Nicole Antoinette Smith
Education
- Ph.D. (Candidate), Creative Leadership for Innovation & Change – University of the Virgin Islands
- MS, Computer Information Systems, Missouri State University
- BBA, Management Information Systems and Marketing, ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ
Biography
Nicole Antoinette Smith is a full-time associate professor of instruction at ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ in the College of Business, teaching data analytics, information systems, and project management courses. She is a certified FourSight® facilitator in Creative Problem Solving. She is a part-time instructor at the University of the Virgin Islands and an independent course designer. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of the Virgin Islands, pursuing a Ph.D. in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change. She also taught graduate-level courses as an adjunct professor at DeVry's Keller Graduate School of Management. She specializes in data strategy, strategic planning, process improvement, program development, and project management. In addition, Nicole Antoinette provides management consulting services under her company (Nicole Antoinette Consulting) using seven proprietary business methodologies, including her trademarked data strategy methodology dataFonomics to help clients look at the anatomy of operations, enabling them to 1) leverage best practices from PAST experiences, 2) assess and optimize the PRESENT state of operations, and 3) visualize and secure the desired FUTURE state.
Nicole Antoinette is known as "A Catalyst for Change" and is recognized as a wise leader with a proven ability to lead a diverse team of professionals. She possesses strong leadership qualifications in management and planning, including developing processes, building high-performance teams, creating frameworks and methodologies, and driving innovation. She launched Nicole Antoinette Consulting in April 2016, after working for 25 years in corporate America, and owns Faith Books & MORE Publishing, a subsidiary of Nicole Antoinette Publishing. Nicole Antoinette has published eight books, with over twenty more in various stages of writing and publishing.
Nicole Antoinette founded the Sports Legends of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, a nonprofit organization revitalizing middle and high school sports programs. She is a FourSight Certified in Creative Problem Solving.
She managed a federal contract as the Project Manager under section 1103 of the CARES Act (PL 116-136), working with America's SBDC (ASBDC) and the Association of Women's Business Centers (AWBC) to jointly launch the web platform () of a Content Management System (CMS) to provide resource information to small businesses and an online Learning Management System (LMS) for SBA resource partner counselors in response to the COVID crisis titled the Resource Partner Training Portal (RPTP).
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicole Antoinette launched two Pilot Programs as the founder of eleV8T, an end-to-end Workforce Development Training Program to train and staff Ready-to-Work adult learners in an H3 (high-skill, high-wage, high-demand) career. eleV8T is not just a training platform to teach adult learners. It provides wraparound support, including ongoing career coaching and professional development, to foster economic prosperity for individuals, businesses, and communities.
Nicole Antoinette earned a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems from Missouri State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration with dual majors in Management Information Systems and Marketing while playing basketball on a scholarship at ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ.
Research Interests
creativity, creative leadership, innovation, social entrepreneurship, workforce development
Areas of Expertise
Nicole Antoinette specializes in project-based engagements utilizing her proprietary methodologies:
- dataFonomicsâ„¢ - Data Strategy
- AssuranceProâ„¢ - Program Development
- Detectivv 360â„¢ - Independent Verification & Validation
- Process Anatomyâ„¢ - Strategic Planning
- Process Medicâ„¢ - Process Improvement
- Project Blueprintâ„¢ - Project Management
Consultative Training
- How to Build a Project Management Office (PMO) (AssuranceProâ„¢)
- How to Build a Software Testing Department (AssuranceProâ„¢)
- How to Conduct an Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) (Detectivv 360â„¢)
- How to Develop a Data Strategy for Clients (Process Medicâ„¢)
- How to Develop a Strategic Plan for Clients (Process Anatomyâ„¢)
- How to Improve Poor Business Processes for Clients (Process Medicâ„¢)
- How to Project Manage in the Real World Using the PMBOK© (Project Blueprint™)
Speaking Topics
- How to Become an Effective Leader and Avoid Costly Mistakes Along the Way (leadership)
- How to Develop the Best Data Strategy That Will Improve Performance (management consulting)
- Move the Needle Forward, A Collection of Lessons Learned through 25 years in corporate America (career)
- Progressive Learning Tools & Techniques You Need to Know and How to Apply What is Relevant in the Classroom (teaching development)
- The Power of a Comma to Write the Pages of Your Story (An interactive discussion to help attendees identify dimensions of themselves and define a vision for their future)(professional development)
Speaking Engagements
Women Economic Empowerment Programme (SWEEP) Workshop Facilitator on August 2, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: ENSPIRE'D Talks: Turning Talent into Profit
Imbeleko Academy Guest Speaker on August 1, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: Charting Global Pathways: From Rural Roots to Global Classrooms
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Workshop Facilitator on July 31, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: Turning Talent into Profit
