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 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 as a manager, 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 out an office devoted to first-year retention, advised university community engagement initiatives, built social justice education programs, taught courses on the white savior complex, 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.

 

She is certified to facilitate several tools including Immunity to Change, StrengthsFinder, Intercultural Development Inventory, and the Awa by Beloved Tool Suite which includes the Equity Audit & Equity Lens Map. 

 

Based in New Orleans, she is a proud mom of twins and wife. She is deeply involved in the community and serves on the board of the ACLU and Dancing Grounds, while also supporting the fundraising ball for the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation. She is also 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.