Affiliations & Certifications

• Illinois Licensed Attorney
• Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional
• Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Nikita Nichelle Gadson is the founder and principal counsel & consultant of Ascension Solutions. Nikita started Ascension Solutions with the goal of supporting organizations and individuals towards optimal compliance with the law and the attainment of their organizational, strategic and personal goals.

Nikita is an Illinois licensed attorney and a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP©) with over 10 years of professional experience in various corporate settings. She is a values-driven regulatory counsel and compliance champion who employs professional skills and stakeholder relationships to develop and implement effective legal and risk management strategies.

Nikita has built a reputation of being a professional, hardworking team player that delivers quality work product and provides useful, accurate, and consistent guidance to ensure compliance with legal standards and regulatory requirements. Her professional experience encompasses handling matters related to corporate transactions, board governance, corporate entity management, higher education regulatory compliance, compliance and ethics strategy and implementation, policy development, and contract review & negotiation.

Nikita has presented at several national conferences on the topic of compliance program development including a presentation given at a CLE workshop hosted by the National Association of College and University Attorneys entitled “Compliance 101: A Guide to Building Effective Compliance Programs.” Nikita also presented at a national conference hosted by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics on the following topic: “So You’re a Small University with Big Compliance Issues! Now What?”

As both a creative and analytical thinker, Nikita holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Business from Elmhurst University and a Juris Doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. When she’s not advising clients, she feeds her creative side by listening to, performing and recording music as a vocalist. Nikita was born and raised in Chicago, IL and is the proud mother to two amazing daughters.