Col. Nicole Malachowski, USAF (Ret.) defies stereotypes. Yes, she was a jet fighter pilot, but if you think you know her based on that, you’d be wrong. A leader, a combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, a White House Fellow, and an inductee into both the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, Nicole’s distinguished 21-year Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams.
But the dream came to an end when a devastating tick-borne illness left her struggling greatly to speak or walk for almost nine months. An indomitable spirit, Nicole fought back against overwhelming odds and prevailed. Drawing on stories from her career and personal life, Nicole inspires audiences to rethink the challenges they face every day. She urges them to go beyond resilience and become resurgent.
Nicole’s empowers people with three key beliefs: failure and risk is the price of entry for achieving something great; sometimes you need to yield to overcome; and her personal mantra – “nobody wants to lead a scripted life.”
Col. Nicole Malachowski brings her experience to the stage and holds audiences spellbound with an easygoing authenticity of someone who’s achieved greatness. She’s been a member and leader of exceptional teams. She has faced overwhelming challenges and adversity and has come out on top.
While other high school students were practicing for their driver’s license, Nicole was accumulating flight time. She was sixteen years old when she took her first solo flight and from that point on there was no stopping her. While in high school, she joined the Civil Air Patrol and participated in Air Force Junior ROTC.
Nicole’s professional story began when she earned her commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996. Following graduation, she attended Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Columbus AFB, MS and began her career as a pilot. Competitively selected to fly combat aircraft, she was among the first group of women to fly modern fighter aircraft.
As a career pilot, she served in combat as an F-15E Flight Commander, Evaluator, Instructor Pilot and Flight Lead. Over her 21-year career, Col. Nicole Malachowski achieved the rating of Command Pilot with over 2,300 flight hours in six different Air Force aircraft. She was also selected to fly as Thunderbird #3 with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron – the first woman to fly on any Department of Defense military jet demonstration team.
Col. Nicole Malachowski has served as a mission ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E fighter squadrons and has flown over 188 combat hours, including her proudest moment as a fighter pilot: leading the first fighter formation to provide security for Iraq’s historic democratic elections in 2005.
View All Speakers and follow us on Twitter
In order to view the below you must be logged in.
Jacob Morgan is a three time best-selling author, keynote speaker and futurist who explores the future of work and employee experience. His books include The Employee Experience Advantage (2017), The Future of Work (2014), The Collaborative Organization (2012), and his forthcoming book on the future of leadership which will be released towards the end of […]
Lt. Col. Waldo Waldman is known as the The Wingman and a Hall of Fame leadership speaker, executive coach, and author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Never Fly Solo. He teaches organizations how to build trusting, revenue producing relationships with their employees, partners, and customers while sharing his experiences as a combat decorated F-16 […]
From Why Coach of the San Francisco 49ers to leadership and sales speaker, bestselling author, and Chief Purpose Advisor, discover Paul Epstein path to become the most trusted voice on leading battle-tested teams and building purposeful culture through The Power of Playing Offense. Paul Epstein has been in the sports industry since his career began, […]
Mari Carmen Pizarro stands at the forefront of leadership expertise, possessing over 25 years of dedicated experience in cultivating exceptional leaders and enhancing human performance. With an unwavering commitment to guiding leaders towards unparalleled success, she has become a revered figure in the realm of leadership development. Through her insightful guidance and transformative strategies, Mari […]
Rachel DeAlto is a Relationship and Communications Expert, Media personality, and Speaker. She is the Author of Relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You) released on September 2021 via Simon & Schuster. She maintains a law degree, master’s in psychology, as well as an undergraduate degree in communications. Rachel DeAlto is […]
Cassandra Worthy is a trailblazing thought leader in change management, known for her disruptive insights and dynamic approach to organizational transformation. As the world’s leading authority on navigating change, she equips companies with the mindset and tools to build resilience and adaptability in today’s fast-paced business landscape. With her signature energy and expertise, Cassandra has […]
Gregory Robinson is a distinguished leader in aerospace and science, celebrated for his pivotal role as the former director of the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (Webb). With an illustrious 33-year career at NASA, he has been instrumental in shaping some of the most groundbreaking space exploration projects of our time. His expertise in […]
Ken Okel understands the importance of performing at a high level every day, having worked in broadcast news. Today, as a motivational keynote speaker, audiences enjoy his creative solutions to their problems. (WPBF, WSPA, WSIL, KAET, and the Cable Ace Award Winning Fort Collins Evening News), hurricane relief (Wilma, Frances, and Jean), and professional ballet (not a […]
No results available
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.
All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2025. Designed using Voxel