Extra-Ordinary Woman: Nicole Banister

Women of Peace Corps Legacy interviews an “Extra-Ordinary Woman”, Nicole Banister, who is a master of ceremonies, an award-winning TV show host, a presenter, and an international changemaker. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa from 2013 to 2016.Featured Guest:Nicole Banister hosts the celebrity interview series NIKKI BANZ LIVE with 100 guests from 35 countries, and the first 3 seasons of Start It Up–the YouTube series boasting 16M views and showcasing one of the world’s most prestigious social entrepreneurship competitions. Nicole has emceed in-person in 29 different countries; moderated virtual events for 25,000 people online; and is a sought-after facilitator for corporate social responsibility events at high-profile companies like JPMorganChase, IBM, TikTok, Ford, and more.Nicole served as a School and Community Resources Project Volunteer in Limpopo, South Africa from 2013-2015, with a third year extension of her service in Cape Town from 2015-2016. She is a Board Member for the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE), founding member of the Friends of South (FSA) Africa RPCV Community, and recipient of the Peace Corps’ Franklin H. Williams Emerging Leader Award. Nicole is also a State Department Community Engagement Exchange Mentor, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Fellow, and a Georgetown University Hoya. With expertise in strategic global partnerships and creative diplomacy, Nicole is passionate about leveraging media to amplify the voices of the world’s most dynamic changemakers by unapologetically speaking her own truth and holding space for others to do the same.Podcast Host:Lee Lacy is a senior leader, management consultant, facilitator and coach whose career in international and national programs spans four decades. She is a founding member of Women of Peace Corps Legacy. Lee has served in several senior positions for the Peace Corps. In these roles, she worked with Peace Corps Volunteers and staff making the transition to different cultural contexts. She serves as a job search counselor for the Foreign Service Institute’s Transition Center providing assistance to Foreign Service officers preparing for a second career or retirement. As a trainer and director of the Overseas Briefing Center, Lee conducted cross-cultural and re-entry training for foreign affairs employees and their families. She has lived and worked in Samoa, Nepal, Armenia, and Afghanistan.Women of Peace Corps Legacy (WPCL) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance women and girls empowerment to create a more just, equitable, inclusive, and safe world for future generations.  WPCL seeks to partner with and highlight the work of those existing organizations and programs that are effectively addressing the issues of women and girls.