Nicole Kaufman is a seasoned Executive Business Partner and Operations Leader with more than a decade of experience supporting C-suite executives, scaling startups, and driving organizational excellence. Known for her discretion, reliability, and ability to deliver measurable results in high-growth and dynamic environments, she blends executive communications expertise with strong operational, human resources, and project management skills. 

Currently, Nicole serves as Operations Manager for the New Orleans Startup Fund, where she acts as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, overseeing investor relations, compliance, and cross-functional projects that strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. She also manages board materials and high-level communications to facilitate informed decision-making. 

In addition, Nicole is the Human Resources Manager at Haptech Defense Systems, leading comprehensive HR functions—including recruitment, onboarding, payroll, and benefits administration—while collaborating with leadership on organizational development and talent strategy. 

Previously, Nicole held senior roles such as Chief of Staff at Cyber Pop-Up Inc., where she managed strategic projects across HR, finance, and legal operations, achieving $50K+ in annual cost savings through process optimization. She also provided critical executive support during a $50M+ Series A fundraising round at Ready, coordinating investor communications and cross-departmental initiatives. Her background includes guiding startup teams through rapid growth, managing investment documentation, supporting go-to-market campaigns, and building scalable processes to drive operational efficiency. 

Earlier in her career, Nicole served as Executive Assistant to CEOs and senior executives at ILSI Engineering, Woodward Design + Build, and SKANSKA USA, where she gained deep experience in compliance, large-scale project execution, and executive-level coordination. 

Nicole earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications – Public Relations from Xavier University of Louisiana. She is passionate about building sustainable organizational structures and leveraging her startup expertise to help founders, executives, and teams turn strategic vision into operational success.