Nicole Hockley chose to transform unspeakable grief and anguish into action after her youngest son, Dylan, was murdered in his first-grade classroom during the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. As the co-founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation (SHPF), Nicole works every day to protect children from violence. SHPF is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Under Nicole’s leadership, the research-driven Know the Signs violence prevention programs were created and are available to schools at no cost. More than 21 million have participated in these life-saving programs in 24,000+ schools and youth organizations nationwide. As a result, countless acts of violence have been averted — including at least 16 planned school attacks — saving precious lives and helping youth get much-needed mental health support. Nicole is a leading voice on school safety and gun violence prevention. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and commenter. Her opinion editorials have been published by Newsweek, CNN, USA Today, and InStyle, and her commentary has been featured in CNN, MSNBC, Newsy, ABC, CBS, and NBC news coverage, among countless other media outlets. Driven by Nicole’s extensive background in strategic marketing, Sandy Hook Promise is rapidly becoming a household name. Nicole received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Trinity College in 2023, and Doctor of Laws degree from Fairfield University in 2022.
