Meet Nicole Piggott, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Micro-Business Finalist

Nicole Piggott is the founder and president of Synclusiv and a 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards finalist, dedicated to helping organizations create truly inclusive workplaces. With a career spanning several leadership roles, Nicole has been at the forefront of designing policies, programs, and practices that foster equity, diversity, and opportunity for all.

She played a key role in developing the Gender Parity Certification at Women in Governance (WIG), pioneering the inclusion of intersectionality in measuring organizational commitment to equity. Since launching Synclusiv in 2021, Nicole has worked with some of Canada’s top companies to embed inclusive practices into their cultures and strategies.

Beyond her entrepreneurial work, Nicole serves as Board Chair of Impact and Vice-Chair of the Black Academic Scholarship Fund, and holds board and advisory roles at universities and national organizations. Meet Nicole and learn more about the leader shaping inclusive workplaces across Canada.

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when…

My mother passed away, and I decided to channel the grief and loss of an incredible role model, feminist and pioneer (and my best friend) into living a life of purpose. It became clear that creating lasting impact meant building something of my own—something rooted in values, empathy, and action.

Entrepreneurship is made for me because…

It gives me agency to execute on a vision, and to learn and grow. It’s where purpose meets possibility, and where I get to lead with both heart and expertise.

The impact I hope to make through my work is…

A future where inclusion is embedded in every layer of an organization, from internal culture to external impact, driving both human and business success.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is…

Surround yourself with people who challenge and uplift you. Growth comes from discomfort, and courage comes from clarity of purpose.

My proudest accomplishment is…

Watching my clients and team achieve success, and growing both financially and reputationally as a result. My mom would be proud; her legacy lives on in every milestone we reach and every barrier we break.

The biggest risk I took that paid off was…

Buying out my business partner at the end of our second year. Since then, we’ve grown exponentially. It was a leap of faith that allowed me to fully align the business with my vision and values.

My biggest setback has been…

Navigating the turbulent social and geopolitical climate, which revealed the urgent need to future-proof our organization. It pushed us to de-risk by diversifying our services and offerings, turning challenge into strategy.

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was…

The right people don’t just support your vision, they elevate it.

I surprise people when I tell them…

I never wanted to be an entrepreneur! LOL! But life had other plans, and I’m so glad it did.

If I had an extra hour in the day, I would use it to…

Spend time with the people I love. Life is too short, and it flies by, and those moments of connection are what truly matter.

If you Googled me, you still wouldn’t know…

I love to do crafts! I know, sometimes I don’t believe it myself, but there’s something so grounding and joyful about creating with your hands.

The future excites me because…

I get to work with my daughter, doing what I love and delivering even greater impact. It’s full of possibilities, and together, we’re building a legacy rooted in purpose, passion, and progress.

Connect with Nicole Piggott on Instagram and Facebook.