Our Story

Nicole Alston, founder and CEO of Ok2Grieve, is committed to providing a digital destination for support after loss.

In 2005, Nicole experienced the loss of her stillborn daughter, Skye. Within months, she began speaking to audiences nationally, and then internationally, about providing comprehensive psychosocial support for families who are grieving the death of a baby. From this and other personal grief experiences, Nicole founded Ok2Grieve, an organization established to inspire the world at large to see loss and unresolved grief from a broader perspective. Understanding that loss extends beyond the death of a person, she is currently expanding her outreach through the Respect My Story™ initiative, a blog sharing people’s stories of loss, hope and inspiration.

With a strong interest in access to information, resources and services for underserved populations, Nicole has undertaken various documentary projects spanning pregnancy loss, suicide in men of color and racial disparities in healthcare. She served as associate producer of The Color of Care, a documentary film produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions in partnership with the Smithsonian Channel. Nicole has also provided emotional support to children and families who have experienced death by suicide, perinatal loss and the death of a family member due to a life-limiting illness. In addition, she has consulted to multiple school systems.

Nicole has published with and worked alongside some of the most highly regarded thought leaders in the field of grief and loss. As a recognized subject matter expert, she has appeared on various podcasts, radio broadcasts and television programs. She has also educated and empowered diverse audiences as a conference speaker and panelist.

Nicole is a Social Work Health Futures Lab Fellow, focusing on complicated grief for the Portland State University School of Social Work project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She received a Master's Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a certificate in non-profit management from Georgetown University.