Nicole Neily is the president and founder of Speech First, a nationwide membership association that defends students' rights primarily through litigation. She has worked in public policy advocacy for over a decade, serving as president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity and as executive director of the Independent Women's Forum, among other roles. She received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her master's degree in public policy from Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy, where she currently serves on their board of visitors. She lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and two children.