The people behind
the process
People always ask which one of us is Aretta. The answer is neither. And no, neither of us is Elaine. From a marketing standpoint, it’s a bit of a disaster.
But here’s why we did it. Aretta was Nikki’s grandmother. Elaine is Gina’s mom’s middle name. They’re women who formed us: who they were shaped how we lead, how we show up for people, and how we treat the ones in the room with us. When we built this business, we wanted to carry their names into the work.
That’s what we hope to be for organizations we work with: people who help you become who you’re meant to be.
About the name
(yes, we know)
What it’s like to work with us
Two friends who happen to be experts
We’ve been best friends for a long time, and it shows up in the room. We finish each other’s thoughts, play off each other, and have a genuinely good time. The best part is that you’re not watching us have fun. You’re in on it.
When we facilitate, it feels like two friends who happen to be experts came to spend the day with your team. You’ll laugh, you’ll participate, and you’ll leave with tools you can use on Monday.
Why two of us?
Between us, we bring 35+ years of experience in leadership, operations, education, and community development, plus graduate degrees in Public Administration and Social Work. We also bring different lenses.
Nikki is the systems builder.
She designs the frameworks, processes, and decision-making structures that help teams run smoothly, and she trains others to lead them.
Gina is the strategic connector.
She sees the big picture, builds relationships, and designs curriculum that helps people grow.
Together, you get both the heart and the how.
Nikki Mills
Nikki Mills is a strategist, trainer, and systems builder with 20+ years of experience developing people and programs. She has co-led as many as 15 teams at once serving non-profit initiatives, has significant grant management experience, and she brings deep roots in out-of-school time development.
Known as a “trainer of trainers,” Nikki excels at building management processes, operations, and decision-making frameworks, always with a data-driven approach and an eye toward positive culture. She holds a graduate degree in Public Administration.
Gina Watts
Gina Watts is a leader, coach, and curriculum designer with 20+ years in strategic management consulting and more than a decade in higher education at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus. She has led as many as 15 departments in a large non-profit organization, built community partnerships, and managed substantial grants.
For more than a decade, she has partnered with national leadership organizations, including Maxwell Leadership and Growing Leaders, to develop leaders and design curriculum for young people. She also co-hosts the School on a Mission podcast. Gina holds graduate degrees in Public Administration and Social Work.