Nicole Young-Turner

Social Innovation Fellow | Founder, Kaleidoscope Village, Teach For America Social Innovation Fellowship, 2020. 

Founding Diversity Council Chair, Teach For America-Metro Atlanta, 2011-2016. 

President's Undergraduate Research Award Recipient, "Dynamic Families: Media Representations of Lesbian Motherhood,"  Georgia Institute of Technology, 2010.

• Keynote Panelist, "The New LGBTQ+ Workforce Has Arrived."  Women in Cable Television (WICT), Remote, June 2021. 
• Facilitator, "Beyond the Binary: Understanding Gender," Teach For America Staff Retreat 2020, Atlanta, GA    
• Invited Speaker, "Microsoft x Out in Tech Lightening Talks: Disrupting In(Tech)quity: Creating Pathways for Next Generation of LGBTQ Innovators," Microsoft, Atlanta, GA, 2019.
• Facilitator, "Rocketship Public Schools: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Launch and Data Dialogue," Rocketship Public Schools, San Jose, CA, April, 2019.     
• Facilitator, "Defining and Reducing Implicit Bias," Year Up, January 2018, San Francisco, CA          
• Keynote Panelist, "Why DEI: The Case for Culturally Relevant Education," Teach For America Institute,  Atlanta, GA, July 2017.   
• Facilitator, "Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life,"Teach For America Institute, Atlanta, GA, July 2017.   
• Facilitator, "Navigating Tensions in the Workplace," Teach For America Institute, Atlanta, GA, July 2017.   
• Facilitator,  "Identity and Power: Deepening our Orientation Toward DEI,"Teach For America Institute, Atlanta, GA, July 2017.      
• Facilitator, "It's Elementary! Supporting LGBTQ+ Students (grades k-5)," Deep South LGBTQ Educator's Conference, 2016, Atlanta, GA.
• Keynote Panelist, "Black OUT Educators Panel Discussion," Out On The Hill Conference, 2015, Washington, D.C.
• Facilitator, "OUT in the Classroom," Northeast LGBTQ Educator's Conference, October 10-11, 2015, Washington, D.C.
• Facilitator, "Defining the Path Forward: LGBTQ Equity in Education," School Leaders of Color Conference, February 5-7, 2015, Atlanta, GA.
• Facilitator, "Supporting LGBTQ Students and Educators #BraveEducation," Teacher Leadership Development Conference, November 3-7, 2014, Dallas, TX.
• Facilitator, "No Protection: Understanding the LGBTQ Legal Landscape in the South," Deep South LGBTQ Educator's Conference, 2014, Little Rock, Arkansas.

May 2019

Summa Cum Laude | High Honors Graduate

• Collaboratively developed and implemented innovative full-cycle recruitment strategy in high-volume environment (200+ role portfolio/season). Managed outcomes-driven team; developed diversity recruitment messaging guides, identified and maximized unique sourcing channels (Handshake, LinkedIn Recruiter, Career Services, etc.), and monitored candidate progress in virtual landscape. Reduced sourcing costs by ~25%; boosted candidate experience and funnel effectiveness rates.                                                                                                                                                                                                             
• Partnered with cross-functional hiring managers to provide SOPs, best practices, and explore gaps; instituted new intake and review process. Facilitated Inclusion & Diversity HR trainings; realigned I&D metrics and improved assessment tools/processes (rubrics, interview questions/exercises, application components); tracked and analyzed candidate data dashboards to drive equitable decision-making.                                                                                                                                                                                                               
• Cultivated 15+ university and campus pipeline partnerships, including HBCU's, Indigenous, AAPI, STEM, and Latinx student and professional organizations; spearheaded special initiatives to attract and source underrepresented talent (e.g. Equity Table Talks); exceeded diversity (BIPOC) application goals by 150%.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
• Established national LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group; formalized framework, curated  partnerships and programming,  and led outreach efforts to promote engagement; grew membership by 200%.

• Launched DEI/B change management initiatives with regional team leads; co-designed inaugural learning series for Senior Leadership focused on identity development, inclusion approaches, and implicit bias. Collected and evaluated D&I/B and culture data, established equitable virtual employee policies in response to staff feedback.                                                                                                                                                                                               
• Implemented innovative diversity sourcing, cultivation, and screening approaches; advised hiring managers on best practices, processes, and tools to increase representation and reduce bias. Expanded talent pool through network-wide Employee Referral Program and Higher Ed partnerships. Efforts resulted in sustainable pipelines of diverse candidates and 80% FTE roles filled in less than 2 months.

• Directed and scaled all aspects of regional program to educate and empower young women of color and to increase diverse representation in, and equitable access to, the STEM and computer science fields; developed and monitored mission aligned OKRs, managed strategic program implementation and resource procurement/allocation, and evaluated data to ensure quality delivery and sustainable impact.                                                                                                                                                                        
• Assembled and managed the most diverse team in organization's history; shaped culture of belonging, innovation, and impact in a start-up environment. Managed all aspects of employee life cycle, including recruitment, hiring and on-boarding, learning, development, and retention. Designed and standardized first employee satisfaction/culture assessment.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

• Created and drove partnership and community outreach strategy to accelerate impact and engagement; activated, cultivated, and strengthened external corporate (Microsoft, Oracle, Deloitte, Google, Mattel), education, and community relationships; increased diverse partnership pipeline by 20% in two quarters, securing over $250k in program funding and yielding a 10% increase in volunteer engagement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

• Diagnosed key operational gaps and opportunities; centralized, restructured, and managed information, communication, performance, and budget management tools and protocols, maximizing collaboration, accuracy, and efficiency across the organization. 

