Nicole Young-Turner

Atlanta, GA
209-271-3401
nicole.youngturner@gmail.com [Preferred]

www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleyoungturner

Summary

Dynamic, mission -driven Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Leader, People & Engagement Strategist, Talent Manager, and Relationship Cultivator with 15+ years' experience designing and driving high-impact, data-driven people operations, recruitment, workforce development, organizational culture, as well as social impact initiatives and strategies. Influential and innovative team player with an aptitude for mobilizing diverse teams through design thinking, collaborative problem solving, and authentic community building. Maintains a proven track record of meeting and exceeding goals, demonstrating initiative and ingenuity, and managing complex projects and stakeholder relationships in fast-paced, evolving, mission-driven environments.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging · Social Impact & Responsibility · Wellbeing & Engagement

SOcial Entrepreneurship

2020Present

Founder | Principal Consultant

Kaleidoscope Village, Co | Atlanta, GA

Leads nonprofit organization with a mission to amplify the voices of diverse youth and communities, provide education and expertise to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, and foster spaces that empower connection, belonging, and personal growth.
- Selected as Teach For America Social Innovation Fellow (2020); featured in ShoutOutAtlanta's profile “Meet Nicole Young-Turner” (2021). Awarded 1st place in a regional "Shark Tank" business pitch competition (2023).

Directs comprehensive organizational development, fundraising, outreach, and program implementation efforts by establishing partnerships with sponsors, donors, and program collaborators to create, deliver, and support impactful educational, advocacy, and community development initiatives that foster empowerment within underrepresented, underserved communities.

- Partners and Clients include: The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Human Rights Coalition, GA Equality, Atlanta Pride Committee, Atlanta Public Schools, Teach For America, Vower, Inc.

Designs and supervises business-wide staffing and volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and talent development strategy. Develops corporate, higher Ed, and CBO channels to develop a robust, representative pipeline of high quality candidates; manages all screening, hiring, onboarding, and performance management practices and systems for team of 5+ FTE and 25+ community members.

Serves as SME delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership training and community-based programs and resources designed to enhance equity, representation, belonging, safety, and wellbeing. Initiated successful regional programs serving over 300 individuals monthly while offering LGBTQ+ training sessions impacting more than 1,500 professionals annually at both national and regional levels.

Professional Leadership

2021-2022

Diversity Recruiter, Early Career Talent

Amazon Web Services | Remote, United States

Co-designed and implemented innovative DEI recruitment marketing strategies, pipeline development, and candidate experience strategies to enhance representation in traditionally hard-to-fill technical roles, achieving a 20% increase in the diverse quality candidate pool and reducing the hiring timeline by 3 weeks compared to the previous fiscal year.
Coordinated new strategic initiatives to engage and support candidates, including fostering national and regional partnerships (5+), curating outreach events, and delivering direct support to drive applicant success. Achieved over 95% offer acceptance rate among diverse candidates (BIPOC, Women, People with Disabilities, Veterans).
Partnered with and consulted cross-functional hiring managers to provide SOPs, best practices, and develop aligned hiring plans; instituted more equitable hiring processes (job descriptions, rubrics, screening questions), increasing offer acceptance rates among BIPOC candidates by 30%. Facilitated Inclusion & Diversity HR trainings for team of 200+ peers and 10+ hiring managers across the business.
Analyzed internal D&I talent data and restructured tracking reporting processes to assess gaps, strengthening diverse candidate representation and increase conversion rates; tracked detailed, disaggregated candidate data dashboards to drive equitable decision-making and enhance candidate satisfaction (90% avg. National Promotion Score [satisfaction]).
Developed and facilitated Inclusion & Diversity HR training sessions for over 200 colleagues and more than 10 hiring managers across the business to align practices with equitable recruitment standards. Developed strategic initiatives integrating data-driven insights to streamline recruiting efforts while promoting equitable outcomes across technical recruitment operations.

20202021

Diversity Recruitment Manager | Employee Resource Group Leader [LGBTQ+]

Teach For America National | Remote, United States

Directed a team of 3 in executing a comprehensive full-cycle diversity recruitment strategy, encompassing sourcing, screening, and offer management within a high-volume environment. Decreased recruitment costs by approximately 25% while enhancing candidate experience and improving funnel effectiveness.
Developed diversity recruitment marketing tactics, identified and maximized unique sourcing channels and monitored candidate progress in virtual landscape. Reduced costs by ~25%; boosted candidate experience and funnel effectiveness rates.
Cultivated 15+ university and nontraditional pipeline partnerships, including HBCUs, Indigenous, AAPI, STEM, and Latinx student and professional organizations; spearheaded special initiatives/ experiences to attract and source underrepresented talent (e.g. Equity Table Talks); exceeded diversity (BIPOC) application goals by 150%.
Founded a national LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group by formalizing its framework, curating strategic partnerships and programming, and leading outreach efforts. Achieved a 200% growth in membership through innovative engagement practices.
Designed and launched national HR and People programming initiatives aimed at fostering inclusivity within the organization while championing representation across multiple demographic groups, including the establishment of regional DEI advisory boards.

2019

Talent Recruiter - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategist [Contract]

Rocketship Public Schools | Remote, United States

Introduced org-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion/Belonging change management initiatives; co-created learning series for Senior Leadership and hiring managers, focused on identity development, inclusion approaches, and bias awareness. Collected and analyzed DEI/B culture data (surveys, focus groups), influencing more equitable remote work policies in response to feedback.
Implemented dynamic diversity recruitment strategy to expand and sustain a qualified and representative talent pool (entry-level and manager level); managed network-wide Employee Referral Programs and cultivated 10+ diversity pipeline partnerships (universities, professional organizations, training programs).

