Innovator at the Intersection of Risk, Insurance & Healthcare Transformation
Nichelle Santos is a dynamic insurance executive, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized innovator redefining how risk management and employee benefits drive business resilience, public health, and economic equity. Uniquely fluent on **both sides of the insurance house—Property & Casualty and Benefits & Life & Health—**Nichelle brings a rare, holistic command of risk mitigation that few in the industry can match.
With a foundation as a Safety Engineer and Risk Manager in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, Nichelle has spent her career protecting people, operations, and communities through process safety management, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk strategy. She now applies that rigor, discipline, and foresight to one of the most complex and highly regulated sectors in the country: the cannabis and emerging therapeutics marketplace.
As Founder and CEO of CannaCoverage Insurance Services, Nichelle leads the industry in designing customized risk management, compliance consulting, and insurance solutions that protect cannabis-related businesses from failure while unlocking sustainable growth. Under her leadership, CannaCoverage is pioneering the integration of medical cannabis, psychedelics, and innovative behavioral health solutions into group health benefits, scaling patient access and affordability while delivering measurable improvements in health outcomes and healthcare cost containment.
Nichelle is equally committed to workforce development, public service, and leadership advancement. She serves as Chair of the Greater Raritan Valley Workforce Development Board, supporting Somerset and Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey, and as New Jersey State Director for Minorities for Medical Marijuana. Her board leadership spans local, state, and national organizations advancing public administration, workforce equity, insurance leadership, and cannabis policy reform.
Nichelle holds a B.S. from Rutgers University in Environmental Health and Occupational Safety and has continued advanced studies at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Kennedy School, focusing on healthcare, evidence-based leadership, and public policy. She is licensed in Property & Casualty and Life & Health insurance across multiple states.
At the core of Nichelle’s work is a bold mission: to transform insurance from a cost center into a catalyst for innovation, health equity, and generational impact—proving that smart risk strategy can power better businesses, stronger communities, and a more resilient future.