Blackhawke Leadership
Nikki Blacksmith, Ph.D.
Washington, DC
Co-Founder & CEO
As an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, Dr. Nikki Blacksmith has worked across industries, helping organizations attract and select high-quality employees, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Her research and consulting focuses on understanding the way personality and cognitive ability predict decision-making and job performance in startups and other organizations.
She has published over 60 different conference papers, book chapters, and journal articles. Her scientific research has been published in top-tier publications including the Journal of Business and Psychology, Personality and Individual Differences, Journal of Personality Assessment, and Intelligence. Her research has also been featured in many media outlets including New York Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, and Bustle.
Dr. Blacksmith is currently a research fellow at the Army Research Institute for Behavioral and Social Sciences and an adjunct faculty member at American University in Washington, DC.
Dane Wagner
Miami, FL
Co-Founder & CPO
Dane has over a decade of experience in data analytics and UX research, he has contributed to industry research on topics such as loss prevention, behavior modification, employee satisfaction, designing for neuro-divergency and client memory/ cognitive processes.
Dane’s passions lie in the integration of modern technology to standardize qualitative research, bridging the science practitioner gap through applied technologies education, and improving employee experience models for smaller organizations and businesses.
He holds a masters degree in I/O Psychology and is still active as an adjunct faculty member within the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education as well as the College of Technology and Computer Science at Florida International University.
Mo McCusker, Ph.D.
Washington, DC
Technical Advisor & Founding Member
Dr. Mo McCusker is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist who has spent the last decade working with and studying leaders and teams in organizations from a wide variety of sectors, including corporate Fortune 500, medical, legal, academic, military, and non-profit. Mo’s research aims to understand and improve leader emergence and effectiveness, team communication and conflict, and team diversity and inclusion. She also has expertise in non-traditional data analytical research methods, which lays the foundation for the insights she generates.
She has published over 30 different journal articles, scientific conference papers, and book chapters. She has earned several awards and grants for scholarly research from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Virginia Tech, and the Department of Defense. She holds a Ph.D. and a M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Virginia Tech and a B.A. in Psychology and French from Georgetown University.Foun
Ben Hawkes
London, UK
Industry Advisor & Founding Member
With over two decades experience of psychological assessment, Ben has designed and delivered solutions for many of the worlds’ best known financial, tech, healthcare and retail companies throughout the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific
Ben has held leadership roles in assessment and HR technology, including Selection Assessment Lead for Shell International, Global Head of Content for the psychological assessment services of IBM and Consulting Director for Kenexa.
