Nicole Hayes is a research associate at the Conestoga Social Innovation Lab at Conestoga and adjunct lecturer for the department of anthropology at University of Waterloo.

Nicole has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education, the non-profit sector, and for nongovernmental organizations both in Canada and abroad.

She has substantial volunteer and field experience in the Global South and served on the board of a non-profit in Waterloo Region for four years.

Nicole obtained her honours bachelor of arts in anthropology from Wilfrid Laurier University, her MA in anthropology from McMaster University, and her PhD in anthropology from Boston University.