Nicole Johnson, Baltimore Corps Faculty

Nicole Johnson has over twenty years of experience in nonprofit leadership, program development, group facilitation and resource development.  Her professional mission is to change the odds faced by children, youth and families by providing quality consultation to the individuals, informal groups, advocates and organizations serving them. 

Nicole began her career as a site coordinator for the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School program managing college students to deliver a culturally-based reading curriculum to over 200 children in East Oakland, CA.  In 1995, Nicole moved to Connecticut to serve as Director of Training with Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), a youth development program where her work focused on providing college and high school mentors the training and tools to teach and mentor children, and to manage after school and summer programs, effectively. 

In 1999, Nicole relocated to Washington, DC, and began working at the national level to better understand the youth development sector and the needs of community-based organizations. She managed national grant-making, program development and capacity building initiatives with the Center for Community Change, Edison Schools, LISTEN, Inc, and the Black Alliance for Educational Options.  From 2008 to 2015, Nicole served as Senior Director for Elev8 Baltimore, a full-service community schools initiative, where she planned and launched a strategy to integrate learning, health and family support services into the operations of four schools in East Baltimore.  

Since January 2016, Nicole has worked as freelance consultant serving nonprofit organizations, foundations and advocates.  Her professional experience is built upon a foundation of academic study, and a passion for children, families and hard-working people in under-served communities.  She received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Stanford University and an MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park.  She resides in Baltimore, MD with her husband, son, and daughter.