Dr. Constance Dierickx is joined by industrial-organizational psychologist Nikki Blacksmith to discuss the factors that drive successful investment decisions in venture capital and private equity. Nikki shares how understanding human behavior can help investors make smarter choices, avoid cognitive biases, and predict the future performance of leaders.

About Nikki Blacksmith:

As an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Co-Founder/CEO of Blackhawke Behavior Science, 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, and 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.

Featured Resources (Links):

Meta-Leadership by Constance Dierickx

Data-Driven Decision Making in Entrepreneurship: Tools for Maximizing Human Capital by Nikki Blacksmith and Maureen E. McCusker

Influence by Robert B. Cialdini