About NICOLE

A former teen mother who put herself through the College of William & Mary with her three-month-old daughter in tow, Nicole now works every day to change the statistic that less than 2% of teen mothers will earn their degrees before age 30. Nicole has been featured on major news outlets including “Good Morning America,” CNN, “NBC Nightly News,” and The Washington Post.  Nicole also serves as an Ascend National Advisor with the Aspen Institute and is a nationally known author and speaker. Her critically acclaimed book, Pregnant Girl, was released in May 2021 by Beacon Press.

Nicole holds a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Communication from George Mason University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William & Mary. In January 2019, Ms. Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Trinity Washington University for her impactful and innovative work with young families, and she is now a member of their Board of Trustees. Nicole and her husband, Donté Lewis, live in Maryland with their five children.

• “Inaugural Luminary of the 1954 Project,” 2021

• “Black Voices for Black Justice Honoree,” 2020

• “Women Who Mean Business,” Washington Business Journal, 2020

• National Grand Prize Winner, Roslyn S. Jaffe Award, 2019

• “40 Under 40” George Mason University Black Alumni Association, 2019

• Top 50 Exemplar Alumni, George Mason University, 2018

• Minority Business Leader, The Washington Business Journal, 2017

• "Top 40 Under 40" by Washingtonian Magazine, 2017

• CNN Hero, 2014