integrity. Authenticity. With those values, I always say truly being anchored in the Lord will give you such guidance in certain decisions. Everyone is a bit different with the experiences they've had in life, but when you have that sort of an anchor, it's phenomenal.