Discover how the changing U.S. workforce and consumer market are creating new opportunities for customer growth, innovation, and business success with Dr. Nikki Lanier!
September 23rd, 2026 | 10:00 AM PT
The future of business is being shaped by one of the most significant demographic shifts in U.S. history. By 2045, people of color are projected to comprise the majority of the nation's workforce and consumer market—a transformation that will reshape how companies attract customers, recruit talent, innovate, and compete. For founders, understanding these shifts isn't simply about keeping pace with change; it's about recognizing one of the greatest opportunities for long-term growth and market leadership.
The Nasdaq Center is excited to welcome Dr. Nikki Lanier, CEO of Harper Slade and one of the nation's leading voices on the future of work and economic inclusion, for a thought-provoking discussion on how demographic transformation is redefining the future of entrepreneurship. Drawing on decades of executive leadership and advising organizations through periods of change, Dr. Lanier will challenge founders to rethink how evolving demographics influence every aspect of building a successful company—from product development and customer acquisition to talent strategy and go-to-market execution.
Rather than viewing these changes as a future challenge, participants will explore how today's demographic realities can become a strategic advantage. You'll gain practical frameworks for identifying emerging markets, building brands that resonate with an increasingly multicultural customer base, and creating organizations positioned to thrive in tomorrow's economy.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand how changes in the workforce and consumer landscape can inform smarter business strategy and long-term growth.
- Learn how to identify underserved and high-growth customer segments while strengthening your market positioning.
- Discover strategies for designing products, services, and customer experiences that resonate in an increasingly diverse marketplace.
- Explore how inclusive leadership, diverse teams, and intentional culture-building can drive innovation and attract top talent.
- Align your hiring, go-to-market, and growth strategies with the realities of tomorrow's economy.
- Walk away with practical insights to help your company innovate, expand, and compete during one of this generation’s most significant market shifts.
Meet our special guest
Dr. Nikki Lanier
Nikki's commitment to advancing equity and multicultural workplaces isn't just a career choice, t's in her DNA. Born into a family deeply rooted in the civil rights movement, Nikki's upbringing on the campus of Hampton University instilled in her a profound sense of purpose and a lifelong commitment to championing equity and expanding opportunity for Black communities.
As a three-time Chief Human Resources Officer across both the public and private sectors, and a former executive with the Federal Reserve, Nikki is a highly sought-after speaker, trainer, and thought leader on the future of work, race, and economics.
Now, as CEO and founder of Harper Slade, one of the nation's fastest-growing and most highly regarded future of work advisory firms, Nikki helps organizations cultivate workplaces that are prepared for the realities of an increasingly multicultural workforce.
Dr. Nikki Lanier is not an emerging voice. She is an established, credentialed, and deeply compelling thought leader whose work sits at the intersection of the future of work, economic inclusion, demographic change, and the critical role of women in advancing equity.
This is a moment that demands her voice. By 2045, people of color will comprise the majority of the American workforce and consumer base. These are not abstract projections, they are structural realities that every major employer, investor, and policymaker must confront. Dr. Lanier has been preparing organizations for this transformation for years. Now, the rest of the world is catching up.
In recognition of her leadership, Nikki was named 2025 Enterprising Women of the Year, one of the 2024 100 Women to KNOW in America, and a 2024 Director to Watch by Directors & Boards magazine. Her career spans manufacturing, healthcare, education, and consulting, with executive leadership roles at organizations including Philip Morris USA, Georgia-Pacific, ADP, Maricopa Community Colleges, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where she became the youngest and first Black woman appointed to the Governor's Cabinet in the state's history. Throughout her career, she has managed operational budgets exceeding $60 million and led HR organizations of more than 200 professionals, supporting employee populations of up to 33,000.
Featured by Ebony, Forbes, Essence, USA Today, CNBC, PBS, Bloomberg TV, Schwab TV, Yahoo Finance, and numerous podcasts, Nikki earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Hampton University, and holds a certification in Collective Bargaining from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
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