Speaker Profile

About Ms. Cook

Ms. Nichelle N. Cook is an educator, licensed attorney, social entrepreneur, and neurodiversity/disability advocate with 15 years of experience in removing barriers that impede learners from reaching their potential. As Owner and Principal of ExceliCentered Consulting, she advocates for policies that promote equitable educational resource allocation, designs engaging and culturally relevant programs and materials, and supports instruction that caters to various learning styles and exceptionalities. Some of her previous roles include K-12 educator, undergraduate adjunct professor, higher education administrator, academic coach, and public health policy consultant. During the course of her career, Nichelle’s work has aligned with several notable names including, but not limited to, The Home Depot, Office of (former) Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana Department of Health Office of Public Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Energy, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Covenant House of Georgia. ​

Ms. Cook is also the founder and CEO of Practegy Educational Services, Inc., a non-profit organization responsible for the governance and fiscal oversight of Practegy Preparatory School (launching Fall 2025), Prepped by Practegy Supplemental Education, and ancillary programming (including The NeurodivURGENT Project) developed to further the mission of making excellence in education more accessible to all.

Nichelle is a proud alumna of Spelman College (BA Political Science), Xavier University of LA (MA Educational Leadership and Supervision/MA Curriculum and Instruction), and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law (JD). In addition to Nichelle’s ongoing professional pursuits, she currently studies Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Neuropsychology at Teachers College - Columbia University. Upon completion, she plans to continue leveraging her multifaceted academic and professional background to improve the health outcomes and quality of life of youth and families across the US and globally. Hailing from the small town of Kentwood, LA and having lived and taught in several metropolitan communities, she takes pride in promoting the limitless possibilities that rest within rural and urban youth when afforded equitable resources, opportunities and support.