Niki believes leadership grows from the lifelong work of becoming yourself. On the tennis courts of Naples, discipline and endurance taught her how growth takes shape through resolve. This lesson carried her to West Point and later to Afghanistan, where she led patrols and received the Bronze Star for her service. In her talk, Niki explores why leadership cannot be rushed or imitated, and why lasting influence comes from the ongoing process of self-understanding. She invites audiences to reconsider what it means to be a leader and ultimately answer the question: “Do you know yourself well enough to lead?” 

Niki’s time serving at Arlington National Cemetery, where she led time-honored ceremonies, deepened her appreciation for sacrifice and the strength required of a leader. She later brought that clarity and courage into the fast-paced world of technology, where she guided teams at Google and shaped global programs across policy and innovation. Her work challenges the culture of quick fixes, showing instead that leadership, like life, demands the courage to know yourself. Today, Niki is the founder of Beneath the Service, a national nonprofit that develops leadership programs to help the military community renew their sense of identity and purpose after service.