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Guest Speaker on July 31, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: Charting Global Pathways: From Rural Roots to Global Classrooms
Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) Guest Speaker on July 30, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: A Blended Approach: Creative Problem Solving & Turning Talent Into Profit
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Guest Lecturer on July 29, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: Creative Problem Solving
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Guest Lecturer on July 28, 2025, in Durban, South Africa
Topic: Creative Problem Solving
ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ’s College of Business Leadership Development Conference on Friday, April 25, 2025, in Athens, OH
Topic: Creative Problem Solving
The Excellence of Pearl Scholarship Gala on November 18, 2023, in Cleveland, OH
Topic: Nature vs. Nurture
University of California, Los Angeles MBA Virtual Seminar on May 6, 2020
Topic: A Data to Information Economics Framework
The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies 2020 Legislative Conference on January 30, 2020, in Columbus, OH
Topic: How to Offer Talent Development Programs for Three Job Roles in Demand to Impact the Community
FlightGlobal Big Data Series Conference on September 11, 2019, in Miami (South Beach), FL
Topic: How to Make Data-Driven Business Decisions + Q&A
Mega-Predictive Analytics World Conference on June 18, 2019, in Las Vegas, NV
Topic: How to Develop the Best Data Strategy to Improve Performance
Workshops
- A 3-Part Book Publishing Workshop Series
- Part One: How to Write a Book to Promote Your Business for Growth
- Part Two: How to Publish a Book to Promote Your Business for Growth
- Part Three: How to Market a Book to Promote Your Business for Growth
- Effective Methods of Software Testing - How to Improve Software Testing Without Losing Quality
- Effective Methods to Develop a Business Process
- Implementing Agile Project Management
- Leading Without the Title as a Project Manager
Books
- – ISBN 978-1420897265
- – ISBN 978-1425902209
- – ISBN 978-0982019719
- – ISBN 978-1939761484
- – ISBN 978-1939761057
- – ISBN 978-0986015922
- – ISBN 978-0986015977
- – ISBN 978-0982019733
Publications
6 Leadership Qualities Displayed by Women World Leaders During COVID-19. (2020, July 23). Swaay.com.
7 tips for women determined to become a CEO. (2019, July 11). Theladders.com.
Antoinette, N. (2016). Christmas reindeer food. Nicole Antoinette Publishing.
Antoinette, N. (2018). Christmas reindeer food mishap. Nicole Antoinette Publishing.
Antoinette, N. (2019). Percance en la Cena de Navidad de los Renos (M. C. Tellez, Trans.). Nicole Antoinette Publishing.
Antoinette, N. (2021). Los Renos y la Cena de Navidad. Nicole Antoinette Publishing.
Antoinette, N., & Cox-Cordova, J. (2012). Getting beyond the day: your guide to surviving a job layoff. Getting Beyond the Day.
Antoinette, N., & Rochelle, A. (2013). How to market your book free. Write Image.
Ayers, R. (2020, January 31). How women-owned businesses can use social media marketing. Business.com.
How do I unpack 50 years of being an African American woman in America? (2020, June 16). Swaay.
How will minority businesses fare post-COVID? (2021, March 16). Business Partner Magazine.
Hudak, T. L. (2025). Sports legends of Cleveland: The story of the greatest athletes and teams of Cleveland’s senate athletic league. Nicole Antoinette Publishing.
Smith, N. (2005). Box of Chocolates. AuthorHouse.
Smith, N. (2006). Box of chocolates for teens. AuthorHouse.
Smith, N. (2009a). Building blocks for effective software testing: A practical approach to planning and execution. Faith Books & More Publishing.
Smith, N. (2009b). The executive’s guide to cost optimization. Faith Books & More Publishing.
Smith, N. A. (2021, April 16). Communicating remotely without micromanaging or “death by meeting.†Training: Training Magazine.
The real reasons why people continue to mistrust female leaders. (2021, March 17). Swaay.
To address the gender pay gap, look at the numbers. (2019, July 1). Recruiter.com.
What Papa John’s can teach all businesses about marketing & leadership. (2018, October 9). Smartbrief.com.
Additional Information
COURSES DESIGNED
ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ
XLRN 3912 – Creative Activity through Experiential Learning
University of the Virgin Islands
IST 5150 – Management of Information Systems
IST 5450 – Emerging Technologies
DSC 4500 – Project Management
DSC 6450 – Project Management
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
FourSight® Certified Facilitator – Creative Problem Solving (Issued Jul 2024)
Mental Health First Aid – National Council for Mental Wellbeing (Issued Feb 2023)
Effective Teaching Practices – Association of College and University Educators (Issued Dec 2020)
PROPRIETARY FRAMEWORKS
dataFonomics® – Data Strategy
AssuranceProTM – Program Development
Detectivv 360TM – Independent Verification & Validation
Process AnatomyTM – Strategic Planning
Process MedicTM – Process Improvement
Project BlueprintTM – Project Management
Process BlueprintTM – Process Mapping
IT-HEMM – Higher Education Maturity Model
eleV8T – Workforce Development & Training Program
SERVICE
Founder and Executive Director, Sports Legends of Cleveland | sportslegendsofcleveland.com
Global Ambassador, Vital Voices | vitalvoices.org/news-articles/announcement/gap-dc
Director, J’COB College Experience Program | experience-summer-program
Faculty Advisor, Multicultural Student Business Caucus | linkedin.com/company/multicultural- student-business-caucus/
AWARDS
Ebony Bobcat Network (EBN) Inspirational Athlete (2024)
James Ford Rhodes High School Hall of Fame Recipient (2019)