BIOGRAPHY
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Nicole D. Ford, sometimes affectionately called "Nikki", was born naturally gifted with a musical ear and has always been very passionate about the performing arts. She took jazz, tap, ballet, gymnastics, some singing, theatrical production, violin and piano lessons and performed throughout much of her childhood.
As a young adult, she put all of her musical and performing arts aspirations aside to pursue a career in the business side of entertainment. Nicole graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (specializing in Accounting and Finance). She spent several years working for Price Waterhouse, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Universal Pictures. She also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Windswept Holdings LLC, at the time, one of the largest independent music publishing companies in the world. During her tenure at Windswept, the company was bolstered by an eight figure acquisition of the Trio/Quartet catalog from Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Nicole had very heavy financial responsibilities reporting to Japanese parent companies, Fuji Television Network, Itochu Corporation and Fujipacific Music as well as overseeing the finances of Hitco Music Publishing, a joint venture partnership with Antonio "LA" Reid. |
Since moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, Nicole set some of her heavy business ambitions aside to re-explore her passion for music and the performing arts. In 2009, she began studying various styles of percussion in earnest including but not limited to Brazilian, African, Afro-Cuban and Middle Eastern with some of the best percussionists Las Vegas has to offer. She has since been blessed with many opportunities to perform in various venues throughout the city as well as at private and corporate events.
After being blessed to be a part of numerous projects, performances, events and drum and dance troupes, Nicole decided to take her performing career into her own hands by combining her business, music and theatrical experience together. In 2016 she and professional drummer and percussionist, Angelo L. Stokes along with Master Drummer, Papa Diarra Zumana, formed an African and world culture performance group named Triba! (pronounced "treeba") with the intention of celebrating African and other world cultures through the sharing of song, drumming, music, dance, acrobatics, and other specialty entertainment. Please check out Triba!'s videos/pictures and like Triba World Percussion Music Entertainment or Triba! on Facebook and explore Triba's website. In 2017, she joined forces with Atito Gohi, Master Dancer and Choreographer and Eric Bli Bi Gore, Master Drummer to become a percussionist and part of the management team of Vozolo Dance Company. For more about Vozolo Dance Company visit the Vozolo website at www.vozolo.weebly.com.
In 2018 Nicole became a volunteer with Africa Love Store in Town Square as a cultural ambassador and production and operations manager for A Touch of Africa Las Vegas.
Nicole has also sung with the Spirit of Joy Choir, Gospel Music Workshop of America, Facebook Chorale and other performing groups throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Nicole has played violin in the CSN Orchestra and various small chamber ensembles. She recently stepped out, performing as a solo violinist in Baobab Stage Presents: Tribal Night and at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive's A Night In the City of Riches Pro Show. Nicole has had some studies in steel drums, drum set, bass, rhythm tap and body percussion. Nicole feels so blessed to have accomplished and achieved so much in her lifetime.
After spending years exploring many of her talents, gifts and passions, Nicole decided in 2019 to dedicate her life and purpose to help bring Africans and African Americans together to foster a greater sense of pride, purpose, family and community while creating sustainable generational wealth and financial prosperity for black people all over the world. She currently does this as a Cultural Ambassador for Africa Love Store (www.africalovestore.com) and Da African Village (www.daafricanvillage.org) located in Town Square while working at Eastridge Workforce Solutions Convention Division where we provide event staff for some of the largest conferences and conventions in the United States.
As chief visionary of her life, Nicole continually upgrades her experiences into greater and greater expressions of her TRUE authentic self and enjoys the magnificence of watching her life and dreams evolve and unfold.
The djembe, drumming, her artistic exploration and a career in business has allowed her to come out of her shell which has led to exponential growth in her development as a proud black woman. It has shaped and molded her whole identity and allowed her to share who she really is.
I wear/wore all these hats while working full time at Eastridge Workforce Solutions
-Strategic Delivery Manager
-Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and Advisory Board member
-B.L.A.C.K.@Eastridge aka (Black@Eastridge) Operations Team
-Juneteenth 2022 Planning Committee
Former Co-Founder & Co-Owner:
Juneteenth365 LLC
Former Management/Marketing | Drummer:
Vozolo Dance Company
Former Cultural Ambassador | Event Planner:
Africa Love Store & Da'African Village
Former performer (but still a music, culture & entertainment enthusiast and practitioner)
Linktree
Nicole has always been a lover of rhythm which has saved her life many times over. She follows the beat of her own heart (drum) and she can't wait to share what's next with the world. #therhythmofpurpose
After being blessed to be a part of numerous projects, performances, events and drum and dance troupes, Nicole decided to take her performing career into her own hands by combining her business, music and theatrical experience together. In 2016 she and professional drummer and percussionist, Angelo L. Stokes along with Master Drummer, Papa Diarra Zumana, formed an African and world culture performance group named Triba! (pronounced "treeba") with the intention of celebrating African and other world cultures through the sharing of song, drumming, music, dance, acrobatics, and other specialty entertainment. Please check out Triba!'s videos/pictures and like Triba World Percussion Music Entertainment or Triba! on Facebook and explore Triba's website. In 2017, she joined forces with Atito Gohi, Master Dancer and Choreographer and Eric Bli Bi Gore, Master Drummer to become a percussionist and part of the management team of Vozolo Dance Company. For more about Vozolo Dance Company visit the Vozolo website at www.vozolo.weebly.com.
In 2018 Nicole became a volunteer with Africa Love Store in Town Square as a cultural ambassador and production and operations manager for A Touch of Africa Las Vegas.
Nicole has also sung with the Spirit of Joy Choir, Gospel Music Workshop of America, Facebook Chorale and other performing groups throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Nicole has played violin in the CSN Orchestra and various small chamber ensembles. She recently stepped out, performing as a solo violinist in Baobab Stage Presents: Tribal Night and at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive's A Night In the City of Riches Pro Show. Nicole has had some studies in steel drums, drum set, bass, rhythm tap and body percussion. Nicole feels so blessed to have accomplished and achieved so much in her lifetime.
After spending years exploring many of her talents, gifts and passions, Nicole decided in 2019 to dedicate her life and purpose to help bring Africans and African Americans together to foster a greater sense of pride, purpose, family and community while creating sustainable generational wealth and financial prosperity for black people all over the world. She currently does this as a Cultural Ambassador for Africa Love Store (www.africalovestore.com) and Da African Village (www.daafricanvillage.org) located in Town Square while working at Eastridge Workforce Solutions Convention Division where we provide event staff for some of the largest conferences and conventions in the United States.
As chief visionary of her life, Nicole continually upgrades her experiences into greater and greater expressions of her TRUE authentic self and enjoys the magnificence of watching her life and dreams evolve and unfold.
The djembe, drumming, her artistic exploration and a career in business has allowed her to come out of her shell which has led to exponential growth in her development as a proud black woman. It has shaped and molded her whole identity and allowed her to share who she really is.
I wear/wore all these hats while working full time at Eastridge Workforce Solutions
-Strategic Delivery Manager
-Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and Advisory Board member
-B.L.A.C.K.@Eastridge aka (Black@Eastridge) Operations Team
-Juneteenth 2022 Planning Committee
Former Co-Founder & Co-Owner:
Juneteenth365 LLC
Former Management/Marketing | Drummer:
Vozolo Dance Company
Former Cultural Ambassador | Event Planner:
Africa Love Store & Da'African Village
Former performer (but still a music, culture & entertainment enthusiast and practitioner)
Linktree
Nicole has always been a lover of rhythm which has saved her life many times over. She follows the beat of her own heart (drum) and she can't wait to share what's next with the world. #therhythmofpurpose
