Nicole Cattell

An experienced and creative content leader, Nicole Cattell has crafted an impressive career in world-class storytelling for entertainment, as well as educational, digital, corporate, and interactive content Her documentary film work has won an Emmy, aired nationally and internationally on HBO, PBS, ABC, and NBC; won several festival awards and premiered at Sundance. She is a Guggenheim Fellow in Filmmaking and has received support for her work from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2016, she brought her story-telling talent to online education. As founder of SEI Studios, she envisioned and created a best-in-class, story-driven learning experience to engage students, motivate their behaviors for success, and keep them on the pathway to transforming their lives through education. At SEI Studios, she designed, built and led a 60-person, cross-functional content development and production organization comprised of award-winning filmmakers, writers, instructional designers and technologists; interactive, UX, and graphic designers; industry and faculty subject matter experts; video production and post-production personnel. Together, they reimagined the online classroom to improve student engagement, retention, and success for Strayer University, Capella University, and Sophia Learning. Studios’ learning experience has delivered results. A controlled pilot demonstrates 16% improvement in student retention and 17% improvement in student success with Studios courses. 94% of students say Studios content helps them better understand their courses. 92% say Studios content makes them more likely to continue to the next course. Studios courses were selected by the Gates Foundation as an Efficacious EdTech Product of 2020 and are featured in conferences at SXSW.EDU, CAEL, Blackboard World, OLC, and Sundance. Ever since moving to New York City from the Midwest in 1997, she has been inexplicably obsessed with mermaids. She is writing a memoir about her fascination with these mythical creatures. She speaks conversational French and Japanese and lives in Brooklyn, NY with her two children.