Meet Kourtney Moore & Nikki Carney

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kourtney Moore & Nikki Carney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kourtney & Nikki, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Nikki: My resilience stems deeply from my life experiences, hardships, and the lessons I’ve gleaned from them. Growing up, I navigated challenging circumstances, including the profound loss of my mother, growing up in a single-parent household; watching my mom do all that she could to provide the best opportunities for her daughters all while battling cancer multiple times and still making a positive impact in the lives of her students as a Special Education teacher. Observing these trials and triumphs became the breeding ground for my strength and adaptability. They taught me to see possibilities where others see barriers and to transform struggles into sources of energy and inspiration. My journey, both personal and professional, is a testament to resilience being born out of gratitude, perspective, and tenacity.

Kourtney: Resilience, often defined as the ability to adapt and recover from adversity, is something I believe I was born with. Resilience isn’t just a trait—it’s been my way of life from the start. Raised by my grandmother, with my mother battling addiction and in and out of prison, and my father incarcerated, I learned early that survival meant pushing forward. Then, at 17, I became a mother, facing a future that many said would define me. But I refused to let my circumstances dictate my story.

I found strength in the women who showed up for me—my cheerleading coach, who saw my potential, my teachers and mentors, who guided me, and now, the powerful women I call friends, who inspire and uplift me daily. But resilience isn’t always about pushing through alone—sometimes, it’s in the quiet moments—a hug from my children, a reminder of how far I’ve come, or when they have a moment of weakness and I get to be their source of strength, just as others have been for me.
Resilience isn’t about never falling—it’s about getting back up, every time. It’s about choosing to grow, despite the odds, and believing in something bigger than your circumstances. That belief has carried me through every challenge and continues to fuel me today.

Resilience isn’t about never falling—it’s about getting back up, every time. It’s about choosing to grow, despite the odds, and believing in something bigger than your circumstances. That belief has carried me through every challenge and continues to fuel me today.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

As the the Co-Founders of two impactful initiatives: HopeDealers.io and The Missing Piece App. At HopeDealers.io, we provide transformative e-learning experiences tailored to empower individuals to break into the tech industry. Our focus extends beyond education to partnerships for mutual success, with courses designed to enhance technical acumen and soft skills alike. What makes our ventures stand out are its roots in authentic commitment; we aim to provide hope and open doors that are often closed. It’s a celebration of resilience, lifelong learning, and empowerment.
With The Missing Piece App, we are aiming to address a critical gap in access to resources for families with children on the autism spectrum. Our app will offer families the tools they need, ensuring they feel seen and supported in their journeys. The ambition behind this venture—impacting 1 million families—is what excites me the most.
With recent recognition, such as being selected for Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center Milestone Makers program and the Latimer House Cohort, we’re focusing on growth and scaling both projects to new heights, continuing our mission of making a difference one family at a time. We are incredibly excited about bringing this vision to life and feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such passionate changemakers. It’s not just about the work itself—it’s about the people. Our team, and the incredible community we get to build alongside inspire us every day.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Nikki:
Resilience: Overcoming challenges shaped my trajectory and taught me to view setbacks as opportunities for growth. For those early in their journey, remember that resilience is built through experience and reflection. Don’t shy away from challenges—embrace them as lessons .
Empathy: My ability to connect with people and provide solutions stems from understanding their needs and experiences. Cultivating active listening and remaining open to diverse perspectives are key steps in developing empathy.
Adaptability: The rapidly changing landscape of entrepreneurship and technology has underscored the value of embracing innovation and pivoting when necessary. To build adaptability, one must invest in continuous learning, and stay curious to seek new insights that can shape your path forward.

Kourtney: Looking back, three qualities have been most impactful in my journey: curiosity, skepticism, and openness to opportunity.
Curiosity has been a driving force in everything I do. The kind of deep curiosity that makes you ask “why?” over and over, like a child trying to understand the world. It’s the ability to question, dig deeper, and explore beyond the obvious that has led me to paths I never could have imagined. Even when curiosity felt uncomfortable in certain spaces, it pushed me to grow and innovate in ways that set me apart.

Skepticism, something I learned within the ethics code as a behavior analyst, has also been invaluable. It’s about maintaining a healthy level of doubt—not in a cynical way, but in a way that encourages unlearning and relearning. Being willing to question what you find, challenge assumptions, and embrace growth has allowed me to continuously evolve, rather than staying stuck in outdated thinking.

Being open to new opportunities has been a HUGE advantage. Many people believe in following a single, linear career path, but that hasn’t been my truth. I feel like I’ve lived multiple lives, done a variety of jobs, and each experience has given me a unique perspective on business and life. The ability to pivot, experiment, and embrace change has made my journey not only successful but a lot more fun.

For those just starting out—whether in a career, business, or even building a family—one of the biggest time, money, and stress savers is getting around people who inspire you. Find mentors, seek out communities, and learn from those who’ve already walked the path you’re on. I wish I had done this straight out of high school because, in hindsight, it would have saved me from a steep and costly learning curve. But the good news? It’s never too late to start surrounding yourself with the right people and positioning yourself for success.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Collaboration is the cornerstone of sustained impact, and we’re always looking to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations.

At HopeDealers.io, we actively seek partnerships with educational institutions, non-profits, and tech bootcamps to expand our reach and empower more people breaking into tech.

With The Missing Piece App, we’re eager to collaborate with autism service providers, community organizations, and health tech innovators to amplify our mission of connecting families with the resources they need.

If you share our vision and are passionate about making an impact, we’d love to hear from you! You can reach out to us directly via email at [email protected] or connect with us through www.themissingpieceapp.com to explore collaboration opportunities. Let’s build something meaningful together!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themissingpieceapp.com & www.hopedealers.io
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-missing-piece-app & https://www.linkedin.com/company/hopedealers-io
• Other: Our personal LinkedIn:
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kourtney-moore-ms-822612167/
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-carney-036464176/

Image Credits

Image shot by Scarlet Raven Photography