Julie Nicholson

Julie Nicholson brings over 20 years of leadership in direct service, higher education, the non-profit sector and consulting for states and communities across the U.S. and globally. As a professor of practice at Mills College for 17 years, she directed several innovative programs including the Leadership Program in Early Childhood, a Joint MBA/MA Educational Leadership Program, and the Center for Global Play Research.

Julie’s teaching, research, and publications emphasize issues of social justice and equity in education pre-K through college. She is co-author of 12 books, co-editor of 1, and has published many peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters and reviews, technical reports, and resources for public scholarship.

Outside of academia, she has held significant roles including deputy director at WestEd’s Center for Child and Family Studies, co-founder/co-director of the Center for Equity in Early Childhood Education, senior fellow at Childhood Education International, and associate editor for the global journal Early Child Care and Development. She has led many diverse teams, managed complex projects, secured significant funding, and served in leadership roles for various community-centered initiatives.

Julie regularly gives keynotes and provides professional development, coaching and mentoring to individuals, schools/districts, organizations, and state leadership teams. She has served for many years on policy committees, non-profit boards, and on international projects.

She has an M.B.A. from St. Mary’s College of California, M.A. and Ph.D. in education from the University of Michigan, M.A. in developmental psychology from San Francisco State University, and B.A./teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University. She is a mother of three daughters and a San Francisco Bay Area resident.