Nicole is smiling in front of a blurry indoor background. Nicole is a white woman with blonde hair wearing a tan blazer and black and silver dangle earrings.

Nicole Kelly

Speaker
She/her/hers
Fellow
2019

Nicole Kelly stepped into the role of public figure after winning the 2013 title of Miss Iowa and going on to compete at the 2014 Miss America Pageant. She gained attention for being one of only a few competitors to have ever competed with a physical disability. After working for a year as Miss Iowa and traveling across the country to advocate for those living with a disability, Nicole transitioned into speaking professionally. Nicole received her Masters from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 2017. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast, Disarming Disability, whose goal is to educate, empower, voice, and build a more inclusive society. Nicole currently works at the prosthetic manufacturing company, Coapt LLC, and deals with bionic hands everyday.

Interests
Arts and Culture, Business, Civil Rights
Expertise
Marketing/Communications, Public Relations