Nicole Walker

Sr. Director, Innovation Incubator

Health Care Service Corporation

Nicole Walker is the senior director of the innovation incubator and design at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC). Nicole leads a team in exploring new ideas that reimagine the health care experience for HCSC stakeholders through the innovation incubator and accelerator platforms.  She also leads a team of talented designers that help reimagine the user experience on our internal and external facing digital assets. Nicole has held leadership roles in the sales operations, marketing and strategy, bringing her keen business perspective, strategic thinking and focus on delivering value.  Nicole also is an Adjunct Faculty member of the Inter Professional Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology and teaches practical applications of human-centered design to undergraduate students..  

Nicole received her bachelor’s degree in industrial and operations engineering and master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan.  She lives in Chicago, with her husband and two children. 

Accomplishments 

Co-founded the first African American employee resource group (AAIM) at Health Care Service Corporation (2004), Developed and launched HCSC’s first employee-facing innovation incubator (2016), facilitated the design and  the launch of HCSC’s first early stage Accelerator in partnership with health care incubator MATTER (2021)

Community Service 

Member of the Southside Giving Circle (of the Chicago Foundation for Women), Volunteer/(Future Troop Leader) Girl Scouts of America, Founder, mom adVENTURES,