Nikki Lanier

A headshot of Nikki Lanier wearing a yellow dress and holding a mug.
Harper Slade
Founder and CEO

When asked why she has focused so much of her professional life on advancing racial equity, Nikki Lanier will tell you it was an assignment passed to her “in utero”.

Born to parents who were immersed in the civil rights movement, Nikki was raised on the campus of Hampton University, one of the country’s most prominent HBCUs, and as a child was taught to see the advancement of black people as a birthright and an imperative to a civilized society. She was raised in a loving home that nurtured her curiosity around these principles but also assured her confidence in articulating the same. 

Now, as CEO and founder, Harper Slade is one of the fastest growing and most highly recognized racial equity advisory firms in the country, her work focuses on helping organizations cultivate environments where black and brown talent can thrive. Nikki has also founded two global coaching programs, one for inclined white women who want to become better racial equity advocates in their home, workplace, and community, and the other a coaching program is for professional Black women who are in need of ripening and respite.

Nikki is an experienced leader with over 25 years of career achievements that span Banking, Labor and Employment Law, Collective Bargaining, Human Resources, and State Government. A three-time Private and Public Sector Chief Human Resources Officer and previous executive with the Federal Reserve, Nikki serves on several non-profit and corporate boards and has spoken at conferences all over the world on topics ranging from race, work and economics to women in leadership and Transforming HR. 

Featured in Ebony Media, Forbes, Essence, USA Today, CNBC, PBS, Today’s Woman, Tops Magazine and others, Nikki earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Hampton University and holds a certification in Collective Bargaining from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Together, she and her husband Damon have five children.

Other Profiles you might like

A headshot of Maija Grimes wearing a white top and standing in front of some boulders

Maija Grimes

Maija Grimes (she/her) is working alongside Pauline Semczuk as the next Data and Membership Assistant within the Higher Ed Alliance.  She is passionate about technology and data, and aims to

Read More »
A headshot of Pauline Semczuk wearing a white dress in front of a mountain

Pauline Semczuk

Pauline Semczuk (she/her) is the Data and Membership Analyst with the Higher Ed Alliance. You may have received emails from Pauline, as she supports us with the membership process and

Read More »
A headshot of Hahau Yisrael smiling at the camera. He's wearing an orange button-down shirt and standing in front of a gray background.

Hahau Yisrael

Hahau Yisrael is a Graphic Design Consultant at NCWIT. As a member of the communications team Hahau contributes to brand development, resource design and marketing. He utilizes over 10 years

Read More »
A headshot of Ahmya Rivera standing in front of a stylized background. She's smiling at the camera and wearing a black shirt

Ahmya Rivera

Ahmya Rivera is a dedicated Graphic Design Consultant at NCWIT, where she echoes her commitment to advancing the participation of girls and women in computing. With a robust educational background

Read More »
Scroll to Top