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Born Nicole Jo-ann Visser and raised on Bonaire until age sixteen when she left S.G.B. over concerns regarding increasing violence in the school. She went to study in the United States, graduating with honors from her boarding high school at Monteverde Academy in Florida.
After a year back on Bonaire working for her parents, she went back to the States for college. Although accepted into a fashion university she didn’t pursue fashion. Instead, Nicole graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island in 2006 where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Finance and worked at the University’s Culinary Archives Museum during “four wonderful years”.
After graduation she returned to help her dad with his company. She tells us “you see I come from four generations of restaurant owners. Zeezicht used to be my great-grandfathers and then my grandmother’s and now my fathers’ and someday to my generation.” I have great respect for my parents--we believe through God all things are possible!” I’ve done everything from waitressing, administration and marketing for our family businesses and am now attending Boston University for my MBA in Banking and Financial Services.
“My father also owns a few more businesses including our famous “Karels Beach Bar” that he started when he was just 25!!! My father is a real Entrepreneur! I’ve never met someone who turns everything they touch into GOLD that’s the expression we have for our dad! I come from a really close family. I’ve done everything from waitressing, administration and marketing for our family businesses and am now attending Boston University for my MBA in Banking and Financial Services.
Nicole is concerned that the baby boom in Bonaire, combined with increasing violence in schools and streets, will create huge problems later that “we won’t be able to control. Some of these kids aren’t afraid of the police and there’s absolutely no one to stop them. I ask myself where are we going?! Some people aren’t feeling safe in their own homes or businesses because we’ve let things get too far out of hand!”
“I think through this foundation we will touch kid’s lives in a very positive way by showing them that we care and that we want the BEST for them. We do not want them to be stealing or fighting or using street drugs. We want them to be the next Chef Emerill, or the next Andrew Jones or Churandy Martina, and by making a difference in their daily intake and by just being there and organizing events to promote the good they will not be creating dangerous streets!”
Nicole lives with her business executive husband –Jonathon Peiliker, and tells us “I love to dance, I love fashion, and I love to read—sometimes reading 3 books at a time!
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