Elise Carter — award-winning educator, co-founder and Executive Director of NICE (Northern Kentucky Inclusive Students in Education), and 2025 Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award winner — joins Dr. Dan for a powerful conversation about turning pain into purpose and moving from ally to co-conspirator. As the first Black teacher at her high school, Elise and her colleague Trinity attempted to introduce a DEI elective in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor's murders. When their working syllabus was leaked, weaponized, and misrepresented as "critical race theory," the class was shut down before it ever started. Instead of walking away, Elise channeled heartbreak into action — co-founding NICE, a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit that now teaches the very values that were once silenced. This conversation explores resilience, leadership, and the courage it takes to get into "good trouble." Elise shares how curiosity and empathy open hearts, why food creates bridges for difficult conversations, how strength means asking for help, and what it truly means to be a co-conspirator — not just writing checks or sending emails, but showing up, using your privilege, and stepping into discomfort. This is a masterclass in leading with courage, compassion, and purpose.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why turning pain into purpose creates impact — when doors close, windows open; the class that was shut down became a movement
The difference between ally, accomplice, and co-conspirator — writing checks vs sending emails vs showing up and using privilege to protect and amplify
How food opens difficult conversations — shared meals around cultural history create bridges across difference
Why leadership is facilitation, not command — helping others shine by creating opportunities, not lecturing from textbooks
How strength means asking for help — vulnerability, humility, and building your village are signs of resilience, not weakness
Why curiosity precedes empathy — when you feel judgment rising, pause and get curious about your reaction
What "good trouble" means today — using your voice, standing up when something isn't right, and taking action beyond screens
LEARN MORE
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August 14, 2025
Elise Carter
From Ally to Co-Conspirator: Leading with Courage, Compassion, and Purpose
"I'm looking for co-conspirators who will step in when my children can't—people who will say 'Pause. Let them speak.'"
TIMESTAMPS
00:05:58 – First Black teacher at the school: The weight of being "first" and carrying Carter G. Woodson's legacy forward
00:16:40 – George Floyd's call for his mother: The pivotal moment that sparked the DEI elective proposal
00:19:33 – The leaked syllabus: Working document weaponized, community backlash, and "CRT" accusations
00:23:27 – Heartbreak and isolation: 200 people in the auditorium, feeling abandoned, and the turning point
00:24:13 – Co-founding NICE: From tears and long walks to building a nonprofit that now reaches hundreds
00:25:10 – Ally, accomplice, co-conspirator: The progression from passive support to active protection
00:28:00 – Food as bridge: Using cultural meals to open conversations about history, race, and difference
00:39:26 – Discovering strength and humility: What resilience taught her about vulnerability and asking for help
00:45:15 – Leadership through facilitation: Teaching by example, sink-or-swim learning, and preparing students for reality
00:48:24 – Good trouble: John Lewis's call to action and what co-conspiratorship looks like today
SHOW NOTES
Dr. Dan is joined by Elise Carter, an award-winning educator, advocate, Executive Director of NICE (Northern Kentucky Inclusive Students in Education), and DEI trailblazer. Elise shares her transformative journey from being the first Black teacher at her high school to co-founding a nonprofit dedicated to inclusion and equity.
During the moving interview, Elise opens up about the pivotal moment when her proposed elective on diversity was shut down after a leaked syllabus triggered community outrage—and how that moment of heartbreak became the spark for something even greater. Through resilience, creativity, and community, Elise helped build NICE, a student-centered nonprofit that empowers marginalized voices and fosters inclusive leadership.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Elise Carter & NICE
NICE (Northern Kentucky Inclusive Students in Education) — nisenky.org
Instagram — @nice_nky
Facebook — Nice NKY
TikTok — Nice NKY
YouTube — Search "Elise Carter" for award video showcasing student work
Organizations
Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky
GUEST BIO
Elise Carter is a high school educator, co-founder and Executive Director of NICE (Northern Kentucky Inclusive Students in Education), and passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the first Black teacher at her high school, Elise has dedicated her career to empowering marginalized voices and fostering inclusive leadership. She is a board member of the Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky, which collaborates with public schools, community organizations, and nonprofits to ensure the contributions of Black Kentuckians are recognized in education. In 2024, Elise received the Innovative Teacher Award for Northern Kentucky, was an Upstander Award finalist for the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center, and was honored with the Smith Wilson Award for Civil and Human Rights in Education by the Kentucky Education Association. In 2025, she received the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award by the National Education Association. NICE is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit where all donations go directly to students and community programming.
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