Welcome to WINNERS! – where success begins, and leadership thrives. At WINNERS!, we believe in the power of transformation, every individual’s potential, and the impact of effective leadership.

Our mission is simple: to empower individuals and organizations to reach their full potential, achieve remarkable success, and create a legacy that will make them proud.

Meet Nickey Knighton

Nickey, the visionary Chief Innovation Officer and Founder of WINNERS! – a People Investment Company, is a renowned leader with a rich tapestry of experience steering large, diverse organizations toward unprecedented success. With an unparalleled knack for strategic planning, team building, change management, and innovative solutions, Nickey stands as a beacon of excellence in the corporate landscape.

Nickey’s journey is marked by her exceptional ability to invest in people, recognizing them as the cornerstone of organizational triumph. As a proven leader, she orchestrates strategies that attract, develop, motivate, reward, and retain high-quality talent, even within resource-constrained environments. Her profound expertise in leadership and organizational development and her prowess in training program development and implementation sets her apart as a transformative force in the industry.

Beyond her corporate endeavors, Nickey’s passion lies in coaching and consulting with business and educational executives, empowering them to unleash their full leadership potential. Nickey is known for assisting her clients in building a legacy that they can be proud of. Passionate about coaching, she uses her skills to invest in people and promote the idea that people are an organization’s most valued asset. Her coaching presence creates a space of trust, allowing her to connect to clients easily.

Nickey specializes in leadership challenges that include creating strategic alignment, resilience, collaboration, and accountability within organizations; navigating the challenges created by organizational, environmental, and cultural conditions; creating better avenues of communication between employer and employee; and aiding employees to feel valued for who they are and what they bring to the community. She works with organizations to achieve positive change and transformative results for senior-level leaders, their people, and their teams.

Academic Qualifications

  • Master of Leadership, Georgetown University
  • Master of National Security Strategy, National War College, National Defense University
  • Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education, Tuskegee University
  • Georgetown University, Institute for Transformational Leadership, Executive Leadership Coaching
  • George Mason University, Advanced Coaching Program, Center for Advancement of Wellbeing

Certifications/Assessment Tools

  • International Coach Federation (ICF)
  • Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
  • Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrator
  • Certified Facilitator, Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)
  • Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDEI), George Mason University
  • Happiness Studies Academy (HSA) Certification
  • The Leadership Circle (TLC)
  • Eckhart Tolle – Presence
    Certification