• Oversaw workforce development program providing professional development, project based training, and internship opportunities to under served, underrepresented adults pursuing careers in technology/STEM and expanded diversity pipelines for companies committed to D&I/social impact. Managed and coached community of staff and trainees utilizing a culturally aware and inclusion-based approach, exceeding goal of 85% matriculation to internships and salaried positions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

•  Co-lead relaunch of Black/African American and Women in Tech resource groups; achieved highest retention rates among Black/African American and Women trainees.                                                                                                                                                                                         

• Tracked, analyzed, and reported qualitative and quantitative data to assess program performance and stakeholder engagement; provided strategic advisement to drive progress and innovation toward key program performance and impact metrics. 

• Co-created and facilitated leadership development program for new educators centered on diversity, equity, and inclusiveness and culturally relevant mindsets and practices. Built strong, authentic community among diverse team members; fostered awareness and growth mindset around issues of privilege, bias, and systems of inequity/institutional oppression.                                                                                                                                                                                     
• Developed and delivered interactive DEI learning experiences, provided support and coaching for cohort of 50+ constituents across 5 regions. Designed curriculum and content, managed activities and communication strategies, and conducted evaluations to identify pain points and support growth and development. Cohort ranked in top 5% nationally based on field evaluations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

• Collaborated and consulted with senior leadership cross-functionally to define project/program objectives and methodologies, assess needs, and provide feedback to develop improvement strategies grounded in best practices . Restructured instructional DEI framework, resulting in 14% increase in program effectiveness.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

• Fostered productive, inclusive relationships among internal and external stakeholders to further accelerate participant growth and progress toward overall learning and performance goals; 98% of participants report strong satisfaction with learning community's impact on individual success rates.

• Co-established and implemented vision, design, and delivery of organizational diversity and inclusion strategies and initiatives to expand diverse representation, enhance community engagement and employee experience, and facilitate learning and development. In less than 2 years, achieved significant gains in diverse and Inclusive talent management, stakeholder engagement, and leadership development objectives.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

• Managed cross-functional teams in the design, planning, execution, and evaluation of D&I initiatives to drive organization-wide integration, including community partnership cultivation, diversity talent acquisition strategies, learning and development activities, employee resource/advisory groups, and civic/volunteer engagement experiences; achieved average participant rating of 4.5/5 and expanded resource development by 40%.                                                                                                                                                                                                 

• Developed and implemented diversity recruitment and talent cultivation strategies which generated 10% pipeline increase and 25% expansion of qualified candidate pool in target demographics. Redesigned more inclusive sourcing methods and application tools that increased representation of diverse groups and enhanced data transparency. Improved interview process to reduce bias and enhance  candidate experience.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

• Advised and partnered with executive leadership, internal, and external stakeholders to assess culture and identify trends and opportunities, define key D&I objectives, build strategic plans, and execute on aligned solutions. Conducted qualitative research and supported data analysis and reporting processes to measure DROI and develop insights and narratives to influence decision-making and collective accountability.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

• Cultivated internal and external relationships to advance D&I and broaden social impact; coordinated successful communications, content marketing, and community outreach efforts. Expanded strategic partnerships by 30% in one year; increased program brand awareness by 50% and community engagement by 20% among underrepresented demographic groups.

• Nominated to serve on regional council to develop strategic diversity initiatives focused on identity-based leadership development, community building, and cross-cultural competency training.                                                                                                                                                        

• Drove the design of diversity and inclusion programming, evaluation tools, and engagement strategies. Established framework for ERGs and advised leaders on regional implementation.                                                                                                                                                                    

• Cultivated national and community partnerships with key organizations and stakeholders to forge sustainable relationships. Represent TFA community both externally and internally.                                                                                                                                                                

• Increased awareness of diversity issues and investment in diversity, equity and inclusiveness initiatives in region by 90% in comparison to previous efforts.                                                                                                                                                                               

• Appointed to strategically plan and deliver educator training courses focused on the impact of race, class, identity on organizational effectiveness.

• Established and directed first Federal Work Study internship program to provide pathways to underrepresented students; recruited, oriented, and supervised team of seven interns. Developed program objectives, elements, and aligned measures of success. Cultivated relationships with college/university partners to identify opportunities, track data, and evaluate program effectiveness, resulting in over 80% intern matriculation to full-time positions and forged foundation for sustainable internship program. Promoted within 12 months to lead national strategic programs and partnerships.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

• Served as project/events manager for medium to large scale donor and partner events; partnered with vendors and managed contracts and services. Composed and edited key communications and marketing collateral that increased donor/sponsor awareness and contributions; achieved 95% participation and over 90% satisfaction.                                                                                                                                                                                            

• Provided strategic operations support and enterprising leadership to enhance departmental cohesiveness and efficiency. Headed administrative restructure project: customized and streamlined financial/budget, data, and communication management systems that served to mobilize collaboration, increase productivity, and nurture a positive team culture.

• Selected from approximately 45,000 applicants nationwide to join national teacher corps of outstanding leaders. Provided high-quality, STEM inclusive, research-based instruction and character development to 50+ students from diverse backgrounds (including English Language Learners). Nominated to serve as founding Diversity Council Advisor.                                                                                                                                                           

• Researched, planned, and facilitated technology integrated, differentiated, and rigorous instruction to build mastery in all subject areas. Created reliable assessments and evaluation tools to track progress toward outcomes; developed and managed student development plans to provide individualized support.                                                                                                                                                                      

• Achieved over 90% student passing rate; increased student reading level by 1.8 years in nine months as measured by standardized testing; ranked above school and district average on standardized test results.                                                                                                                      

• Built relationships with fellow colleagues, families, and community partners to increase communication and collaboration; increased family engagement by 40% in one semester.