About Nicole Caridad Ralston, Ph.D
​Dr. Nicole Caridad Ralston is devoted to creating spaces where those who have been pushed to the margins can be centered, seen and heard. As a multiracial Latina, and daughter of Cuban refugees, her dedication to equity and inclusion is personal. She has over 15 years of leadership experience in both higher education and the non-profit sector. In her most recent career as the Senior Director of Education and Programming at Beloved Community she built out a diverse team of racial equity consultants while centering shared voice & shared power, led the team in visioning and strategy, and developed the content, curriculum, and facilitation services for the consulting firm. In her higher education career, she built an office devoted to first-year retention, advised university community engagement initiatives, built social justice education programs, taught courses, and led the undocumented student support committee.​ Her doctoral research focused on how women of color in higher education navigated their identities in their leadership roles. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at The University of New Orleans graduate school where she teaches, “Diversity in Higher Education”. She is also an alumna of the Social Justice Training Institute, 4.0 Schools Essentials, Stand for Children's Educational Leadership Institute, and the Progressive Change Campaign’s Training.
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Based in New Orleans, she is a proud mom of twins. She is deeply involved in the community and serves on the board of the ACLU Louisiana and Dancing Grounds, while also supporting the fundraising ball for the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Additionally, she is passionate about serving as a doula to local families. In her free time, she shares her New Orleans food adventures on her Instagram @eatenpathnola and loves exploring all of the cultural offerings of New Orleans.
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