Nicole SANTIAGO

ABOUT NICOLE

Nicole Santiago is a mountaineer, speaker, and creative whose passion for climbing began while working with the Conservation Corps in Yosemite National Park, where she discovered not only a love for the mountains, but also a deeper sense of strength, freedom, and identity. For over a decade, mountaineering became more than adventure — it became a transformative force in her life. From climbing Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua to ultimately standing on the summit of Mount Everest in 2026, each mountain shaped her resilience, perspective, and belief in what is possible. Through grit, community support, sponsorships, and relentless determination, Nicole became the first Puerto Rican American woman to summit Mount Everest, carrying both the American and Puerto Rican flags to the top of the world.

Known for her raw storytelling and emotional honesty, Nicole shares not only the beauty of mountaineering, but also the deeper human experience behind it — fear, perseverance, healing, sacrifice, and transformation. Her journey has inspired audiences around the world by showing that extraordinary goals are rarely achieved by extraordinary people alone, but by ordinary people willing to continually grow into stronger versions of themselves. Nicole is currently in the process of publishing her first book of poetry — a deeply personal collection inspired by and written during each of her mountain expeditions, offering readers an intimate glimpse into the emotional landscapes experienced on the mountain.