Nichelle Whitney Wash

Nichelle Wash is a results-focused DEI leader who specializes in supporting key areas of DEI strategy. She brings with her a unique journey through DEI education where she started as a cancer researcher, transitioned to working in healthcare settings before joining numerous higher education institutions to support the student experience and enrollment management. As a highly sought-after educator, Nichelle has worked with hundreds of domestic and global entities to help solve some of the most critical people issues related to access, equity, and advancement.

She has been the chair of DEI councils and served as Commissioner for quasi-government, building support for senior leaders to integrate DEI throughout their lines of operation. This work resulted in culture and change management for employees across the enterprise that was focused on sustainability and scale. She has also overseen diversity recruitment and outreach efforts for organizations, providing real solutions to attract and retain employees with a focus on diverse hiring strategies. Nichelle is a sought-after facilitator who has delivered workshops around DEI for over a decade.

She was recently recognized as Woman of the Year for her role in designing and delivering DEI education; hosting a precollege camp to increase the number of girls interested in coding and entrepreneurship; and she sourced projects to address homelessness and support pathways to housing security across her home state of Indiana.