Monica Nichol, a financial advisor for The Lighthouse Group at Morgan Stanley in Milwaukee, actively serves on several boards of nonprofits in the Milwaukee area.
She has been a member of the Wellpoint Care Network board since 2018 and chairs its fund development committee. In this role, Nichol has a track record of coming up with new and modern ideas that have opened doors for additional fundraising opportunities.
She also joined the board of the Women & Girls Fund of Waukesha County in January 2023 and now serves as vice chair of its marketing committee and is part of its finance committee.
An active member of TEMPO Waukesha, Nichol served on its board from 2021 to 2023 and co-chaired its 2022 Celebrating Women Leaders event. The purpose of TEMPO Waukesha is to educate, promote personal and professional development and foster connections among professional women in Waukesha County.
Additionally, Nichol has been the director of operations at Boss Ladies MKE since January 2017. The networking group aims to provide an empowering space for women to find connection, collaboration, support and inspiration.
“I’m grateful to be in the company of professionals and nonprofit leaders who dedicate their time and resources to improve the quality of lives for others.”
– Monica Nichol, financial advisor, The Lighthouse Group at Morgan Stanley
Next Generation Leadership Finalist: Nadiyah Johnson, Jet Constellations
Nadiyah Johnson is the chief executive officer and founder of Milwaukee-based technology company Jet Constellations and its social impact initiative, the Milky Way Tech Hub. She served on the board of Milwaukee-based nonprofit My Way Out and has collaborated with the organization on the Bridging the Tech Gap for Returning Citizens program to educate presently incarcerated and justice-involved individuals.
Under Johnson’s guidance, the Bridging the Tech Gap program has flourished, providing invaluable tech education and support to justice-involved individuals in Milwaukee. Through her active leadership on the board and strategic management of the program, Johnson has played a pivotal role in its success. The curriculum reflects her forward-thinking approach to addressing the digital divide and ensuring inclusivity in the tech ecosystem.
Johnson champions initiatives that educate and empower individuals to rebuild their lives, operating with the mission to drive real and sustainable change in the community. She also serves on the advisory board for the Inner City Computer Stars Foundation, known as i.c.stars. Through her board service with the Milwaukee-based organization, Johnson frequently speaks with current participants as well as alumni of the technology workforce development training program.
Next Generation Leadership Finalist: Anthony Mlachnik, NorthRock Partners
Anthony Mlachnik, an investment advisor for NorthRock Partners, is co-founder and board member of the youth basketball program 24:Up, which has more than 10,000 student-athletes participating annually.
Powered by the Pat Connaughton Foundation, 24:Up focuses on providing quality coaches and premier basketball skill development to young athletes. The organization is also dedicated to instilling essential life skills in its participants and partners with other nonprofits such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Children’s Wisconsin’s Robyn’s Nest foster care program and various military support organizations.
Central to Mlachnik’s leadership philosophy is the concept of servant leadership, characterized by his unwavering dedication to serving others and empowering the next generation. Through his mentorship and guidance, he instills in others the importance of ethical leadership and the pursuit of excellence.
In addition to 24:Up, Mlachnik is a member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s leadership council and the advancement committee for St. Thomas More High School, where he contributes his expertise and leadership to furthering the school’s mission of academic excellence and community development.
Next Generation Leadership Finalist: Tim Patterson, Foley & Lardner LLP
Upon joining Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner in 2014, Tim Patterson immediately went searching for pro bono and volunteer opportunities. He joined a small group of volunteers who were collaborating with a national nonprofit, Street Law Inc., to establish a Milwaukee program.
Street Law aims to educate at-risk youth about the law. Now in its 10th year, Foley’s Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program mentors 25 high school students each year from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
Patterson, who now serves as senior counsel at the firm, plans to expand the program to at least 40 students in 2025. As program chair, he is responsible for recruiting approximately 12 corporate attorney volunteers who are paired with Street Law students for the six-week program, preparing customized lesson plans and supervising the 12 hours of Street Law programming that is hosted at Foley’s offices each spring.
At the conclusion of the program, students interested in pursuing a legal career can apply for internships with Foley and other firms supplying attorney volunteers for Street Law.
Patterson is also an active board member of Centro Legal, a local nonprofit that provides legal services at minimal or no cost to low-income families and individuals.
