Nikkia Reneé Gumbs, Ed.D.
The Sun · Writer · Speaker · Wellness & Accessibility Leader · Creator of Spell-Lit™
Current Roles
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National Speaker and Facilitator
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Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference (2026)
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Stop Demanding Fruit from Dead Soil: A Repair-First Approach to Burnout
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The Future of Work: What Humans Do that AI Can't
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TedxUF (2026 Conference at the University of Florida)
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What If I Die Alone?: A Love Letter to Every Unwitnessed Soul
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Founder & Creator, The House of the Sun (2024–present)
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Video essay series tackling taboo topics (loneliness, grief, friendship).
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Produced with a unique “pajama aesthetic” to dismantle respectability politics and center authenticity.
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Creator of The Return System™, a system of body-based, somatic exercise to help the body process feelings like numbness, overwhelm, and burnout.
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Human Systems Architect designing frameworks, workshops, and curriculum for individual and organizational applications
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Author, The Invisible Grief of Adulthood (2025)
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Introduces Spell-Lit™, a new literary form embodying the somatic experience of grief.
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Companion resources (www.invisible-grief.com) include a Grief Atlas, worksheets, and a community-driven grief wall.
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Shares The Return System™ with the public for the first time.
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Manager, Learner Experience, Merit America (2024–present)
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Designed human-centered customer service framework for the organization
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Designed and built student services experiences for incoming cohort of students
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Lead wellness initiatives, learner accommodations, and microgrant support.
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Facilitate affinity groups and belonging strategies for diverse adult learners.
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Facilitate workshops incorporating the role of grief into the work-life (i.e., Imposter Syndrome as Grief, etc.)
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Manage critical support systems (mental health, housing, accessibility, SAP) to ensure equitable success.
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Previous Roles
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Program Success Manager / Career Coach, Merit America (2022–2024)
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Coached national cohorts of adult learners into tech careers, driving wage mobility.
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Delivered workshops on resumes, interviewing, and career readiness.
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Built supportive peer learning squads and strengthened program retention.
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Director, Accessibility Services, Valencia College (2018–2022)
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Led collegewide disability services, policy, and compliance for thousands of students.
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Managed college-wide budget and supervised adaptive technology and interpreter teams.
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Director, Office of Accessibility Services, Saint Leo University (2018)
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Served as institutional ADA coordinator.
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Partnered across departments on accessibility, policy reform, and equity initiatives.
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Education
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Ed.D., Education Leadership (Adult Learners) — University of Florida (2021)
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M.H.R., Human Resource Management — Rollins College (2005)
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B.A., English — Rollins College (2001)
Publications & Thought Leadership
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What You're Holding: The Case for Nervous System-Informed Object Design (2026)
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Lunch Break Lullaby™ A Physiology-First Micro-Regulation Tool for Workplace Stress Reduction (2025)
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The Spell-Lit™ Codex v2.0: Ritualized Form as Nervous System Literature (2025, Humanities Commons) — Foundational framework for Spell-Lit™.
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The Invisible Grief of Adulthood (2025).
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“Low cost but effective: Staff development activities in community college student affairs.” Community College Journal of Research & Practice (2017).
Additional Recognition & Presentations
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National presenter at AHEAD, NACADA, and UF Center for Teaching Excellence.
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Published in Community College Journal of Research & Practice and Humanities Commons.
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Invited speaker and presenter on grief, wellness, and disability inclusion.