Dr. Nicole Ford-Francis is the current Founder and President of Visionaries in Partnership (VIP), Inc. known as VIP Corp., a Think Tank, Leadership and Business Development Consulting firm specializing in Government contracting, corporate initiatives and program management. She is a phenomenal strategic thinker and analyst well-known for business development, specialized lending and developing strategic programs for highly sensitive programs. Dr. Ford-Francis founded the parent company Visionary Policy Institute (VPI), LLC on the premise of working behind the scenes to support decision makers with crucial tasks that impact on overall status of the business practice and profitability. She now merges this skill set with government contracting and building partnerships.
Dr. Nicole has developed a Bio-sociological Leadership design called, “Strategic Mindfulness.” Dr. Ford-Francis is a highly respected expert in holistic medicine, energy healing, and spiritual life coaching. In addition to her scientific and educational achievements, Dr. Nicole is a Certified Spiritual Life Coach, Energy Healer and Holistic Pain Management Specialist. She is also an experienced Herbalist and Plant-based Medicine Practitioner. Her deep knowledge of herbal medicine and plant-based healing further enriches her holistic approach to well-being, allowing her to guide others in achieving physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Dr. Nicole M. Ford-Francis has worked closely with the leadership of the National Medical Association (NMA) with projects related to minority health disparities and regenerative medicine (stem cell medicine). Dr. Nicole M. Ford-Francis is also a Consultant for the Internationally known consulting and training firm, Blossom Corporate Training, LLC. She has a Six Sigma Master Black Belt (SSMBB) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level II Certification from the International Six Sigma Institute and Carnegie Mellon Institute respectively. She has held dual Advanced Profession Certifications in Biology and Special Education from the Maryland State Department of Education. Additionally, she held a School Administrator’s Skills Assessment (SASA) Certification from the State of Texas. As a Program Manager she has led National Programs for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) National Office and for other non-profit organizations.
Dr. Nicole M. Ford-Francis is a business strategy and development consultant, capture and proposal manager and scientific technical writer for various Government contractors. She was the Sr. Vice President of Business Development at the Ventura Group Inc., a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Defense Contractor. She served 5 years as the Program Manager for Smart Global Solutions (SGS), LLC, (JV): NASA Research and Education Support Services (NRESS). Dr. Ford-Francis managed the NASA Headquarters Consolidated Contract in Washington, DC and Arlington VA; a $149.5 million, 8(A)/GSA Minority Business Contact to provide scientific and educational technical support to NASA Headquarters Mission Directorates. Projects that she has managed include work on the International Space Station (ISS) Education/Science laboratories, NASA Space Shuttle Program, NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program, and in NASA’s Earth and Space Science, Space Technology, Education and Aeronautics and Research Mission Directorates.
Dr. Ford-Francis is an advisory board member at the George Washington University School of Business in partnership with the Z-School. Advisory Board member of the Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times Certificate Program. Programs help innovate through digital transformation by identifying the value of emerging technologies, business models and organizational resources during these challenging times. Nicole also served as a Board Member on the Smart Global Solutions, LLC (JV) Board of Directors that governed the NASA NRESS Contract. She has earned numerous awards from NASA Headquarters like the Certificate of Appreciation Award in Recognition of Excellence and Achievements in Support of the Space Shuttle Program and others for Excellence in NASA’s Education Department Programs.
Dr. Nicole has served as Administrator and Chief Lobbyist for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) (AFL-CIO) labor union, and she has also served as the Interim National Education Director for the NAACP National Headquarters. Dr. Ford-Francis’ work has also included serving as an Earth/Space Science and Biology teacher in Baltimore City and County. She served as a middle school principal of two campuses in Houston, TX and as VP of Strategic Partnerships for the Cave Institute, Inc.; a non-profit that conducts research and training on regenerative medicine and health disparities in minority communities.
Dr. Nicole M. Ford-Francis attended the Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Morgan State University (Baltimore, Md.) for four years as a Biology Pre-Medicine student and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Towson University, a Master of Education in Special Education from Coppin State University (HBCU), and a Doctor of Education in Child, Youth and Human Services from Nova Southeastern University with a specialization in Management of Human Service Organizations and Bio-Sociology. She is also a published author of: A Journey to Womanhood: Poems from a Girl Grown Up Too Soon, a book of poetry and essays. She is a proud mother and grandmother. She is a Native of Baltimore City, Md. and resides in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.