Girls Fight Back

Nicole Snell, owner and CEO of Girls Fight Back & Empowered Journeys, Inc., is an award-winning international speaker, TEDx Speaker, trainer, and personal safety expert specializing in sexual assault prevention education, gender-based violence prevention, and boundary setting. Nicole is the Founder of Outdoor Defense, is a Lead Instructor with IMPACT Personal Safety, and is an NACP Credentialed Victim Advocate. Nicole is Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Certified and is LBSE Certified. Her programs are evidence-based, trauma-informed, interactive, and inclusive. She believes that when we are empowered to live our lives freely and confidently, there is no limit to what we can do!

Nicole teaches women and people of all gender identities how to live confidently and to own their power through realistic and applicable safety education. Her flagship program, Girls Fight Back has been a leading voice in the conversation on violence prevention and empowerment for over 20 years. Nicole and her companies and have trained millions of people through her various interactive programs. Her clients span diverse industries including military, corporate, college, outdoor, tech, Fortune 500, healthcare, outdoor, and more both domestically and abroad. Nicole's range of customizable programs incorporate a spectrum of verbal & physical skills that can empower any community with boundary setting, safety, awareness, bystander intervention & self-defense education. Nicole has facilitated Sexual Assault Prevention workshops at hundreds of military installations worldwide including at the Pentagon and has completed over 500 speaking engagements globally.

Girls Fight Back was founded by Erin Weed in direct response to the June 2001 murder of Shannon McNamara, a dynamic, athletic, and loved college student. Nicole Snell took over the company in 2020 and is dedicated to continuing the mission!

Nicole has been featured in a variety of media outlets for her violence prevention, outdoor safety, and empowerment expertise, including Women’s Health Magazine, National Geographic, Spectrum 1 News, Backpacker Magazine, and News Nation Now. She has also been featured on over 40 podcasts including Nike Trained and Fox True Crime Podcast. On a personal note, Nicole is an well traveled and experienced solo hiker and solo traveler who is determined to help others open up their access to the world.

Nicole is committed to ending violence in all of its forms and believes that everyone has the right to walk through the world feeling safe, powerful, and confident.