Nicole Birkner was born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica and is currently a sophomore at Stanford University, leaning towards pursuing a degree in Management Science and Engineering or Symbolic Systems. Nicole is the founder of Fresquiticos, a start-up in the beverage industry that creates natural, healthy soda made of Costa Rican fruit flavors. Up to this moment, the product has been successfully placed in 75+ retail sales outlets, including two major supermarket chains in Costa Rica.

Besides tackling health issues, her business helps underprivileged communities in Costa Rica by providing employment, buying fruits from local farmers and donating a percentage of Fresquiticos' profits to educational projects. At Stanford she decided to explore her entrepreneurial passions further by joining Cardinal Ventures, a 10-week accelerator program for businesses created by Stanford students, as the VP of community.

Additionally, Nicole is part of Stanford Women in Business’ Community Initiatives team, where she has been able to build a community of the venture. Nicole has also been working as a Professional Research Assistant for Management Science and Engineering professor Dr. Pamela Hinds (in the Local Motors project, which received the National Science Foundation award) where she has learned about data analytics, management and open innovation.