Meet the Team

Nicole E. Kenney, MPP, Founder and CEO

I am a social entrepreneur and speaker with 15 years of combined experience working on research, policy, programs, and communications to foster collaboration, pioneer solutions, and build positive and sustainable change within businesses and the communities they serve. As the founder and CEO of It Starts with Me, LLC, a social impact consultancy, we partner with companies specifically in strategic thinking, communications, and innovation to clarify vision, tell stories, and create programs that deepen impact and advance a successful future for all. Past clients include The Urban League of Philadelphia, PECO, the National Black Women's Justice Institute, Gaudenzia, and SHIFT Capital.

I am also the founder of Hey Auntie!, a digital relationship-building service and community connecting Black women across ages and life stages to learn the rules, gain the tools, and deepen the networks to thrive at home, work, and everywhere. I am on a mission to close the racial mental health and wealth gap by reimagining and leveraging the power of intergenerational relationships to help Black women rise and thrive over the stressors in their daily lives. I was the Grand Prize Winner for Hey Auntie! in the 2021 Well City Challenge, a seven-month-long social-impact competition in Philadelphia sponsored by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and Independence Blue Cross.

Before becoming a social entrepreneur, I served as an Economic Program Specialist and Senior Communications Associate at the National NAACP, where I helped lead, shape, and implement the organization's strategic internal and external communication campaigns locally, nationally, and internationally. I have been featured in Fortune.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Technical.ly, where I was also awarded Invention of the Year for Hey Auntie! I delivered the TEDx talk titled "How Aunties Changed My Life: The Power of Connection, Correction, and Collaboration and presented at the Washington D.C. Congressional Briefing: What Makes Black Girls, Blue?: Creating Mental Wellness Climates for Black Women and Girls.

A proud West Philadelphia native, I hold a Master of Arts in public policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in government and psychology (double major) from Smith College, where I received the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Award. I am also a 2022 - 2023 Innovation Fellow for CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org). Deeply committed to my community, I serve as president of Smith College's Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter, a fitness instructor at the West Philadelphia YMCA, and am a proud and active member of the Church of Christian Compassion.