Get to Know Nikita
Expert advice from an experienced coach who has walked in your shoes.
"I know from experience, what it feels like to not have a head start."
I grew up in inner city Detroit at a time when our support systems were being stripped from our families.
Entrepreneurship was my way out.
I started my first company in 1999, when I was just 24 years old. I encountered lots of obstacles along the way. My company pivoted many times over the years — and I bumped my head more times than I care to count.
Ultimately, owning a business enabled me to completely change my family’s economic circumstance. Now, I’m using everything I’ve learned to guide entrepreneurs of color through the unique challenges we often encounter.
Nikita J. Allen is a Business Coach and Productivity Consultant who helps business owners break through barriers. Her company, Growmetix® offers coaching and learning solutions to empower entrepreneurs and business owners with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to grow.
Nikita has more than 20 years of experience in program & product management, training facilitation and instructional design. In the corporate world, she’s leveraged her business acumen, leadership strengths and technical abilities to coach organizational leaders and their teams to successful outcomes.
Nikita launched her first company, Simply Virtual™ in 1998; She was just 24 years old. Owning a business opened a lot of doors. Nikita often shares that being a business owner exposed her to her potential and “helped me dream bigger”.
A teen mom from inner city Detroit, Nikita quickly recognized that not many entrepreneurs looked like her. Growmetix® was born from her desire to make entrepreneurial success attainable for all people — irrespective of socioeconomic status or background. And, she’s using everything helpful she’s experienced to deliver real solutions for her clients.
Nikita resides in the Carolinas, is widowed, a proud mom to three adult children and a doting ‘GiGi’ to grandson, Marcus. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities like kayaking, hiking and biking with her Cairn Terrier, Finn.
#STRATEGY, PLANNING AND PROGRAM DELIVERY
Nikita couples her entrepreneurial experience with a plethora of technical and soft skills & abilities to guide organizational leaders and their teams to successful outcomes. Some of her projects include:
- Hosting a 2-day Executive Leadership Academy to support City of Durham Department Leaders with establishing OKRs and other critical performance metrics for the 2015 budget year.
- Planning and deployment of a $2 million Cybersecurity initiative to align architecture with customer needs and industry best practices for a global technology firm.
- Leading change management & design strategy teams at a large energy company through roadmapping sessions to help prioritize and align outcomes with organizational goals.
- Partnering with a 3rd Party Assessor (3PA) to validate Cybersecurity controls to meet DISA / FedRamp accreditation standards before launching a Microsoft Dynamics cloud application for a DC based software company.
#TRAINING FACILITATION
Nikita is a certified Icehouse Entrepreneurial Mindset Program Facilitator who has delivered 150+ CEU accredited corporate training workshops to more than 3,800 participants since 2007. Her experience includes:
- Facilitating “Playing Like an Allstar,” a half-day workshop for local diverse suppliers on behalf of NBA Allstar 2019.
- Leading and coaching growing business owners as a part of AMP UP! Charlotte, the city’s small business accelerator program targeting ethic minority entrepreneurs.
- Providing communication & leadership skills training to a mix of Fortune 500 companies over a 5-year partnership with Pryor Learning Solutions, New Horizons and SkillPath Seminars.
- Designing learning experiences to help Product Portfolio Managers define human-centered solutions and apply agile frameworks to business challenges.
An advocate for economic mobility, Nikita volunteers her time and talents in Charlotte’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is a Leadership Charlotte (LC38) alumna who has served in board and other roles at corporate and not-for-profit organizations such as:
- 2018 BE Entrepreneurs Conference
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce (CMBCC)
- Junior Achievement of the Carolinas
- McCrorey YMCA
- Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners Small Business & Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee
- NC Black Entrepreneurs Council (BEC)
- Project Management Institute (PMI) – Metrolina Chapter
Fun Facts about Nikita
- Writer - In 2012, Nikita authored a book, "25 Smart Ideas for Using a Virtual Assistant to Grow Your Business" and currently writes for Forbes Coaches Council and QCity Metro.
- Model & Actress - Nikita is a former lifestyle model and actress who has been in local television commercials for Food Lion, Mercedes Benz and Time Warner Cable.
- World Traveler - Her work as a speaker and training facilitator has taken Nikita to 24+ countries around the world.
Interested in Bringing Nikita to Your Organization?
Leverage Nikita’s expertise as a Keynote Speaker for your next conference or event or engage her for IRL or remote instructor-led corporate training programs.