Coordinated recruitment processes that promoted diversity-focused hiring outcomes, aligning talent acquisition efforts with organizational values of equity and inclusion. Strengthened external employer brand, driving prospect engagement; coordinated and represented organization at recruiting events and career fairs. Achieved an 80% vacancy fill rate in less than two months while reducing recruitment costs through strategic hiring practices.

20182019

Regional Program Director

Black Girls CODE | Oakland, CA

Directed nationwide program with the ongoing mission to expand accessible STEM opportunities within underrepresented communities nationwide.Ensured stakeholder alignment and quality program delivery across 13+ regional chapters nationally; improved participant satisfaction, engagement, and educational outcomes by 30+% (90% avg. NPS).
Drove comprehensive talent management strategy (including recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and retention activities). Cultivated UC Berkeley pipeline, filling 40% of vacant positions. Launched 360° performance evaluation processes adopted organization-wide.
Drove partnership and outreach strategies to offer scalable and high quality programming ; forged relationships with corporate (Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Mattel, etc), education, and community stakeholders; managed all grant proposal/reporting activities. Increased sustainable partnerships by 20% and volunteer participation by 10+%., yielding over $250K in funding; efforts contributed to launch of Seattle, WA chapter.

20172018

Program Manager | Diversity Employee Resource Group Leader [Women in Tech, BIPOC in Tech]

Year Up | San Francisco, CA

Directed the implementation and oversight of an early career professional development program, supervising 12+ staff members and 40+ trainees from diverse and underserved backgrounds. Strengthened internship outcomes through coaching initiatives aimed at boosting intern performance and partner satisfaction.
Coordinated with over 20 employer partners to screen, select, and manage interns, achieving a retention rate exceeding the target of 85% full-time employment offers within six months at Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, Salesforce, and Twitter, SAP, among others. Achieved highest overall satisfaction and retention rates across the region, boosting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ intern retention by 10%.
Enhanced employee engagement and organizational culture by collaborating across departments to integrate new initiatives and continuously evaluate impact. Spearheaded the relaunch of Black/African American and Women in Tech mentorship programs, resulting in increased participation and retention rates among underrepresented groups, with a notable 15% increase in BIPOC and Women intern outcomes.

2017

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusiveness Facilitator [Seasonal]

Teach For America | Atlanta, GA.

Co-created the first DEI curriculum and facilitated trainings to instill and develop core DEI competencies; fostered awareness of identity, privilege, bias, and structural inequity. Built culture of belonging and trust across team of 50+; cohort performance ranked top 5% nationally.
Designed and facilitated engaging curriculum frameworks and content adopted regionally; authentically coached diverse teams, and conducted ongoing assessments to identify gaps and growth opportunities. Achieved 14% increase in DEI program effectiveness and 98% staff satisfaction rating through effective management of DEI-related initiatives and processes.

20142016

Founding Diversity Program Manager - Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships

Teach For America National | Washington, D.C.

Mobilized cross-functional teams in the implementation of new diversity people and culture change programs, including establishing the national LGBTQ+, AAPI, Interfaith, and Military Veterans initiatives. Piloted and scaled LGBTQ+ and Military Veterans campus and professional ambassadors programs, increasing diverse representation and engagement across all functions within the organization.
Initiated and nurtured internal and external relationships to broaden presence and influence in I&D talent space. Invited to serve as Keynote Panelist and Thought Leader at professional development and talent acquisition engagements (including Howard University, The White House, United College Negro Fund, and various higher ed and leadership development institutions).

Led multicultural recruitment, L&D, and engagement campaigns tp strengthen inclusion, belonging, and transformational change. Organized the Brave Education Summits and AAPI Education Conference series, creating a pipeline that provides ~20% of diverse quality candidates and offering learning experiences to over 500 professionals annually on a national scale.

20132014

Executive Assistant - VP of Growth, Development, & Partnerships

Teach For America Regional | Atlanta, GA

Provided stellar customer service and executive support to C-Suite leader; utilities "managing-up," strategic problem solving, and consultation/collaboration skills to increase management and team productivity and ingenuity.
Established federal work-study program, in partnership with 3 top-tier colleges. Recruited, onboarded, and supervised team of 7+; designed aligned training and performance management metrics. Resulted in over 80% placement in FTE roles.

Produced 10+ partner cultivation and fundraising events; achieved more than 95% participation, 90%+ satisfaction, and $2M in funds raised. Composed and edited key communications and marketing collateral that increased donor engagement.

20112013

Educator

Teach For America | Atlanta, GA

Selected for rigorous educator program, focused on closing the achievement gap. Delivered high-quality, culturally relevant instruction to 50+ diverse students. Achieved over 90% student passing rate in all subjects; ranked top 10% in district.
Fostered classroom culture that facilitated growth, excellence, and community. Provided high-quality, interdisciplinary, research-based instruction and socio-emotional development to 50+ students from diverse backgrounds (including English Language Learners).
Planned, executed, and monitored innovative, differentiated, and rigorous curriculum to build core proficiency in all subject areas: English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading, and Wellness. Created reliable assessments and progress evaluation tools to measure outcomes and design interventions.

People & Culture [DEIB] | Talent Acquisition & Development | Strategic Programs & Partnerships