Nicole Taylor

As the director of operations, Nicole is responsible for safety and security, strategic and annual planning for Mellon’s infrastructure teams in coordination with the Foundation’s annual budget process, cross-functional operational projects, and culture-building activities.

Before joining Mellon, Nicole was the chief operating officer at Color of Change, overseeing critical organizational functions, including administration, risk management, compliance, legal operations, governance, security, and organizational strategy. She previously worked at The Posse Foundation, leading key operational initiatives and the career, alumni, graduate & fellowship, and veterans programs. Before her work at Posse, Nicole was the managing director at the International Legal Foundation, where she led programs aimed at increasing access to justice globally through litigation, coalition-building, advocacy, and data-driven strategies. Nicole began her career as a public defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

Nicole holds a JD from Howard University School of Law and a BA in psychology from Spelman College.