Shelly Brown
Chief Operating Officer | Head of Enterprise Growth

Shelly Brown is a trusted advisor to C-suite executives across the Fortune 500, recognized for guiding organizations through complex transformation and growth. With cross-industry expertise spanning financial services, private equity, technology, industrial, consumer, and nonprofit sectors, he partners with senior leaders to unlock performance, accelerate ROI, and drive sustainable impact for their businesses and communities.

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Driven by meticulous preparation, strategic execution, and innovative thinking, Shelly delivers meaningful, step-change results through collaboration and teamwork. His leadership is distinguished by the ability to align competing priorities, foster executive collaboration, and design strategies that strengthen client service models while attracting and retaining top talent.

Recognized for combining strategic vision with practical execution, Shelly empowers executives to reimagine what is possible, consistently delivering growth, resilience, and long-term value. His work at NLI sits at the intersection of organizational systems and measurable impact, the exact territory where enterprise transformation either holds or collapses.

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Shelly holds a Master of Business Administration from William Woods University and has completed executive education coursework at Dartmouth College. He has earned numerous awards and has been featured in sponsorship and partnership activations for global brands including the PGA, LPGA, and Ryder Cup. An honorably discharged U.S. Army veteran, he was decorated for his service during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Noël Bentley
Media Content Producer

Noël Bentley is a journalist, producer, and program manager based in Chicago and Cleveland with a passion for storytelling that bridges community engagement and creative innovation. She is the creator and producer of Our Underground Library, a civics education series, and serves as program manager of the Future Forward Program at DePaul University, where she manages over 1,200 students.

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A committed leader, Noël is the 2024 to 2025 President of the DePaul University Association of Black Journalists and a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from DePaul University with minors in Psychology and Cannabis Studies, reflecting the kind of multidisciplinary curiosity and social awareness that makes her storytelling distinct.

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At NLI, Noël brings that same precision and intentionality to how the firm communicates its work, its people, and its point of view to the world.