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Shanita Nicholas
Coffee Entrepreneur and Legal Business Consultant / Arabica Q Grader
Shanita Nicholas is a highly accomplished individual with a diverse background in law, business, and entrepreneurship, showing a keen interest in startups and offering legal and business consultation services to support their success.
She holds a JD from Columbia Law School, an MBA specializing in Private Equity from Columbia Business School, and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University. This strong educational background forms the basis of her expertise in corporate law and private equity.
With a rich professional history, Shanita has worked in various capacities across industries such as law, finance, and IT. Her skill set includes analytics, legal research, program management, mergers & acquisitions, and she is a certified Arabica Q Grader, demonstrating her proficiency in the coffee industry.
She has previously served in roles like Lawyer at Jayaram Law, Co-Founder at Sip & Sonder and Sonder Impact, Corporate Associate at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, M&A Associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, among others. Shanita also has experience as a Derivatives Legal Consultant at Barclays and as an IT Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.
During her career, Shanita Nicholas has been actively involved in various organizations and interned at prestigious companies like Barington Capital Group, L.P. and US Army's Communication-Electronic Research Development and Engineering Center, showcasing her diverse experience and adaptability in different environments.
Highlights
I am so grateful to be a part of the 2023 Black Ambitionist Mentorship Program! 🚀 As mentors, we have the privilege of guiding and supporting the next generation of Black, Hispanic and HBCU-affiliated entrepreneurs for the next few months.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Cinematica Labs and Black Ambition for providing us with this amazing opportunity to make a difference for emerging founders and empower them to achieve their dreams. Your commitment to positioning underrepresented founders to excel uninterrupted is truly commendable.
To all the talented founders I’ve had the pleasure of working with a – Congratulations on your hard work, dedication, and perseverance! 🎉 Your ideas and passion are reshaping the future, and I am so proud to be a part of your journey.
#BlackAmbition #BlackAmbitionistMentor2023 #MentorshipProgram #Entrepreneurship #DiversityAndInclusion #EmpoweringFutureLeaders
Last month, I had the great privilege to sit in for the Q Grader Exam in Oakland, CA with 7 other incredible coffee professionals led by Candice Madison (if you know coffee, you KNOW Candice Madison!). This class was the first all Black Q Grader exam...ever! There are 20 exams and you have to pass ALL 20 to pass the exam, which includes gustatory, olfactory and general knowledge tests. The first time pass rate is less than 50% (lower than some Bar exams!). The outcome, 2 first time passers (present company included!), lower than average retake requirements, skill domination across the board and a thriving coffee expertise in the Black community!
My mantra going into this experience was "I am we, and we are enough". I've gained community, dropped imposter syndrome and am currently ready to do the work! The coffee industry is vast and there are many areas to tackle, including sustainability initiatives, global living wage thresholds, traceability projects, representation from crop to cup and circular supply chain approaches that highlight coffee and culture at every touchpoint.
I'm excited to continue learning from farmers and producers, highlighting the many communities coffee touches and building out my own skills as a leader in the industry. Keep a look out for more with my work at Sip & Sonder!
Congratulations to the Black Q-Graders!
