For Richelle Nicols, data is more than numbers — it’s a roadmap to better decisions and better lives. As CEO of Nicco Global, she’s harnessing granular, predictive intelligence to transform industries and empower healthcare providers to act earlier, smarter, and with greater precision. Here, Richelle shares how her tech-driven vision is shaping a future where data doesn’t just describe the world — it helps improve it.
Q: Data has been called the “new oil.” How do you see Nicco redefining the way organisations use data?
A: Data is absolutely paramount — not just for engaging customers or understanding industries, but for building the ability to predict. If you can anticipate how and when something will impact your business or your customers, you unlock enormous efficiency: cost savings, resource redirection, and smarter decision-making. But to do that, you need granularity — the micro-signals that are often ignored. At Nicco, that’s exactly the data we focus on, and the basis of the intelligence we are building. It’s this layer of detail that transforms data from descriptive to predictive — and that’s where the real competitive advantage lies.
Q: What makes granular data so powerful compared to traditional approaches?
A: Traditional data gives you averages. Granular data gives you the ability to understand the “n of 1” — the individual unit of behaviour, decision, or signal. At Nicco, we start at that micro-level and then build outward, grouping others based on true likeness rather than broad demographics. In effect, we’re reverse-engineering intelligence: using the individual as the foundation for discovering patterns and causal relationships that never appear in aggregate dashboards. That’s what delivers precision at scale — insights that are both deeply personal and commercially transformative.
Q: How do you see Nicco’s technology being applied across industries?
A: Granular data intelligence is universally valuable, because every sector benefits from understanding people more deeply and predicting outcomes with greater precision. Nicco has the ability to extend across multiple industries — from sport and consumer products to property and beyond. For me personally, healthcare is a huge driver. I believe there is enormous impact to be made in supporting patients, providers, and systems with data that can reveal early indicators and improve decision-making at every level. That combination — broad applicability with a strong focus on healthcare, where the work contributes to helping providers and systems help people — is what makes this mission so meaningful to me and my team.
Q: What creates real competitive advantage when it comes to data?
A: Real advantage doesn’t come from the sheer volume of data — it comes from the source and the structure. First, the source: is it captured directly from your customer or patient, and is there enough breadth and repetition to build a reliable pattern or connect them to others with similar traits? Second, the structure: is the data engineered to be predictive rather than just descriptive? At Nicco, we focus on both — capturing primary-source data and shaping it into models that identify emerging archetypes. Over time, the repetition sharpens the signal, the archetypes become more precise, and the intelligence more predictive. That’s how you scale — learning from one, then anticipating the needs of others who are similar.
Q: As a CEO, how do you personally lead in such a fast-moving, tech-driven environment?
A: For me it comes down to three anchors: Safety builds trust. Clarity builds purpose. Balance builds longevity.
Safety unlocks performance: when people feel secure, they stop wasting energy on self-protection and can channel it into creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Clarity comes from keeping Nicco’s North Star front of mind — using data to understand and support people better than ever before, but always in a way that is ethical and sustainable. I measure every decision against that goal. And balance, because building extraordinary products and companies should never come at the cost of exhausting the people behind them.
Q: What’s next for Nicco and the role of data in shaping the future?
A: Right now, we’re laser-focused on healthcare in the U.S., where the opportunity to apply granular, predictive data is enormous. We’re working closely with people and partners there to build a future where early indicators of conditions can be identified years in advance, giving individuals and providers the ability to act sooner and smarter. That’s our immediate priority — but the broader mission remains the same: to power a layer of intelligence that quietly shapes better outcomes across health, business, and society, and in doing so, make a profound difference in people’s lives.
Richelle Nicols is the founder and CEO of Nicco Global, a technology company pioneering new ways of using granular data to build learning and predictive intelligence. She has led ventures across multi-industry tech, data analytics, and now health intelligence. Today, she is scaling Nicco internationally — establishing a U.S. presence and collaborating with major players — while leveraging her entrepreneurial experience to turn ideas into investible companies. Richelle also leads Pollinatr an early-stage investment fund and venture studio, guiding founders with the methodologies she has developed over nearly a decade in the start-up space.